Paper Round: Philippe Coutinho welcomes Neymar return to Barcelona, Southampton’s managerial options

Philippe Couintho would love to see Brazilian compatriot Neymar back at Barcelona. After Neymar left Barca for PSG in the summer, the Calatan giants bought Ousmane Dembele in August before signing Coutinho in January as they sought to replace the influential forward. However, reports suggest Neymar could leave Paris after less than a year, and Coutinho addressed the matter of his national team-mate potentially becoming a club team-mate.

“With Neymar, that's life, but I have the same feelings as Rakitic,” Coutinho said, as quoted in the Daily Mail. “He is a great player. I play with him for the international team and it is a real privilege. It would be great if he came back and of course we would open the door to that.”

Paper Round’s view: Back to Barca? Off to rivals Real? Even when injured, Neymar rarely has a day out of the gossip columns. It would be a shock to see the Brazilian spend just one season in Paris, picking up the league trophy but ultimately ending it in the physio room, and with no Champions League medal to boot. PSG will only invest more as they seek to claim Europe’s ultimate prize next season, and they will do all they can to keep Neymar, you can be sure of that.

***

With eight Premier League games to go, Southampton are searching for a new manager after sacking Mauricio Pellegrino after just nine months in charge. The Saints are one place and one point above the relegation zone, and the Telegraph claim they hope to appoint a new manager before Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final with Wigan. Marco Silva, the man Southampton overlooked in favour of Pellegrino in the summer, is the current frontrunner, while Thomas Tuchel – formerly of Borussia Dortmund is another name in the ring, given that he is out of a job and therefore easier to acquire. Silva is the favourite with the bookies, ahead of the likes of Slaven Bilic (4/1), Mark Hughes (7/1) and Martin O’Neill (8/1).

Paper Round’s view: Southampton are seeking that ‘new manager bounce’ late in the day, needing arguably three wins from their final eight games to survive – taking them to 37 points. Obviously four wins would take them to the magic 40, but it’s tough to see both Crystal Palace or Stoke picking up more than 12 points. A sweet side to go with this eight-game league battle for survival is the FA Cup. The prospect of a Wembley semi-final lying beyond Wigan could be the carrot the Southampton board need to tempt a new manager in, before handing them the stick to whip this failing side back into shape.

***

Manchester United are favourites to land Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski ahead of Chelsea, the Sun reports. Real Madrid also have their eye on the Poland international, though Bayern have no intention of selling the 29-year-old, who has scored 23 league goals already this term. However, £132m could change that stance.

Paper Round’s view: £132m for a 29-year-old? Well that almost certainly rules Chelsea out. Plus, are United really going to spend that much? Sure, that figure will (sadly) become par for the course for world-class, but common sense has to apply here – that money can be better spent.

***

Arsenal are willing to accept bids of £50m for Hector Bellerin in the summer, the Daily Star reports. The full-back has been linked with a move away from the Emirates for a few months now, and reports suggest Barcelona and Juventus could make a move for the 22-year-old. With Arsenal looking to rebuild in the summer, the club appear to be willing to raise money from the sale of Bellerin.

Paper Round's view: The report talks of Bellerin failing to live up to this potential – he’s 22, and has shown immense quality already, at a very young age. The Spaniard still has his best years ahead of him, and if Barca or Juve do indeed come calling, it would benefit all parties if that move went ahead.