Paper Round: Neymar won't rule out Manchester City move

Will Neymar join Manchester City? The Barcelona star isn't ruling it out. When asked about the Citizens' interest, Neymar said that he was aware of it and left the door open for a move in the future. Manchester United tried to sign the Brazilian in the summer, although it never got very far, and now City are watching him. Barcelona are hoping to tie Neymar down with a new contract, because his current one expires in 2018, but the Brazilian is unhappy with some situations off the pitch in Spain. If he hasn't signed a new deal by the end of the season, City could make a run at him.

Paper Round's view - The only way Neymar leaves Barcelona is if he really has no interest in staying there. Barcelona will do everything they can to retain him. They'll offer him a great team, a huge profile and wages as big as any other team. With all that, it's tough to imagine Neymar wanting to leave the club, but if he does then things would get interesting. City would undoubtedly chase him, and they would be especially appealing if they hire Pep Guardiola, while United would surely be a factor. It wouldn't be a surprise if Roman Abramovich funded a monster bid from Chelsea either.

Odion Ighalo is drawing interest from Atletico Madrid. The Mirror claim that the Spaniards have watched Ighalo play at least five times this season and are weighing up a £12 million bid for the Watford striker. Atletico are on the hunt for a striker because Jackson Martinez has been terrible since signing for £25m in the summer and have zeroed in on Ighalo. The Watford frontman has notched 14 goals this season and Atleti believe they won't have an issue getting a deal done in the summer, but the Hornets will do everything they can do retain their star.

Paper Round's view - Watford shouldn't have a need to sell Ighalo. While Atletico are undoubtedly a bigger club, the insane money in the Premier League means that they have more than enough money to keep the likes of Atleti from poaching their players. The question is whether the Pozzo family, who have a good relationship with the Spaniards through Udinese, will be sympathetic to getting a deal done. If Watford want to hold firm, Ighalo could stay, but that requires a unified stance, all the way up to ownership.

Aston Villa want to take Loic Remy on loan until the summer and Remi Garde is trying to convince the forward to make the move, according to The Mirror. Remy hasn't gotten much playing time since joining Chelsea and Garde is hoping to sell the forward on the available playing time at Villa Park as he looking to overhaul the team's strike force. Garde will need to offload some players to free up the space for the several additions he wants and is already at work on that.

Paper Round's view - Remy is probably looking to get out of Chelsea so he can play more, but going to the team at the bottom of the table would be a bit shocking. He is a quality player who could play for much better teams and even if Chelsea are struggling in the bottom half of the table, the drop from the Blues to the Villans is pretty substantial. But Garde is also a Frenchman with ties to Lyon and could lean upon that potential budding relationship to convince the forward. If Villa could land Remy, it would be a giant boost to their survival hopes.

Adnan Januzaj may rejoin Manchester United and help save Louis van Gaal's team. The Sun say that Januzaj was in the Red Devils' box for their Monday clash against Chelsea and it is possible that he returns to Old Trafford. Januzaj was sent on loan to Borussia Dortmund in the summer after van Gaal deemed him surplus to requirements, but he's played only six matches for the Bundesliga side. With Man United in need of some more threat in the attack, Januzaj could give the Red Devils a boost.

Paper Round's view - There is no information to indicate Januzaj might actually head back to Man United, or that it is even likely. The paper has no sources or inside information and don't purport to. This is simply a matter of seeing him at Old Trafford and knowing that things haven't gone as planned at Borussia Dortmund so they put it together. Maybe Januzaj will suit up for the Red Devils soon and, frankly, it would probably help both parties, but it's simply speculation right now.

Mohamed Elneny will undergo a medical to complete his transfer to Arsenal, per The Mail. The Egypt international will be in Paris on Tuesday, where the medical will take place, and then he will sign his contract to make his move to the Gunners official. Elneny won't be able to play right away, as he still needs to get clearance on a visa to finalize the deal, but that is considered a formality. Arsenal are not planning to make any other moves in January, with the £4.7m deal for Elneny all need in the midfield.

Paper Round's view - Elneny has looked Arsenal-bound for weeks now so it's no surprise that the deal is done. Basel were happy to sell him, so long as they got their price, and £4.7m is a bargain for the Gunners. Arsene Wenger's side desperately needed to add a central midfielder and that is exactly what they have done. It would be a bit of a shock if Arsenal stop here because the squad could use some more help, but it wouldn't be out of character for Wenger to believe he has all the players he needs, no matter what those on the outside think.