Paper Round: Chelsea close in on Laurent Blanc

Chelsea are nearing the appointment of a new manager, according to The Express. They have decided not to pay the £7m release fee that would be needed by Napoli to replace Maurizio Sarri, and former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique has priced himself out of the chance, too, with his wage demands. Instead, they want former France coach Laurent Blanc, who is currently without a job.

Paper Round's view: Blanc had reasonable success at Bordeaux, the French national side and also Paris Saint-Germain. He has knowledge of football at the highest level, and has experience both as a central defender and as a creative midfielder. He should be able to play attractive football, something which Roman Abramovich wants from his managers, though there is a question mark over how good he is at the top level in European competition.

Leicester City have taken the lead in the chase for Northern Ireland defender Jonny Evans, report The Mirror. The West Bromwich Albion player had been hoping for a move to Manchester City, but has now given up on that. That means Leicester have a chance of signing the player for a cut-price £3m figure, after West Brom were relegated to The Championship.

Paper Round's view: £3m for Jonny Evans means he is hard to refuse for almost any club in the Premier League. For Leicester City it gives them a player younger than Wes Morgan, with plenty of Premier League experience, all for a tiny sum. For a club like Manchester City, they would have got an ex-Manchester United player for a pittance, so don't be surprised if they come into the deal at the last minute.

Liverpool are interested in bringing in a winger from Belgian side Gent, and they won't have to break the bank to do it. They want Moses Simon, the Nigerian international winger, according to The Echo. The 22-year-old has a year left on his current deal, and would be available for just £10m. Klopp wants to add the winger to his squad in order to add depth for next year's competitions.

Paper Round's view: For just £10m, a young internationally experienced winger seems on the surface, something of a bargain. Liverpool's scouting has brought excellent rewards over the last couple of seasons, and there's no reason to doubt them over this move either. The fact that Simon is injured and will miss the World Cup means they might be able to proceed with and complete the transfer quickly in time for pre-season.

Salomon Rondon is another West Brom player who could be leaving on the cheap after the club's relegation. The Venezuelan international has a £16m release clause, and is still only 28 years old. The Mirror reports that Rondon is wanted by three London clubs, with Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham all in the running to sign the target man. Kieran Gibbs is another player who Darren Moore may lose to the Premier League.

Paper Round's view: Chelsea have Olivier Giroud and Alvaro Morata, so it is hard to see him being a natural replacement for either of them, given they would have their sights set higher. For Spurs, they may consider Rondon a better Plan B than Fernando Llorente, who has had little game time, but for West Ham, he might be a more reliable big man up front than Andy Carroll, who struggles with injury.