Football news, transfer rumours and gossip: Timo Werner proud of Liverpool links

Fresh from scoring the winning goal of the game against Tottenham Hotspur for RB Leipzig, Timo Werner said he was “proud” to hear of links between himself and Premier League leaders Liverpool. The 23-year-old German international is rumoured to have a £50 million release clause, according to the Mirror, and he also said: "I have to improve myself and to learn much more things to get on this level and to play there.”

Paper Round’s view: There have been longstanding rumours of a move fro Liverpool for Werner, and it would make sense. He is an all-round striker, and at 23 has plenty of time to improve under the coaching of Jurgen Klopp. As well as that, at just £50 million he fits into the relatively tight budget that Liverpool occasionally operate under.

Arsene Wenger’s proposed offside change (“A player will be deemed ONSIDE if any part of the head, body or feet is level or behind the second-last opponent — even if other parts are in front.”) had been mooted for an introduction to the Euro 2020 championships, but both FIFA and the FA would like to put back the amendment until 2021. The Sun reports this is in part because there is not time to trial or discuss it fully.

Paper Round’s view: VAR and offside bring out lots of passionate, sensible, and terrible views. Paper Round’s opinion is probably one of those, too. The proposed change to the offside rule just creates new problems and would fundamentally alter defensive tactics - if that is to happen, then at the very least a proper bedding-in period would be required.

Following the fallout of alleged online monstering of Barcelona players, organised by the club’s president Josep Bartomeu, the club’s star player Lionel Messi has talked of ‘weird’ goings-on at the Nou Camp. The Daily Mail quotes him saying: 'The truth is that I see weird things happening. But it was also said that there would be evidence. We will have to wait to see if it is true or not. We can't say much and we have to wait and see what happens. Frankly, the subject seems strange to me.'

Paper Round’s view: Barcelona need to tread carefully. The presence of Messi has for a long time masked an ineffective transfer strategy and mishandled finances. Just yesterday Santos put in a claim for failed contractual obligations over the Neymar transfer, and Messi can leave in the summer for free. It appears they are doing all they can to force his hand, probably by accident.

The Telegraph believes that Real Madrid’s chief scout is in demand in the Premier League. Juni Calafat is wanted by a host of English clubs, including Everton, Chelsea and Liverpool. He is responsible for finding young talent like Fede Valverde, Martin Odegaard, Eder Militao, Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior, and now the 18-year-old Brazilian Reinier Jesus.

Paper Round’s view: It is not clear if Calafat is more of a fixer than a scout, as many of these young players were well known by European clubs and the press for years before they made their move to Real. However, getting someone who can operate smartly in the transfer market is an essential presence in the Premier League, and he would be worth recruiting.