Football news, transfer gossip and rumours - Barcelona ready to sign Rodrigo Moreno

Barcelona are planning to make room for a striker in their squad. They have been linked with Rodrigo Moreno of Valencia by Spanish newspaper Marca. In order to free up space for the 28-year-old forward, new boss Quique Setien is willing to let youngster Carles Perez leave, despite the 21-year-old attacker only signing a new deal to stay at the club.

Paper Round’s view: Barcelona’s transfer planning has been knocked out of shape by splurging for Philippe Coutinho and then Antoine Griezmann, without being able to recoup enough costs to balance the books. In the absence of Luis Suarez they want a backup striker, and Perez seems to be the player they are ready to sacrifice for that.

Manchester United have opened talks with Paris Saint-Germain about their teenage midfielder, Eric-Junior Dina Ebimbe. The Mirror reports that the club are interested in the 19-year-old, who is currently on loan with Ligue 2 side Le Havre. Any deal would see Ebimbe stay on loan with the French side for a further year, and PSG are open to letting the player leave if he wishes to move elsewhere.

Paper Round’s view: If United can start to build for the future and give young and talented players the chance to develop away from the pressure of Old Trafford, then it is worth a shot. However, the first team is starved of quality so it is hard to justify any move for players who are not capable of making any immediate impact. United’s fans will not be won over by any similar transfers.

The Telegraph claims that Nottingham Forest youngster Matty Cash is a target for AC Milan. The 22-year-old right-back is wanted by the Italian side and could cost around £12 million, but there is competition for the player. David Moyes wants the defender to join him at West Ham, and the Championship club are likely to let him go to the highest bidder.

Paper Round’s view: Cash is an extremely talented player and there is a history now of Championship players stepping up to the Premier League and being able to excel. Moyes has developed plenty of young defenders as a manager too, so he might be the most compelling option for Cash. However, it would be hard to deny the glamour of a transfer to Italy’s most famous side.

Manchester United are considering a loan move for Leicester City striker Islam Slimani, if a story in the Guardian is to be believed. The 31-year-old forward is on loan to Monaco, where he has had a relatively successful period but has been offered to United for a fee of around £4 million for the rest of the season. He has also had spells at Newcastle United and Fenerbahce since his arrival in England.

Paper Round’s view: Slimani has regularly impressed for Algeria, and was a hot prospect at Sporting Lisbon. He has failed to show his best form since a move to England but he would be a reasonable addition to United. He has pace, and he would be able to provide support to Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood without expecting to hold down a position as a starter in the first team.