Football news - Barcelona fail with first Neymar bid - Paper Round

Spanish newspaper Marca reports that Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona are still far from agreeing a deal for Neymar’s return to Spain. PSG are willing to send the 27-year-old Brazilian back on loan for the season, but the French champions want to secure an obligation to buy at the end of the 2019/20 campaign. Barca also want a transfer fee of 150 million euros, with PSG aiming for 250 million.

Paper Round’s view: If Neymar wants to force his way out in such an awkward manner, then it is no surprise that PSG are playing hardball now. They are merely looking to get their money back and be able to dance to Financial Fair Play’s beat. They need a hefty sum for him or they will not just lose the player, they will also lose the potential to replace him.

Borussia Dortmund have tied down Jadon Sancho to a new deal, according to the Daily Mail. The 19-year-old forward has signed a new contract with £190,000-a-week wages. He has been rewarded for turning down a move to Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United this summer, though the club expects both United and former club Manchester City to come back in for him next season.

Paper Round’s view: Given Sancho should now cost well in excess of £100 million next summer, and he missed out on a huge raise in his salary by staying in Germany, it is logical that he is now rewarded with a new contract. He will still probably leave next summer, but the new contract will help Borussia Dortmund get the full valuation for him.

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was apparently furious with both Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba after they squabbled with one another to decide who would take the penalty against Wolverhampton Wanderers, which Pogba ultimately missed. After the game, Solskjaer criticised both players for failing to decide the role before the game, and has now taken Pogba off spot kick duties.

Paper Round’s view: The whole palaver about the penalty has been blown out of proportion, and while it is understandable that the manager was miffed with the lack of organisation, he could have checked himself before kick-off. As well as that, given Pogba’s poor track record with penalties, Solskjaer should have decided long ago to give Rashford sole responsibility.

The Telegraph reports that the English Football League ignored warnings in 2017 that a host of clubs were heading towards financial meltdown. Bury look set to be kicked out of the league, while Bolton, Macclesfield and Oldham could all go the same way as they struggle to pay wages. In 2017, the EFL were warned by financial data outfit Vysyble about coming problems, but the league, “"basically chose to ignore it and say, 'Everything is fine, we haven't had an insolvency for years, what's the problem?'”

Paper Round’s view: It is no surprise that, if true, the football league have acted with complacency and have let cars crash in slow motion. Fundamentally the reforms needed are that more exacting standards have to be placed on owners and potential owners, and money from higher up the pyramid needs to be increased.