Paper Round: Mesut Ozil offered £350k a week to join Barcelona

According to The Mirror, Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil could join Barcelona on a free transfer this weekend. There is speculation that Ozil has been offered £350,000 a week to move as a free agent when his contract expires, and he will be free to negotiate the move in January. That means that Manchester United may miss out on him unless Arsenal decide to cut their losses and sell the 29-year-old German international in the winter transfer window.

Paper Round's view: Ozil is understandably going to use his last big contract to earn as much money as possible, and that comes in tandem with a better chance of winning trophies, either with Manchester United or Barcelona. Spain offers a more pleasant climate and city for most players, but Ozil may want to link up with his former Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho, under whom he played some of his best football.

Jack Wilshere is considering a permanent move away from Arsenal, as his contract comes to an end at The Emirates. Wilshere is just 25 but has not played regularly for Arsenal after a string of injuries and a loan move to Bournemouth last season. He is also out of the England squad, and Gareth Southgate has told him that he needs to be playing regularly, ideally as a deep-lying midfielder, but he has got just 25 Premier League minutes so far this season.

Paper Round's view: Wilshere has managed to stay fit for longer than he has managed in most seasons, and is young enough where a consistent run of games would allow him to finally progress as a player. In truth, it may do him good to move away from Arsenal where players rarely seem to improve under Wenger. He says he wants to stay in the Premier League, but he may be better suited to a less physical league.

Michael Carrick has revealed the reason for his absence for much of this season. Carrick has explained that a minor heart problem, that required an operation, meant that he has played just once this season, and is making his way back to full fitness. The 36-year-old is expected to be in his final season for Manchester United as Nemanja Matic now plays in his position.

Paper Round's view: Carrick is fortunate because heart problems in football can go unnoticed until it is too late to treat effectively. He may even benefit from sitting out for almost half a season, just as Paul Scholes did when he suffered from double vision, and Steed Malbranque did in France. Players in their 30s who take time off because of injuries that don't affect their ability to run can benefit from an extended period on the sidelines. This may see him stay at United for one more year than planned.

With rumours of a move to Real Madrid this summer and last, Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has called on the board to extend Thibaut Courtois' contract. Conte said: "For sure I can tell that Courtois is one of the best, maybe the best goalkeeper in the world, and he is a player who is very important for Chelsea. I can tell this. But for sure the renewal is a task for the club. If a big player decides to not sign a new contract it is difficult for a club to try to avoid this issue."

Paper Round's view: With David de Gea looking comfortable at Manchester United with Jose Mourinho, Courtois is the next logical choice for Real Madrid. As his contract begins to run down, Real may have more leverage over forcing a deal with Chelsea. There are few 'keepers available who would be an adequate replacement for Courtois, so Conte sounding a note of urgency is entirely understandable.