Paper Round: Chelsea will battle Manchester United for Bayern Munich's Thomas Muller

Manchester United will have company in their pursuit of Thomas Muller. The Mirror understand that Chelsea are set to battle the Red Devils for the forward as they look to find an alternative to Diego Costa. Jose Mourinho's clashes with Costa, and his lack of scoring, have the forward on the outs at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea want a replacement for him in the summer and have tabbed Muller as their top target.

Paper Round's view - Muller is a terrific player, but he's under contract at Bayern Munich, who won't be inclined to sell. Toss in competition from Man United and you have the recipe for a monster price. Why would Chelsea pay that for a player who is going to be 27 years old early next season? The cost just won't be good business for Chelsea, but they're desperate to get better up front and the options are limited so maybe they will do a deal anyway.

Radamel Falcao might not be leaving Chelsea after all. The Mail believe that Monaco do not want to recall the striker from his loan and the Blues could end up stuck with him for the remainder of the season. Chelsea want to dump the disappointing Falcao and sign a new striker, but Monaco don't want to be stuck with his wages so bringing him back may not be an option. Chelsea's best bet could be working out a deal that would send Falcao to Valencia.

Paper Round's view - Monaco have no reason to recall Falcao. They don't need him and surely don't want to pay his massive wages. There's nothing for them to gain by cutting the season-long loan short. That leaves Chelsea in a bit of a hole. Their good relationship with agent Jorge Mendes might be a saving grace as he could engineer a move to a team that wants him, sparing them his wages and place in the team. That will be difficult to sort out as well, but much more likely that a Monaco return.

Jack Grealish will be back in the Aston Villa first team this week, according to The Sun. Remi Garde banished the midfielder after being caught partying after a loss and sent to train with the Under-21's. After a week with the youth team, the 20-year-old is set to be recalled. Garde needs to add more quality to his side and Grealish has been acting right since his demotion, attending a junior fan club Christmas party.

Paper Round's view - Aston Villa have a weak squad and Tim Sherwood put them in a hole, both in terms of their place in the table and their attitude. Garde has to dig the team out of that, which is tough because changing a culture - like he did in banishing Grealish - can hurt their chances of making up points. But he made his point to Grealish and now can use the midfielder's considerable talents to get results.

Martin Demichelis' Manchester City career looks set to end in the summer. The Manchester Evening News report that the defender wants to finish his career in Argentina and is likely to leave the Citizens for his homeland in the summer. River Plate, Rosario Central and San Lorenzo all want him so he's not short on options. For now, he is happy at Man City, but his contract expires after the season and while he will sit down with the club in the spring, he will probably head home.

Paper Round's view - Demichelis is a suitable fourth defender for Man City. He's passable, experience and, presumably, an excellent fixture in the dressing room and on the training pitch. That he's been asked to play as often as he is isn't his fault. But Man City will not be crushed by his departure. He will get to finish his career at home and Jason Denayer, who will be coming off a season on loan at Galatasaray, should be ready to begin his road to linchpin of the Citizens' central defence.

Ander Herrera wants to meet with Louis van Gaal to discuss his place in the team, per The Star. Herrera is concerned about his lack of playing time and what he is asked to do when he does play, feeling it does not allow him to be the creative player that he was prior to joining the Red Devils. A source told the paper that "his situation appears to be getting worse and he's worried his career is going backwards, so there will have to be a chat with the manager."

Paper Round's view - Herrera was a high priced addition to the Manchester United team and expected to give the team some creativity through the centre of the pitch. Not only is he struggling for playing time, but he's been asked to be exceedingly conservative when he does. To be fair, that is true of the entire team, as Van Gaal's teams have failed to so much of anything entertaining, but that doesn't play to Herrera's strengths and at some point, he needs answers or a transfer.

Arsenal have found their ideal replacement for the injured Francis Coquelin. The Sun claim that the Gunners are ready to bid £22 million for Porto's Ruben Neves in January. Arsene Wenger wants another central midfielder with Coquelin out and thinks the 18-year-old could do the trick. The Gunners have sent scouts to watch him several times this season and are willing to pay £12m, with another £10m in add-ons.

Paper Round's view - Neves would be an interesting signing for Arsenal. He's an undoubtedly talented teenager and looks primed to be a long-time fixture in the midfield for a very good club. After all, he's already a good player for Porto. But the transition to the Premier League would be tough and Arsenal need a central midfielder who can make an impact right away. That's asking a lot of Neves. Regardless, only £12m up front probably wouldn't get the deal done.