Manchester United will not give up on £100m Jadon Sancho - Paper Round

Manchester United's pursuit of Jadon Sancho simply will not end.

The Sun reports that Manchester United are yet to give up on signing Jadon Sancho. The club offered £70 million, rising to £110 million, for the 20-year-old England international, but Borussia Dortmund want more up front. United need Sancho to force through a move if he wants to make it happen, and both sides want him to make a statement about his future.

Paper Round’s view: United are also close to a move for a central defender and then may move for a left-back. The club has a new central midfielder too, so even if they miss out on Sancho, a couple more players will make for a decent transfer window. The problem with focusing on Sancho so heavily was that it may cost them targets elsewhere but that now seems to have been avoided.

Spanish newspaper Marca brings news of Gareth Bale’s future at Real Madrid. The 31-year-old has barely been involved with the club since the lockdown ended, but there have been no offers for the player. Real want to know if the player will knuckle down or if they will need to find a new club for him for next season as they look to shift him off the books.

Paper Round’s view: Bale has understandably lost patience with his treatment under Zinedine Zidane where he was rarely given a fair crack of the whip. Real also treated him shoddily when he was on the cusp of a huge transfer to China last season, so he is the one who has to be persuaded about professionalism, not the other way around.

Everton have finally got an agreement over the signing of James Rodriguez from Real Madrid. The 29-year-old Colombian has been in talks over a deal to reunite with Carlo Ancelotti, and a transfer is set to be announced soon, according to the Telegraph. Reports suggest the player will cost Everton around £22 million.

Paper Round’s view: If Rodriguez’s form can be rekindled - and this is far from guaranteed given how long it has been since he has really impressed on the pitch - then he will prove a bargain. His physical condition was never essential to expressing his talents but perhaps a change of scenery and more responsibility will allow him to flourish once again.

Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce is desperate for a new striker, after playing an hour of his side’s 5-1 defeat against Middlesbrough without a recognised forward. He wants Callum Wilson from Bournemouth and would be prepared to offer Matt Ritchie a return to his former club to reduce the asking price. The Mail says that Bournemouth are unwilling to offer the 28-year-old striker at a bargain price.

Paper Round’s view: Wilson and Josh King represent a huge amount of potential income to Bournemouth and after suffering relegation, coupled with the impact of coronavirus, they probably can't afford to let their best remaining players leave for bargain fees. They also have to make sure they can afford to rebuild their squad in order to get back up to the Premier League at the first attempt.