Paris Saint-Germain plan to pair Cristiano Ronaldo with Lionel Messi in French capital – Paper Round

Paris Saint-Germain are planning to launch a shocking bid for Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo this summer. The Mirror reveal that the 37-year-old has doubts over his future at Old Trafford, despite only returning to his former club in August. PSG are willing to hand Ronaldo a 12-month contract, which would see him replace Kylian Mbappe, who is expected to join Real Madrid upon the expiry of his contract at the end of the season. The Ligue 1 leaders view Ronaldo as the “ideal short-term replacement” for the Frenchman and it would be the perfect opportunity to pair him up with his long-term rival Lionel Messi.

Paper Round’s view: Who cares about a sustainable business model when you can create a super team? Obviously, it doesn’t make too much sense for the Parisian side. The club already receive criticism that there are too many egos in the dressing room and adding Ronaldo would only magnify that problem. People would love to see Ronaldo and Messi play alongside each other, but it would cost a lot of money and – in reality – it simply wouldn’t work. The pair are at the twilight of their careers and they won’t be putting in the defensive work needed to compete at the very top level. It wouldn’t help PSG in their pursuit of the Champions League, but it would confirm their role as football’s super club.

Manchester United duo Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Maguire are reportedly engaged in a “power struggle” over the club captaincy. The Mirror report that the pair have had conversations with interim boss Ralf Rangnick about stripping Maguire of the armband to alleviate the pressure on the England international amid his poor performances. Rangnick has invited Ronaldo to mentor youngsters within the club, leading to Maguire feeling “increasingly undermined” by the German coach. The report reveals that Maguire feels “players are losing respect for him” and that there is now a “growing belief” within the squad that Ronaldo will become the new club captain.

Paper Round’s view: Is this another media story that is trying to paint the picture of a broken dressing room at Manchester United or are there actually legs behind it? Maguire is having a shocking season at Old Trafford and maybe Rangnick opened talks about taking the armband away from him so he can concentrate on his own performances. But why would the 28-year-old just accept defeat? It would say a lot more about him if he did hand over the armband. The signing of Ronaldo has been a disaster for United from start to finish. The club needed to sign a defensive midfielder, but instead splashed the cash on an expensive homecoming. Ronaldo needs to leave this summer.

Harry Kane will wait for guarantees that Tottenham Hotspur are ready to back manager Antonio Conte in the transfer market before committing his future to the club. The England captain was linked with a high-profile exit last summer, but his boyhood club refused to sell him, despite strong interest from Manchester City. Kane is reportedly happier now, but the Sun state that he wants assurances from chairman Daniel Levy that Conte will receive financial backing in the summer window. If the club do not follow his wishes, Kane will look to move elsewhere. Manchester United are said to be leading the race for the 28-year-old’s signature.

Paper Round’s view: There’s no point in paying the money to bring in a top-class manager if you’re not planning on backing him in the transfer market. Conte could be the man to finally end Tottenham’s 14-year trophy drought – and Kane clearly thinks this. But you must let him build the side that he wants to. The Italian clearly isn’t happy with the way that the winter transfer window unfolded, despite the signings of Juventus duo Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur. More needs to be done to help elevate the quality within the squad. Kane is entering the peak of his career and he won’t want to regret sticking with his boyhood club over the chance of winning silverware.

Leeds United have identified Jesse Marsch as the ideal replacement to take over from Marcelo Bielsa, should the Argentine call time on his Elland Road reign. Bielsa is entering the final stages of his contract at the club after signing a 12-month extension last summer. The Mail reveal that ex-RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg boss Marsch is wanted by Leeds’ director of football Victor Orta and is the club’s “prime target” if ‘El Loco’ decides to depart. The report states that two other Premier League clubs have enquired after the American coach, while another former Bielsa side, Athletic Bilbao, are also interested in Marsch.

Paper Round’s view: Bielsa will forever be a cult hero at Elland Road, but his time in Yorkshire might finally come to an end this summer. The 66-year-old has probably stayed longer than Leeds fans ever would have expected and their journey together back to the Premier League was a memorable one. Maybe it’s time for something fresh at Leeds. There have been a lot of injuries at the club, but they are struggling this season. A new face, like Marsch, could revitalise the squad. Obviously, it is a risk – especially after his disappointing spell at RB Leipzig – but there’s an exciting manager in there. As for Bielsa, good luck to him wherever he ends up.