Football news - Paper Round: Leipzig boss warns Werner off Liverpool move

RB Leipzig manager Ralf Rangnick has warned star striker Timo Werner off a summer move to Liverpool. The manager said that former team-mate Naby Keita’s move to the Premier League was an example of why you should not rush to leave, with the Mirror quoting him as saying: "Keita was an outstanding player here, but he's still struggling in Liverpool.” The 22-year-old German striker is expected to leave in the summer despite Rangnick’s warning.

Paper Round’s view: Rangnick will know that he can't match the wages on offer in the Premier League, from Liverpool or indeed any other team. However, he can use other methods to persuade Werner not to leave. Ahead of Euro 2020 he could make a case to his star player that it is not worth risking a move for at least another year as he looks to become the undisputed first-choice striker for the national side.

Stoke City playmaker Bojan Krkic could still leave the club despite the English transfer window closing. New manager Nathan Jones turned down an approach from West Brom, but US side New England Revolution want to sign the 28-year-old Spaniard, according to the Sun. They are offering him the chance to almost double his £27,000-a-week wages to £50,000 if he makes the move.

Paper Round’s view: The most important thing for Stoke is to get the club back into the Premier League as quickly as possible. While they are currently in 15th place, a late run up the table would not rule out a play-off place finish. With that in mind it makes sense to keep their best players at the club for as long as possible. Should they fail to make the cut then expect to see senior players leave as the wage bill is trimmed.

Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley is hopeful that manager Rafael Benitez will now sign a new, three-year contract at the club. Ashley signed Miguel Almiron from Atlanta United for £20.5 million, and also brought in Antonio Barreca on loan from Monaco, and expects that the signings should convince the Spanish manager to extend his stay at the club, says the Daily Mail.

Paper Round’s view: Newcastle’s most valuable asset after their ground and Premier League status is Benitez, and staying up depends in a large part on keeping their manager happy and equipped with the right resources. It remains to be seen if Almiron and Barreca will prove enough to keep them up this year, but there are enough poor teams in the league to give them a decent chance, which would allow Ashley to get a good price in any sale.

Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa is already planning for life in the Premier League. One option he is considering is to bring back Aaron Lennon to Elland Road, more than a decade after he left the club. The winger is out injured at Burnley and has not played since December. The Sun report that Lennon has a year and a half left on his current deal but could be tempted to rejoin his boyhood club.

Paper Round’s view: Lennon has featured regularly for Burnley when he has been fit, but given his age they may be happy to get him off the books and save on wages. His pace and Premier League experience could help the rest of the Leeds squad to adjust to the demands of top-flight football, but there could now be question marks over his fitness for the future.