Football news, transfer rumours and gossip - Jude Bellingham to choose between four clubs

Birmingham City’s teenage sensation Jude Bellingham will soon make a decision over his future, according to the Sunday Mirror. The 16-year-old midfielder will choose between Manchester United, Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich after all four clubs met the asking price for him, starting at £15 million but potentially double that with additional clauses to be met.

Paper Round’s view: Bellingham is supposed to be an exceptional young talent, and at 16 is perhaps only a year or two away from being able to hold down a regular spot in the first team. At £15 million, or even double that, he would prove to be a bargain if he can maintain his rate of improvement for the next few seasons.

Spanish newspaper Marca reports that Paris Saint-Germain are now ready to sell their Brazilian striker Neymar this summer. The club are prepared to accept 150 million euros for the 28 year old, and hope that his arrival will improve the happiness of Lionel Messi. The Spanish champions had expected to have to pay a higher price for the forward.

Paper Round’s view: Neymar’s enthusiasm to stay at PSG almost immediately waned after he enjoyed only a brief honeymoon period in Paris. Letting him go for 150 million euros would ease the French club’s huge Financial Fair Play obligations, and would allow them to keep star striker Kylian Mbappe for at least another season.

The Telegraph reports that the Scottish football authorities are considering giving the current season ‘unofficial’ status, as they have done to the seasons played throughout wartime. That would upset Celtic’s Scott Brown and his manager Neil Lennon, who are desperate to be awarded the title and secure their ninth successive official league title.

Paper Round’s view: It is slightly bizarre that anyone could be desperately bothered whether a title counted as official or not, in the circumstances. The country is on the cusp of the NHS’ greatest challenge, and football clubs are arguing the toss about whether their league win is official or not. It is hard to think that discussion will matter for the foreseeable future.

The Sun on Sunday follows up the Cheltenham Festival with the news that the Grand National is set to be cancelled, according to local MP Bill Esterton. He said: “It’s a question for the Government. If other sporting events have been cancelled it seems likely that horse racing will be cancelled as well. The Government will need to make the decision in a timely fashion on public-health grounds and give the racing industry and everyone whose livelihoods depend on it time to adjust.”

Paper Round’s view: It is close to incredible that Cheltenham was allowed to go ahead given the scope it had to spread the infection of coronavirus across the country to so many people. That the Grand National is to be suspended simply fits into the other cancellations of major sports events, but it seems far too late to make the difference it could have done a couple of weeks ago.