Paper Round: Barcelona eye shock move for Liverpool defender Nathaniel Clyne

Liverpool could be about to lose one of their top defenders as early as January with Barcelona hoping to pounce, according to a report in The Sun. Nathaniel Clyne has been targeted by the Spanish giants with a £20 million offer set to come in ahead of the winter transfer window. The 25-year-old full-back is wanted by the Catalan club because of his pace and athleticism with the Reds set to have a tough time holding off their advances.

Paper Round’s view: The paper reports that Barcelona have “identified Clyne as their number one target to replace Dani Alves in January” and, while it is certainly true that they require a full-back, it would be a surprise if they do really bid for the Englishman, who is under contract at Liverpool and a favourite of Jurgen Klopp’s. Given that Glen Johnson has been linked with a move to Barcelona in recent days, this would obviously be less of a shock than that, but Barcelona may find it a lot easier to pick up a player already in Spain given Liverpool’s likely reluctance to sell one of their brightest young stars mid-season.

Wayne Rooney could be about to move to LA Galaxy with the California giants hoping to lure a big name over to the MLS. Galaxy are reportedly set to lose Steven Gerrard – one of two designated players who are allowed to break the wage cap – so his exit could open the door for a big-money move for Rooney. Gerrard is currently paid £4 million-a-year by the American club, but that is just a quarter of what Rooney rakes in from Manchester United.

Paper Round’s view: The United captain has apparently been told he needs to move if he wants first-team football, and if Jose Mourinho is keen for him to leave Old Trafford then this transfer may not be as shocking as The Sun are making it sound. The 31-year-old has found the going tough in the Premier League the last year or so and a move to the MLS could be just what he needs at this stage in his career. However, the sticking point for Rooney could be his desire to remain close to home, something which has seemingly ruled out any potential huge-money moves to China.

West Ham are set to ban 200 fans following violence in the Olympic Stadium towards the end of their EFL game with Chelsea. Despite FA chiefs investigating the incidents, the club is likely to escape punishment, reports The Sun, given that pre-match fears over trouble amongst fans almost certainly led to all possible precautions being taken.

Paper Round's view: It's about time. The club's image has been badly tarnished by the scenes at the Olympic Stadium and they should act as swiftly as they can to bring the problems to an end. Two-hundred is a big number in this instance and sends a strong message. However, it remains to be seen if they will impose anywhere near that number of bans or if it is just tough talking.

Sir Alex Ferguson insists that Jurgen Klopp has revived Liverpool and believes they are title contenders. The Express carries quotes from the former Manchester United boss where he praises the German's 'strong personality' and adds that you have to 'count Liverpool in' for the title race.

Paper Round's view: What more evidence do you need to suggest that Liverpool will really be in the mix for the title this year? Ferguson, who famously vowed to 'knock Liverpool off their f*****g perch', was never one to praised the Merseyside club during his time at Old Trafford. Even though he is now retired, these quotes are surprising and underline the fear at his former club that Klopp could be ready to go one step further than Brendan Rodgers in 2014.

Mesut Ozil held secret talks with Turkish club Fenerbahce over a potential summer transfer, according to a bizarre report in the Daily Star. According to the paper, the German held discussions with Fenerbahce over leaving the Emirates in the last transfer window with Turkish outlet Hurriyet also claiming that Ozil travelled to Istanbul over the summer for secret talks.

Paper Round’s view: This is a strange story. It is true that Ozil has been locked in contract negotiations with Arsenal for several months as the club try to tie down their star midfielder, but a sudden move to Fenerbahce would be incredibly unlikely. The paper reports that Ozil was in Istanbul for 17 hours for talks with the meeting kept a secret from the media. Well, clearly the latter has turned out to be false, for a start. Ozil will surely sign a big new contract with Arsenal and this will be confined to transfer-rumour bin.