Clubs ready for 'war' with Manchester United and Liverpool over Project Big Picture - Paper Round

Premier League clubs set for a showdown, Arkadiusz Milik wants out of Napoli, West Brom close to Karlan Grant signing and Real Madrid track Erling Haaland.

The Mirror reports that Premier League clubs are set for ‘war’ ahead of their Zoom meeting, where Project Big Picture will be discussed. Smaller clubs are furious that the Big Six have been working on a deal and want to know for how long the plan has been considered. The deal to rescue the EFL looks to be close to collapse, with some claiming only £25 million has been offered.

Paper Round’s view: If an offer of just £25 million has been made, then it is hard to see how the £250 million on offer from the proposed cartel will not gain huge support from lower league clubs. It is a canny move from the big sides, who can paint themselves as the saviour of English football, and lower-ranked Premier League sides can be portrayed as the problem - however unfair that is.

Arkadiusz Milik is ready to move on from Serie A, claims the Daily Mail. The 26-year-old Polish forward is playing for his country, but has been frozen out of the Napoli squad for the remainder of the season as he is running down his contract. Spurs remain interested in the striker, and former boss Carlo Ancelotti - now at Everton - is also keen. He could make the move in the January transfer window.

Paper Round’s view: Forcing Milik out of first-team action for a whole year due a contract dispute seems a touch harsh from Rino Gattuso, and one would expect that he will be leaving promptly in the winter. The striker will want football ahead of Euro 2020, and the Italians will be desperate to avoid losing him for nothing while having to pay him his salary at the same time.

West Bromwich Albion are close to the signing of Karlan Grant, reports the Daily Telegraph. The 23-year-old Huddersfield Town forward has been Slaven Bilic’s main target since his club achieved promotion, and now they are on the cusp of a £15 million transfer before the domestic transfer deadline of 16 October.

Paper Round’s view: West Brom and Huddersfield both appear to have left a major piece of business until the last minute, and with the Premier League now well underway West Brom can't afford to let the window past without adding Grant, if they think he is a reliable source of goals and assists for the team. If he is a regular goalscorer then he will be worth far more than his price tag.

Spanish newspaper Marca reports that Real Madrid are considering a move for Erling Haaland. The Borussia Dortmund striker has been tracked by the Spaniards since his time at Molde, and has a release clause of 75 million euros. However, Real believe that they may be able to get the 20-year-old Norwegian for less than his release clause because of their relationship with the German club.

Paper Round’s view: It is hard to see why Borussia Dortmund would countenance losing perhaps the most talented youngster in football after Kylian Mbappe for anything less than the full amount they are entitled to. They must now be resigned to his early exit but it will have been a remarkable return on investment in such a short space of time.