Paper Round: Paul Pogba ‘to snub Manchester United for Chelsea’

Paul Pogba to join Chelsea over United: Paul Pogba could be set to join Chelsea in a mega-money £80 million move, snubbing former club Manchester United in the process, according to a report in the Express. The news comes former Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka, who has reportedly urged the Frenchman to sign for the west London outfit opposed to his former club Manchester United. It is widely believed that Pogba will leave Juventus in the summer and will look for a fresh challenge, with reports suggesting that the midfielder will return to the Premier League. Anelka told France Football: "Paul technically knows everything and he has the qualities to play anywhere. My preference is for him to join Chelsea, who have very strong players and the financial power of [Roman] Abramovich. Also Real Madrid, who are one of the bigot clubs in the world, if not the greatest. He would grow a lot under Carlo Ancelotti."

Paper round’s view: Well, this would certainly ruffle a few feathers within the Manchester United camp, wouldn’t it? Pogba, a former United youth player, left the Old Trafford club on relatively poor terms after becoming disillusioned at a lack of first-team opportunities, but that hasn’t stopped United from chasing his signature once more in recent years. It is believed that Pogba has a number of European giants looking to sign him, but the Frenchman’s agent Mino Raiola claimed that it would take a world-record bid to prise his client away from the Turin club. However, both Chelsea and United are reportedly willing to pay whatever it takes to bring him back to England.

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Man United to prepare bid for Ilkay Gundogan: Manchester United are ready to sign Borussia Dortmund contract rebel Ilkay Gundogan if he fails to agree a new deal to stay at Westfalenstadion, write the Metro. The midfielder has publically declined two new contract offer already but is reportedly being offered fresh terms with the Bundesliga outfit. However, reports in Germany suggest that United are still very much in the hunt for Gundogan and could make an offer in the summer. It has been suggested that the German international will follow in the footsteps of team-mate Marco Reus and agree to a bumper deal with Dortmund, but a report in Bild claims that United will be waiting in the wings should talks break down between the two parties.

Paper round’s view: Manchester United are desperate for a midfielder – so much so that manager Louis van Gaal has publically declared his desire to acquire a player in that position during the summer months. Guendogan certainly fits the mould and is one of the most highly-rated midfielders in European football. Dortmund are languishing in the bottom half of the Bundesliga and are in genuine danger of failing to secure their top-flight status this season. The German is out of contract in 2016 and could essentially leave on a free transfer, should he not agree a new deal with Juergen Klopp’s side. However, if Guendogan makes it clear that he is looking to leave then Dortmund will be hopeful of a fee of around £20m.

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Tottenham eye £20m Argentine winger: Tottenham are considering Benfica’s £20 million-rated winger Eduardo Salvio as a replacement for Jay Rodriguez, should the north London outfit fail to land the Southampton striker, according to the Mirror. Spurs reportedly sent scouts to watch the 24-year-old during Benfica’s 3-0 win over Vitoria Setubal on Sunday and the former Atletico Madrid wideman has since emerged as a summer target for Mauricio Pochettino. It is widely expected that Spurs will renew their interest in Southampton front man Jay Rodriguez but will face stiff competition for the 25-year-old so could turn their attention elsewhere.

Paper round’s view: Tottenham would do well to sign Rodriguez in the summer, but reports suggesting that the White Hart Lane club will face competition are undoubtedly true. Despite not having played a game this season due to a cruciate ligament injury, Premier League clubs have not forgotten about the quality that J-Rod possesses. However, Salvio is a highly-regarded youngster, and although he plays in a different role to that of Rodriguez, he would be a solid acquisition for Spurs – though you feel that Pochettino will have to offload one of his many other widemen before the transfer goes through.

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Prem clubs on alert as Real prepare to offload defender: A host of Premier League clubs have been put on alert after it was revealed that Real Madrid will be forced into deciding whether to keep Pepe or Rafael Varane, a report in the Daily Star suggests. The red top suggests that Real boss Carlo Ancelotti as the unfortunate dilemma of choosing between the two brilliant defenders. The Star writes: “Reports suggest a contract extension for Pepe would force Varane to seriously assess his future at the Bernabeu. The 21-year-old is already known to be displeased with his lack of first-team action, and is irked by his 'luxury substitute' status.”

Paper round’s view: It is a rather unenviable task for Ancelotti. In an ideal world, the Real Madrid boss would keep both players, but, with club darling Sergio Ramos consistently holding down a spot at the heart of the reigning European champions’ defence, there really is room for one of the others. Varane made some revealing comments ahead of an international match recently, saying: "The competition with Pepe is not in my best interests, and it won't be in the future. The objective is to be on the pitch."
A tough decision for the Italian, it appears, but whatever is Real’s loss would certainly be a huge gain for any Premier League club.