Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 'begs Paul Pogba to stay'

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has asked Paul Pogba to stay at Manchester United, according to The Sun. The United boss has the backing of the club, as they wish to keep him for another season. That would give Pogba a smooth exit in a year’s time, allow Juventus and Real Madrid to raise the necessary funds for a transfer, and give Solskjaer more resources in midfield.

Paper Round’s view: This assumes that if Pogba is given assurances he can leave in a year that he would then give his all in a United shirt. There has not been a single season at Old Trafford when Pogba has given anything close to his all, so why giving a him a year to be demob happy would motivate him is unclear. It would be better to sell him at a loss and replace him as soon as possible.

West Ham have missed out on Maxi Gomez, who is joining Valencia. Their next transfer target, reports the Mirror, is Callum Wilson, however he is expected to sign a four-year extension to his deal with Bournemouth. That has seen them consider the signing of Mario Balotelli, who has been offered to them on a free transfer. West Ham need reinforcements after the exit of Andy Carroll, Lucas Perez and Marko Arnautovic.

Paper Round’s view: Losing Arnautovic is a blow, but they have the money to identify a regular goalscorer and bring him to the club. At least, that’s what fans will hope for. Baloteli on a free transfer would not be the worst idea, He scored eight goals in 12 appearances for Marseille in the second half of the season, showing he has not lost his ability in front of goal.

Arsenal have agreed a deal to bring William Saliba, with Euro Papers giving you the full details. Another move that Arsenal could make on a budget is to bring in Mariano from Real Madrid. They have been offered the striker for just £18 million by his club after he failed to impress over the course of last season, and the Express claim Arsenal could sign the 25-year-old striker.

Paper Round’s view: At the price, Arsenal could bring in a striker who has 21 goals in his last season for Lyon before his move, and hope that his disappointing year in Madrid is simply a blip. With Tierney rated at around £25 million and Lemina £15 million, they should be able to add a couple of signings in the summer and hope that the squad as a whole is able to improve. The other option is to sell to raise funds, but they might not want to lose Alexandre Lacazette to do that.

The Guardian reports that Manchester City midfielder Fabian Delph is a target for Everton, as well as other Premier League sides. The arrival of Rodri has moved him down the pecking order, but Marco Silva needs reinforcements in midfield. Andre Gomes has signed but Muhamed Besic, Idrissa Gueye and James McCarthy could all depart in the summer transfer window.

Paper Round’s view: Delph has done brilliantly to carve out a career under Pep Guardiola and become a regular England international, but at 29 he may now want to play more regularly in the top flight in what is probably his last major contract. On the other hand, having managed to establish himself at City, he may have belief in his own talents and decide to stick it out again.