Liverpool chase £60 million Luis Diaz to boost attack while Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane absent at AFCON – Paper Round

Liverpool are closing in on a deal worth around £60 million for Porto forward Luis Diaz, according to the Sun. The Reds have lost duo Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane to the Africa Cup of Nations in January, which has left them short of attacking options. Jurgen Klopp views Diaz as “the perfect stand-in” for their absent attackers after seeing the 24-year-old shine in Liverpool’s Champions League group stage ties against Porto this season. The Merseyside club are hoping to sign Diaz for less than his reported £67-million release clause.

Paper Round’s view: This just shows the financial power of the Premier League. Liverpool losing two of their star players to the Africa Cup of Nations for a month is a nightmare, but it’s not like the club didn’t know it was going to happen. It’s crazy that the Reds can react by splashing £60 million on another forward in the winter transfer window. Aside from the finances, Diaz would be a solid addition to Klopp’s squad. Liverpool are lacking depth in their attack – which is shown by their limited options in Salah and Mane’s absence – so signing Diaz would be a positive move for them in their chase for the Premier League title.

Manchester United are keen on signing a new central midfielder in the January transfer window and Wolves star Ruben Neves is top of their wishlist. The Sun reveal that the Red Devils are contemplating a £35 million bid for the Portugal international in order to bring him to Old Trafford. Neves has over two years remaining on his current contract but is unlikely to extend his deal due to his desire to play for a club competing in the Champions League. Wolves are expected to reject Manchester United’s initial approach and hold out for a bid worth north of £40 million.

Paper Round’s view: If you can’t beat ‘em, sign ‘em. Manchester United clearly liked what they saw in their disappointing 1-0 defeat at home to Wolves on Monday. Neves is a top-class talent and has been since his younger days. There was an initial shock when he joined Wolves while they were in the Championship, but he won’t be regretting that move now. However, it is probably time to start planning his next move. The 24-year-old should be playing in European competitions and it’s no surprise that a club like United are interested in him. Despite this, he probably isn’t the type of player that will fix United’s midfielder. Neves would be a solid signing alongside a proper defensive midfielder.

Real Madrid are already beginning to plan for the summer transfer window and Spanish media outlet AS say that Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe is the club’s “priority”. Los Blancos are also keen on trying to bring Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland to the Bernabeu but would ideally hold off until 2023. It is expected that the 21-year-old will move at the end of the season and Real are planning to position themselves as favourites in that battle. Luka Modric is expected to sign a one-year extension in the Spanish capital, while Marcelo, Isco and Gareth Bale will all depart for free when their contracts expire in the summer.

Paper Round’s view: The return of the Galactico era. Real Madrid mean business once again. The Spaniards attempted to bring back the glory days with big-money signings after Cristiano Ronaldo departed for Juventus back in 2018, but the likes of Eden Hazard and Luka Jovic have not really worked out. Mbappe and Haaland are two of the most-wanted footballers on the planet, so signing them both would be a real show of power. It would also create a lethal attack alongside the evergreen Karim Benzema and emerging star Vinicius Junior. Real Madrid will dominate Europe for years to come with that attack.

Manchester City are beginning to plan for the potential departure of Pep Guardiola, whose current contract at the Etihad expires in 2023. The Athletic reveal two names that are on the Premier League leaders’ shortlist to replace the ex-Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss, with former Arsenal captains Mikel Arteta and Patrick Vieira both on City’s radar. Arteta and Vieira have both been part of the City Football Group in the past, with the former working under Guardiola before taking to the Arsenal dugout and the current Crystal Palace manager coaching New York City FC from 2016 to 2018.

Paper Round’s view: The Guardiola era at Manchester City will have to come an end at some point and the next appointment will be more important than ever. Obviously he has not been in the role as long as Sir Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger at Manchester United or Arsenal respectively, but Guardiola has had a huge impact at City. Have Arteta or Vieira proved themselves as potential replacements? Probably not yet. They are both still young and could definitely blossom into world-class managers, but it might be too much too soon if we’re looking at the end of next season.