Paper Round: Pedro willing to join Arsenal

Gunners close on Pedro: Arsenal have moved closer to securing the services of Pedro in January after the Barcelona winger told friends he is willing to join the Gunners. The Metro, quoting a Spanish website, reports that Pedro has made it clear he favours a move to the Emirates, despite interest from other clubs, including Liverpool. Arsene Wenger allegedly opened talks with Barca this week over a £25 million swoop, and the Arsenal boss is increasingly confident of sealing a deal.

Paper Round's view: While we should always be wary of 'friends' speaking on behalf of players, it remains clear that Pedro, at the moment, needs to quit the Nou Camp if he is to progress in his career. Without much playing time under Luis Enrique, he risks stagnating and for a player of his talent, that won't do. A move to Arsenal could well happen once the transfer window re-opens.

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Trabzonspor confirm United are tracking Waris: Manchester United are on the trail of Ghana international Abdul Majeed Waris, the striker's club has confirmed. The Daily Mail reports that Trabzonspor chief executive Burak Gurdal said: "We have not had any direct offers however, we know Manchester United are scouting Waris and keeping close tabs on him." It had been claimed that United assistant manager Ryan Giggs watched the 23-year-old in Europa League action last week and these recent comments appear to back up those reports.

Paper Round's view: It should be noted that Waris only signed for the Turkish side two months ago and Gurdal added that the player was not for sale. So United fans need not get too excited just yet. If, indeed, they were in the first place, which is debatable.

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Drone fear for Manchester derby: Police are concerned that drones could fly overhead at this weekend's Manchester derby, according to the Daily Mail. The example of the Serbia-Albania Euro qualifier the other week - which ended in a near riot - is cited as to the potential problems of such airborne antics, while the paper points out there was a recent incident at the Etihad that has put police on red alert - a man was arrested in a nearby supermarket after flying a drone over the stadium as City beat Tottenham 4-1 just a fortnight ago.

Paper Round's view: Drones may well be a growing problem, but scenes such as those witnessed in Belgrade are unlikely to be replicated in Manchester, even if a provocative banner or flag is flown overhead. What might be of more concern to the Greater Manchester Police, as the report points out, is the string of banning orders that have just expired, raising the prospect of a number of notorious hooligans attending the game.

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Assou-Ekotto exit stalling: Tottenham are struggling to offload Benoit Assou-Ekotto due to the Cameroon defender's wage demands. The Daily Mirror reports that the 30-year-old has been told he can leave White Hart Lane, but his refusal to reduce his salary is putting prospective clubs off. Assou-Ekotto earns £40,000-a-week, but that is too much for the likes of QPR and Crystal Palace.

Paper Round's view: Assou-Ekotto's an interesting character. A number of years ago he gave an interview in which he revealed his only motivation is to earn a good wage from doing what he does best - playing football. There were no false pretences about loyalty to any one club or playing for the shirt, just a desire to make money while he can and ensure life - now and in the future - is as comfortable as possible for him and his family. It was refreshing to hear, and goes some way to explaining this situation which, while infuriating for Spurs, is understandable given Assou-Ekotto's honest assessment of his job.

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Keane turned down I'm a Celebrity: In today's top non-news, the Daily Mail claims that Roy Keane turned down the chance to appear on Celebrity Big Brother and I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, "the jungle stuff" as he put it. Citing an interview with Shortlist magazine, Keane also revealed that he flat refused to sing a song as a traditional rite-of-passage ritual. "It happens now at Villa, but if I was a player at a new club and someone said, “You’ve got to sing tonight,” I just f****** wouldn’t do it," Keane said. "I sing for nobody."

Paper Round's view: Can you imagine Roy Keane on these shows? It would be murder, maybe quite literally. So perhaps best he turned them down.

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