Paper Round: Tottenham line up new contract for Mauricio Pochettino

Tottenham are said to be on the cusp of handing a new contract to manager Mauricio Pochettino according to reports on Thursday. According to The Mirror, despite the Argentinean having three years left on his current contract, bosses are so keen to tie him to the club, they will offer him improved terms to ensure he stays on to settle them into their new £850 million stadium.

Paper Round's view: Poch is thought to be a target for a number of European clubs, including Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. To lose him now would be a huge blow to Spurs as they continue their bid for world-domination - and a convincing one it has been at times. There's still a lot for the 46-year-old to achieve at Spurs, though the club's bosses may have to come up with more than improved terms if they want to keep him - and their top players - on for longer.

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Manchester City star Gabriel Jesus has apparently turned to Brazil legend Ronaldo, in the wake of an injury that has seen him out of action for the Blues since the end of last year. Jesus picked up a knee injury against Crystal Palace as 2017 drew to a close and has yet to feature since. According to The Sun, he has been speaking to the former Brazil international after being left "scared to kick a ball."

Paper Round's view: It's proven to be a troublesome injury, that Pep Guardiola had hoped the 20-year-old would overcome much sooner, though he could be back in action by March. We're not sure what The Original Ron can do to help, though he did suffer similar injuries during his own career.

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Leicester City boss Claude Puel is said to be furious over Manchester City's last-minute transfer swoop for Riyad Mahrez, according to Thursday's papers. Speaking on Wednesday, Puel slammed the Blues for their lack of respect, adding: "To make solicitation just one or two days before the end of the transfer window, I don't know if it's normal. I can't suffer this situation."

Paper Round's view: Fair play to Puel, it's been a damaging interaction that saw Mahrez "depressed," according to a friend, and out of action for two games. That said, the solution is fairly straightforward. We can see why Leicester would want to hold on to Mahrez for the remainder of the season, but this is an issue that's unlikely to go away - especially with a reported £90m price tag around his neck.

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