Paper Round: Van Gaal being held to £60m ransom

Strootman to cost United £60m in January: Louis van Gaal will have to pay an eyewatering £60 million if he is to bring in key target Kevin Strootman in the next transfer window, according to the Sunday Mirror. Van Gaal is desperate to sign his fellow Dutchman from Roma, but the Serie A side are playing hardball in their attempts to keep a man who has been integral to their recent resurgence - and keen to capitalise on United's current free-spending: "The Red Devils are now paying the price for their massive £150m summer spending spree, with Roma now demanding a premium fee for the 24-year-old powerhouse," the paper reports, adding that, "Strootman has set his heart on a move to Old Trafford - and has ditched his agent to link-up with Robin van Persie’s adviser in readiness for United’s winter bid. He has told Kes Vos to bróker his move to United… but Vos has a fight on his hands after being told during talks with Roma’s American owner James Pallotta that United must match the British-record fee they lavished on Angel Di Maria."

Paper Round's view: This is a lot of money - an insane amount of money, actually - for a player who hasn't kicked a ball in six months due to an ACL injury. But Roma are right to hold out for insane money: Strootman was a key man for Roma in their excellent campaign last season: if he is the difference between them making it into the Champions League or not, then he's worth £25m+ a season to them in TV cash. The question will be whether he's worth the same amount to United.

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United won't break the bank to sign Ronaldo: The increasing clamour suggesting that Cristiano Ronaldo could move on from Real Madrid at the end of the season has suffered a setback: the Daily Mail reports that United "will not break the bank" to bring the Portuguese star back to Old Trafford since he snubbed a move last year. "There is still irritation within the corridors of power at United that Ronaldo flirted with a return last year but ultimately used the club’s interest as a negotiating tool to sign a new five-year deal with Madrid - a move that makes him far more expensive to secure this time around." Come this summer, Ronaldo will have three years left on his contract - and debt-laden Real are expected to accept £60m for a player who'll by then be in his 30s.

Paper Round's view: Hope you're enjoying your latest daily update on Ronaldo - get used to it, because this looks like being the transfer saga to end all transfer sagas. In fact, the Mail on Sunday also reports that United's interest received a boost as a possible deal with Monaco has fallen through. But is all the hoopla - and the no-doubt-vast transfer fee - worth it for a player who turns 30 in February? Probably. Our view is that if any player is going to extend his prime well into his fourth decade, it'll be Ronaldo: there's simply no better professional footballer out there. Every shred of evidence - other than the date on his birth certificate - suggests that he will remain at the peak of his physical powers for a good five years.

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Arsenal and Spurs to go head-to-head over Basel defender: Fabian Schar of Swiss giants Basel is being targeted by both Arsenal and Tottenham, according to the Daily Star Sunday. "Schar is valued at £10m by Basel but is out of contract next summer and likely to be available for much less in January," the paper reports. Not bad for a player who, "was working as a bank clerk four years ago but is now a Swiss international and played twice for his country at the World Cup."

Paper Round's view: The report adds that, given his contract situation, Schar could go for as little as £2m in January. And considering that's the sort of money Arsenal or Spurs would probably have to shell out for a League One player, it's a bargain to be jumped at.

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Newcastle want Carroll back: The Sunday People reports that the Magpies are keen on bringing Andy Carroll back. Alan Pardew apparently started talks in the summer, but it all fell through when the big striker picked up yet another injury on a pre-season tour. With West Ham's summer signings bedding in well, a January loan deal looks the likeliest option.

Paper Round's view: Carroll has only ever looked good when he was at Newcastle, so a move seems a very good bet for a player who still has plenty to show the world. It'll be a last throw of the dice, though: Carroll turns 26 in January, and his increasing frailty - which is almost bizarre to see in such a big, strong man - is a major concern.

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Hart in dark over new deal: Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart claims that he has no idea whether or not he will be offered a new contract. Several papers, including the Daily Mail and The Sun, quote the England keeper saying, "If a new contract is on offer it’s news to me. I’ve almost two years left on my current deal and that’s all I know about my contract situation."

Paper Round's view: As he showed at Bayern during the week, Hart is still a top quality keeper - and as Henry Winter writes in the Daily Telegraph, he deserves a new, long-term deal which bumps his pay up to his City team-mates' levels - and therefore frees him from having to do Head 'n' Shoulders adverts.

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Arsenal target PSG teen star: Arsene Wenger will try to sign Adrien Rabiot from PSG in January, according to The Metro. Wenger tried to land the midfielder in the summer but failed - but with PSG trying to tie the player down to a new, long-term deal, the Gunners are making it plain that they will offer the 19-year-old a different opportunity.

Paper Round's view: Wenger's addiction to signing promising midfield talent appears to continue unabated. He's like one of those crazy shopaholics who have 300 pairs of shoes, but only two pairs of knickers. What about the defence? What about the lack of proper strikers?