Mesut Ozil 'is ready to wait for Unai Emery to be sacked by Arsenal'

Mesut Ozil is refusing to leave Arsenal, according to the Daily Star. The paper reports that Ozil is prepared to wait until Unai Emery is sacked as pressure mounts on the Spaniard in his second season. The 31-year-old has a contract that runs until 2021, but he has no plans of handing in a transfer request, though a move to MLS may eventually appeal.

Paper Round’s view: Emery’s Arsenal are struggling, but the changes he has made at the club seem fundamentally sound. He is refreshing the squad to bring in athletic players who are far younger than those he inherited. It is doubtful any new manager would want to undo that work and bring back Ozil to the first team.

The Sun reports that Manchester United are happy to negotiate the permanent transfer of Chris Smalling. The central defender joined Roma on loan in the summer, and the 29-year-old is keen on completing a deal to stay at the club. The paper reports a meeting was due on Friday for United and Roma to agree a permanent deal.

Paper Round’s view: United’s impression of Smalling was so underwhelming during his time there that surely they won’t demand much by way of a transfer fee. He had potential but never found a way to use it to any extent, so perhaps the slower Italian game is better suited to his approach. With Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof the first-choice pairing, it would be hard to see a way back.

Spanish newspaper Marca reports that Real Madrid’s targets for the next year may be playing themselves out of a move with their current form. They note that Paul Pogba has done little to impress at Manchester United, Neymar remains off the pace at Paris Saint-Germain, Christian Eriksen is suffering with the rest of Spurs, though Donny Van de Beek has kicked on at Ajax.

Paper Round’s view: Pogba is certainly doing little to convince anyone at United that he is desperate to get back to action, and with the emergence of Federico Valverde at Real Madrid, there could be little urgency to get him to Spain. Eriksen, however, will be available for nothing and so will be a less risky proposition, while Neymar would be a gamble for any club prepared to take on his attitude.

The Express explains further the obstacles facing Pogba in his pursuit of a move to Real Madrid. He has played little after an ankle injury kept him out for much of the season, but reports in Spain say he has to get back to action and prove his worth. That is because of his agent, Mino Raiola. Real are so reluctant to have to deal with him that Pogba will need to convince Florentino Perez he is too good to turn down.

Paper Round’s view: After years of indifferent form for United, and plenty of hassle caused around the world for club by Raiola, Perez’s position is entirely understandable. It would be little surprise to see Real find a better use for the £150 million asking price, and see the World Cup winner sign a new deal at Old Trafford for want of a better option.