Jose Mourinho on standby as Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid future hinges on Galatasaray - Paper Round

Zinedine Zidane is entering must-win territory at Real Madrid with Jose Mourinho in line to replace the Frenchman should they stumble, the Mirror reports. After losing at Mallorca on the weekend as Barcelona moved top of La Liga, Real go into Tuesday's match Galatasaray bottom of their Champions League group after two games. Some of Real’s board members are reportedly regretting their decision to bring Zidane back, and he could be sacked if their struggles continue. Mourinho, who left the club himself in 2013, is the favourite to take charge.

Paper Round’s view: Recycling managers is a dangerous game, and if there are indeed regrets, it’s surprising to see that the No 1 option is going back to another old manager. There’s an air of inevitability about Mourinho returning, it’s down to Zidane to waft that away.

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Crystal Palace are considering an ambitious January move for Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud, according to The Sun. The French forward is growing frustrated at his lack of game-time at Stamford Bridge, with Tammy Abraham the first choice for Frank Lampard, and Palace will look to lure Giroud to Selhurst Park with the promise of regular football.

Paper Round’s view: An intriguing one for Giroud, who would see it as a step down, but perhaps one that is vital with Euro 2020 around the corner. That being said, Didier Deschamps is a fan regardless of whether he plays or not at Chelsea, and Giroud could well seek assurances from the France coach before making a decision in January.

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Arsenal are the frontrunners to sign 20-year-old defender Dayot Upamecano from RB Leipzig fir £50m, the Daily Mail reports. Upamecano also has AC Milan for admirers, but Arsenal are said to be in pole position after his release clause dropped from £70m.

Paper Round’s view: Is there money in the bank for Arsenal to make this move? They sprung a few surprises in the summer but were still quite savvy with their purchases – staggering out payments etc. It would be bold to pay £50m on an unexperienced defender.

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Bayern Munich are “very satisfied” with their Philippe Coutinho deal, but CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge would not confirm whether the club will permanently buy the player from Barcelona. Coutinho is on a season-long loan, but Bayern will have to pay £120m to keep him on a permanent basis. “We will decide about that when the right point in time has arrived,” Rummenigge told German publication Kicker. Full story here

Paper Round’s view: Why rush? It’s October, it’s a season-long loan, there’s plenty of time for Coutinho to make an impact and for Bayern to weigh up whether it’s a worthwhile move financially.