Antonio Rudiger decision looms amid Real Madrid, PSG, Barcelona, Manchester United transfer battle – Paper Round

Antonio Rudiger will accelerate the decision over his future over the next week after Chelsea were knocked out of the Champions League. The German defender will become a free agent at the end of the season after the Blues failed to reach an agreement for a contract extension, due to salary demands. Rudiger is wanted by Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Manchester United, but it is likely that he will sign for an overseas club as they are allowed to enter negotiations before the end of the season.

Paper Round’s view: It’s borderline disastrous that Chelsea are losing Rudiger for free. The 29-year-old has probably seen team-mates like Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner, who are not playing many minutes, earning a lot more than him and just wants to be paid equally. Rudiger has been one of the best centre-backs in Europe since Thomas Tuchel arrived at Stamford Bridge and he put in another world-class performance in the Champions League on Tuesday night. Whichever club ends up signing him for free will get one of the best deals we have seen in recent years. For Chelsea, it will prove an expensive mistake as they will need to spend big to replace Rudiger.

Barcelona are in the hunt for a new left-footed centre-back this summer and have put Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhaes at the top of their transfer shortlist. The Catalan club are looking to offload French defensive duo Clement Lenglet and Samuel Umtiti and Football London report that Gabriel is their first-choice replacement. However, the Gunners are unlikely to entertain any kind of bid, with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta viewing the Brazilian as “integral to his project in north London”. The report also reveals that Arsenal may offer Gabriel a new contract to ward off any potential suitors.

Paper Round’s view: Arsenal are plotting their way back to becoming a Champions League-level club once again and they won’t get there if they sell their stars to rival clubs. Barcelona are in the middle of a rebuild too and although they are likely to reach the Champions League quicker – due to the lack of competition in La Liga – it does not mean they are strides ahead of Arsenal in quality. Arteta is building something impressive in north London and Gabriel is vital to this. Arsenal need to keep their key players this summer and bring in some more depth and quality in attack and midfield in order to challenge for the top four again next season.

The Manchester Evening News reveal that Cristiano Ronaldo’s opinion was a key factor behind Manchester United passing up the opportunity to hire Antonio Conte back in October. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was struggling in his role as manager at Old Trafford and Ronaldo reportedly “vetoed” Conte as a possible replacement and his reservations over the Italian meant the Red Devils decided against hiring him. The club are now closing in on the appointment of Ajax boss Erik ten Hag, while Ronaldo’s future in Manchester beyond the current campaign is “uncertain”.

Paper Round’s view: It’s funny how football works out. Conte has turned things around at Tottenham Hotspur and it now looks like they will close in on a spot in next season’s Champions League, while Ronaldo is expected to try and leave Manchester United this summer if they fail to qualify for Europe’s elite competition. United have struggled under the temporary stewardship of Ralf Rangnick and are now basically planning for next season under Ten Hag. Who knows if that will work out…

Kalvin Phillips is ready to commit his future to Leeds United by signing a new contract at Elland Road. The Sun report that the England international is keen to stay at his boyhood club, despite interest from Aston Villa, West Ham United, Newcastle United, Liverpool and fierce rivals Manchester United. Phillips will be handed a “huge pay rise” in order to deter any interest in signing him. The 26-year-old is feeling “positive” about the future of the club under new manager Jesse Marsch.

Paper Round’s view: There’s always huge admiration for players who can reject big-money moves to the biggest clubs and stay at their boyhood clubs – and that is exactly what Phillips is planning to do. However, you have to hope that the Leeds midfielder has learnt from the mistakes made by his Three Lions team-mate Harry Kane. Phillips needs to get a release clause into that contract in case his current mentality or situation changes. Leeds have flirted with Premier League relegation this season, so it might even just be the option to move on if they are relegated to the Championship in future.