Paper Round: Maurizio Sarri on the brink at Chelsea, David De Gea nears record Man Utd contract

So read the Times’ backpage, after Chelsea were knocked out of the FA Cup when losing 2-0 at home to Manchester United on Monday night. Some Chelsea fans even turned on head coach Maurizio Sarri, chanting ‘F*** Sarri-ball’ and joining in with the United supporters who were singing, ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning’.

John Cross of the Mirror said the chants were “so loud they can’t be ignored”, and with Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck watching on at Stamford Bridge, it remains uncertain whether Sarri will remain in charge for Sunday’s League Cup final against Manchester City.

Paper Round’s view: Chelsea hire and fire with such regularity that this could well be out-of-date by Wednesday, but it perhaps suits Sarri that the club have another game on Thursday before Sunday’s final. With such a swift turnaround and a final to prepare for, sacking Sarri would bring about even more problems than they already have. That being said, he is looking like a dead-man walking, and should he last to Sunday, a heavy defeat at the hands to City and he may as well head for the airport immediately.

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Manchester United will make David de Gea the best-paid player in the Premier League with a £90m, five-year deal – the Sun reports. The goalkeeper has 18 months left on his current contract at Old Trafford, but looks set to overtake team-mates Alexis Sanchez and Paul Pogba to become the league’s highest earner at a rate of £400,000-a-week.

Paper Round’s view: That faulty fax machine feels like a long time ago now, and with Thibaut Courtois now at Real Madrid, United have had little to fear in terms of losing their No 1. At 28, he still has another half of his career to enjoy, so why not bask in it some more at Old Trafford then lend a helping hand, or two, elsewhere.

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Jurgen Klopp admitted he wanted to bring Jadon Sancho to Liverpool before he eventually left Manchester City for Borussia Dortmund, reports the Independent. The Liverpool boss conceded that a move for the English winger was not possible, however, as it was clear City would not sell to a direct rival.

“Buying English players is a smart idea because we would never have a chance to get Sancho,” he said. “We are not blind – we saw him, we liked him and then we think, 'Can we get him?' No. Because English clubs don't sell to other English clubs. I don't know exactly what the reason is for that but they don't do it. Now, they can go to Germany which is a wonderful league.”

Paper Round’s view: Perhaps a blessing in disguise Liverpool missed out on Sancho, for the 18-year-old is thriving away from the pressure cooker of the Premier League. Callum Hudson-Odoi’s bench-warming role throughout Chelsea’s FA Cup defeat to United on Monday reiterated the value of pursuing game-time too, though Hudson-Odoi is of course not to blame for his own current predicament.

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Arsenal will reignite their interest in Sevilla midfielder Ever Banega this summer, the Mirror reports. With Aaron Ramsey moving to Juventus at the end of the season, Unai Emery will look to bring Banega to the Emirates, having coached the player at both Sevilla and Valencia. Banega’s buyout clause is a reported £17m however, and as he turns 31 this June that could put off the hierarchy at Arsenal.

Paper Round’s view: Arsenal would unlikely move for a 31-year-old who costs £17m, particularly as they are set to be on a shoestring budget this summer, unless Emery himself pushes for his signature. Another one for the let's wait and see pile.