Real Madrid planning Eden Hazard sale to raise funds for Erling Haaland transfer - Paper Round

Real Madrid are keen to tie up a deal for Erling Haaland, reports Spanish newspaper Marca. The club had a meeting with Florentino Perez to decide their transfer strategy and they believe they can afford the Borussia Dortmund striker. They could move for Aurelien Tchouameni as well, but that depends on them selling players like Eden Hazard, Mariano Diaz, Luka Jovic, Dani Ceballos and Jesus Vallejo.

Paper Round’s view: Haaland and Kylian Mbappe would cost a fortune in wages, even if they save on Mbappe’s transfer fee. There is little doubt it would make for Europe’s best strike force, but there is only so much money the club can conjure up. Perhaps the biggest obstacle is getting Belgian winger Hazard off the books without having to subsidise his wages.

The Telegraph claims that Paul Pogba will wait until the end of the season before he makes his decision on where to go next. The 29-year-old has a contract that is running down and he has been linked to Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and a return to former club Juventus. But he is in no rush and will hear out his options once the season is over with current club Manchester United.

Paper Round’s view: Pogba had obviously had his heart set on a move to Real Madrid in recent years, and Barcelona made a slightly desultory offer for him a couple of years ago. But his stock has fallen along with his form at Old Trafford, and perhaps now his best option is PSG, who can offer him a huge salary, and also be the big French name in Kylian Mbappe’s absence.

Lionel Messi will remain at Paris Saint-Germain for another season, according to a report in The Sun. While the 34-year-old has lost his goalscoring touch in France, he has also been linked with a return to Barcelona, the club he left in the summer on a free transfer. However it appears that he will stick it out in Paris as the owners prepare for the Qatar World Cup next season.

Paper Round’s view: Messi’s arrival has lent credibility to PSG’s Qatari owners in a vital year for them, but if he does not turn his season around then it risks becoming both an embarrassing mistake, and an expensive one too. At 34 he is probably never going to rediscover his best form and he needs to find a way to fit in with a team that is likely to change managers this summer.

Marcus Rashford could soon move away from Manchester United after he failed to impress in the club’s game against Atletico Madrid, with the Mirror reporting that Ralf Rangnick is willing to let him leave. The paper suggests that Barcelona would like him to slot in their front three, but there could also be offers from Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Tottenham and Newcastle United.

Paper Round’s view: A move to Newcastle United would take the pressure off him, where he would be an important player in a club not yet expected to achieve a great deal in the next year or two. Tottenham would be a step down, but Barcelona, Bayern and PSG would all be fresh challenges in a new country, alongside some brilliantly talented team-mates to help him rediscover his form.