Paper Round: Rafa Benitez wants Raheem Sterling at Real Madrid

Rafa Benitez wants to bring Sterling to Real Madrid: Rafael Benitez wants to raid old club Liverpool in his first act as Real Madrid’s head coach by bringing Raheem Sterling to the Bernabeu. The 20-year-old England international has told the Reds that he will not be extending his contract and with the relationship between the player and club deteriorating rapidly, it seems inevitable that he will move over the summer. Real Madrid would have no problem meeting Sterling’s wage demands, even if they are above £100,000-a-week, and Sterling may see Benitez as an ideal choice of coach to nurture him in a foreign league.

Paper Round's view: It seems increasingly likely that Liverpool will sell Raheem Sterling this summer as they look to move on from the unpleasant stand-off between the player and the club. The benefit of selling the 20-year-old to Real Madrid is that they are not a direct Premier League rival and Liverpool could also expect to get a healthy transfer fee. Whether Real Madrid really need another player like Sterling is debateable however, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez and Karim Benzema already in their front-line.

Manchester United put big price tag on Di Maria: Manchester United are going to demand that any team buying Angel Di Maria pay nearly as much as they paid for him a year ago, according to The Mirror. Both Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are interested in buying Di Maria after the Argentine's tough season at Old Trafford, but the Red Devils aren't going to let him go for cheap. They paid £59.7 million for Di Maria and will expect close to that from whoever buys him.

Paper Round's view: While no one would argue that Di Maria lived up to his transfer fee in his first season at Man United, it's not as if he was completely useless. He made an impact and was a useful member of the team so Manchester United have no reason to sell him on the cheap. If no one wants to pay up for Di Maria, they can bring him back and let him contribute again, while hoping his performances improve. That's a perfectly fine scenario, so they don't need to set a low price and get rid of him. Demanding over £50 million is reasonable considering the situation and player.

Liverpool to dump Mario Balotelli: Mario Balotelli's agent told reporters that the striker will remain at Liverpool but The Guardian understand that the club intend to sell him anyway. Liverpool want to shake up their front line and after Balotelli's poor season at Anfield, he's going to be one of the players on the way out. The Reds are even willing to take a big loss on the player just to make sure they can get rid.

Paper Round's view: It's tough to imagine Balotelli playing for Liverpool again. He had such a bad season, seemed to fall out of favour with Brendan Rodgers and never really won over the fans. Rodgers is intent on reshaping the team, especially in attack, and Balotelli is unlikely to make the cut. His agent saying that he's going to stay just puts Liverpool in a corner and allows Balotelli to land at whatever club he wants, even if it's not the best deal for the Reds.

West Ham candidate Bielsea set to stay at Marseille: West Ham had Marcelo Bielsa near the top of their list in their search for a new manager, but he won't be coming to East London. The Telegraph believe that the manager is set to sign a new two-year contract with Marseille, where he has been successful. This marks another blow to the Hammers, who have aimed high in their managerial search but have missed on everyone thus far.

Paper Round's view: West Ham want a big-name manager who can move the team into European contention and take advantage of the added money expected to come in when they move to the Olympic Stadium next year, but they're struggling to get one. Carlo Ancelotti, Rafa Benitez and David Moyes have all been linked to the club but don't look to be available. Now Bielsa is out too. At this point, the Hammers have to accept their place in the football world and recognise that they can't get the best of the best. They either need to take a chance on a younger manager who can grow into a great one or go after a second tier man like Slaven Bilc or Michael Laudrup.