Footballl news - Paper Round: Saudis want £4bn Manchester United
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Updated 21/10/2018 at 07:43 GMT
The Manchester United takeover rumours continue, Eden Hazard to be offered a new deal, City want Nathan Ake and Roy Hodgson would have Wayne Rooney back.
Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim al Khalifa, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, and Russia's President Vladimir Putin.
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Saudi government wants United takeover
The Saudi Arabian ruling class are planning on executing a £4bn takeover of Manchester United and will meet the Glazer family, the current owners, in the coming weeks. The plan has been slowed by the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, which many believe was ordered by de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. The club already have close ties with Saudi Arabia Telecom.
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Manchester United fans heading to Russia have been advised not to wear club colours
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Paper Round’s view: Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman should obviously not pass the fit and proper owner test, but were he to fail it, then you could point to the owners of a few other clubs in the Premier League and across Europe right now and make the same case, which suggests that ultimately they will be able to take ownership if they want. This might be the end of the line for some supporters, but Manchester City have shown there is little they can do that won’t be tolerated.
Chelsea to offer Hazard new deal
Chelsea are set to give star player Eden Hazard an even bigger raise than they originally offered. Talks had been based around a £300,000-a-week deal but negotiations had stalled. Instead, the Belgian was linked with a move to Real Madrid. However, there is now a plan to offer the 27-year-old £350,000 a week on the proviso that he commits himself to a deal at least four years old.
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Eden Hazard
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Paper Round’s view: Hazard could likely earn £350,000 a week at Real Madrid too, and even if he elected to take a smaller raise to move to Spain, his commercial earnings would rocket given the huge reputation that Real have across the world. But in truth, money does not seem to motivate Hazard here, most of his interviews talk about winning trophies and getting close to a Ballon d’Or win.
City to bid for Nathan Ake
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola rates Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake so highly that the club will bid £40 million for him in the winter transfer window. His excellent form this year, and the fact he can also play in defensive midfield and at left-back, makes Guardiola think he can be a world class player and would also count as a homegrown part of the squad.
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Nathan Ake of Bournemouth during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Crystal Palace at Vitality Stadium on October 1, 2018 in Bournemouth, United Kingdom.
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Paper Round’s view: Ake’s current club is reported to have a gentleman’s agreement with Chelsea worth around £40m, but that would not hold if Ake desperately wanted to join City above a return to London. Moving to City is the dream of most Premier League players given the reputation of Guardiola as a coach, and the funding behind the side.
Hodgson would welcome Rooney at Palace
Roy Hodgson has made it plain that he would welcome Wayne Rooney back to the Premier League with Crystal Palace. Asked about Rooney’s success in MLS with DC United, he said: “All good players who want to play for Palace are always welcome – should we be able to afford them!” Hodgson however doubted that Rooney would want to drop down in the league after Manchester United and Everton.
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Wayne Rooney of DC United celebrates after a goal was scored during the DC United vs the Vancouver Whitecaps FC match in Washington DC
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Paper Round’s view: Rooney seems far happier and in better shape than he had done for a couple of years, which might tempt him into a return to England. A loan move would allow him to focus his energies on performing at the top level again, and give him the games he needs to stay fit. He is only 32, and won’t want a slow start to whenever DC United begin their next season, so a short trip might make sense.
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