Football news - Revealed: Why Manchester United didn't sign Erling Braut Haaland - Paper Round

On the day that Erling Braut Haaland signed for Borussia Dortmund, the Independent revealed the reasons why Manchester United missed out on the wonderkid. Earlier this month, United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer travelled to Salzburg to speak to fellow Norwegian Haaland, who he previously managed at Molde. The financial conditions and control that the player's father Alf-Inge and notorious super-agent Mino Raiola wanted over future transfer buy-out fees and sell-on clauses put the Manchester club off any potential deal. United officials reportedly described the pair's involvement as "bad for the industry". Haaland's desire to play in the Champions League also played a role in the Dortmund deal, with Solskjaer's side currently playing in the Europa League and four points adrift of the Premier League's top four.

Paper Round's view: Deals involving Raiola always spell trouble and United have been burnt by the Italian in the past. The club have previous with the super-agent who has played his part in bringing the likes of Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku and Henrikh Mkhitaryan to Old Trafford and it seems like the hierarchy at United have had enough. Wanting to dictate future transfer buy-out fees and clauses will always rile up the club during negotiations as it indicates that the club is being used as a stepping stone. It seems like United didn't want to be used by Haaland and Raiola - but will they pay the price as they miss out on the coveted youngster? Only time will tell, but the future is looking bright for Dortmund's new signing.

New West Ham boss David Moyes is set to be financially backed by the club in the January transfer market as the Premier League club look to desperately improve their form, according to the Sun. Moyes' return to the London Stadium was formally announced by the Hammers on Sunday night and it looks like the former Everton and United boss has already written up his transfer wishlist. Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud is said to top the list, with £45 million summer signing Sebastien Haller only scoring once in his past 11 appearances. Giroud has struggled for minutes at Chelsea this season and is likely to look for a move away from Stamford Bridge in the winter window.

Paper Round's view: It would be a move that would make sense for Giroud. He can stay in London and West Ham would be able to afford to meet his wage demands. David Moyes didn't do a bad job in his previous stint at the London Stadium and he got Marco Arnautovic scoring goals. Obviously Giroud offers a different style to the Austrian forward, but he will look at Moyes' previous work at West Ham and believe that he can go there and score enough goals to keep his place in the France national team ahead of this summer's European Championships. The French forward just needs to leave Chelsea and start playing first-team football again if he wants to play a major role in Les Bleus' potential road to Wembley.

West Ham's interest in Giroud could spell trouble for European giants Juventus, who are also said to be interested in a January move for the French forward, according to the Sun. Despite having Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain in his squad, Juve boss Maurizio Sarri doesn't seem to be content with his striking options. Croatian forward Mario Mandzukic recently joined Qatari club Al-Duhail from the Old Lady, which has opened the door to a potential Giroud reunion for Sarri in Serie A. Crystal Palace, Rangers, Lyon and, of course, West Ham are all in the hunt for the World Cup winner.

Paper Round's view: Juventus would be a disastrous move for Giroud. Mandzukic failed to make a single appearance in all competitions during his time at the Italian club this season, so why on earth would Giroud think he would get a sniff in Turin? There's no need for Sarri to replace a player who hasn't played a minute and wasn't even registered for the Champions League squad and Giroud would be in an even worse position than he is now at Stamford Bridge. Giroud needs to leave Chelsea to play football, not to sit on another club's substitute bench. A move to West Ham or Crystal Palace would make a lot more sense for the 33-year-old.

Speaking of reunions in Serie A... former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is looking to raid his old club with moves for wing-back duo Marcos Alonso and Emerson Palmieri. The Sun have reported that the Inter Milan boss wants to improve his wide options by bagging the pair from his former side in January. Alonso could be interested in a transfer away, but Inter have tabled a deal which would see the Spaniard move to San Siro initially on loan, with the option to make it permanent in the summer. However, the potential total fee of £20 million is significantly less than the £30 million Chelsea will demand. Emerson is said to be "happy in London" and "reluctant to leave the Premier League in January".

Paper Round's view: It is very unlikely that Chelsea would sell both their left-back options in January, even if they were to bring in a new defender in the winter window. Frank Lampard's side have been constantly linked with a move for Leicester City's Ben Chilwell, but it's a deal that is expected to happen next summer - not during the current season. Therefore, the Blues boss would be out of his mind to send both his left-backs to Inter. If the Serie A side were to improve their current offer, a deal for Alonso could become more likely, especially as he has drifted in and out of the first team for Chelsea this season. However, Emerson is expected to stay at the London club for the remainder of this term, at least.