Football news - Chelsea, Man City, Real Madrid and Barcelona fight for Erling Haaland - Paper Round

The Sun reports that Premier League side Chelsea are considering alternatives to Erling Haaland and Romelu Lukaku, who both might cost around £100 million. One possibility is making a move for 27-year-old Torino forward Andrea Belotti, who is valued at about £85 million, and would allow the London side to improve their forward line for a little less cash.

Paper Round’s view: Given the amount of sides who are looking at both Lukaku and Haaland, it makes sense that Chelsea work on having a back-up plan. The striker is a reliable presence in Serie A and he has the physical qualities to cope with the demands of the Premier League, though it has to be remembered that Italians generally struggle with life in English football.

Spanish newspaper Marca notes the meetings held by Mino Raiola and Erling Haaland’s father Alf-Inge, and top Spanish sides Barcelona and Real Madrid, as the chase to secure Haaland’s future hots up ahead of the summer. The paper points out that Florentino Perez might hold the upper hand after dealing with Achraf Hakimi and Reinier Jesus in recent times, though Barca have also dealt with them over Ousmane Dembele and Paco Alacer.

Paper Round’s view: With Dortmund needing to sell for the highest bidder, it seems unlikely that there will be too much for the suitors to do than make sure they are at the front of the queue. Having said that, given Manchester United dawdled over meeting their request for Jadon Sancho, the Spanish duo might be given an easier time when it comes to agreeing a fee.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola appeared to suggest that his side would not be spending to heavily this summer, which may have implications for any move for Borussia’s Haaland. The Telegraph reports that the Catalan manager said of his transfer hopes: “With these prices we are not going to sign any striker. We are not going to sign any striker, it’s impossible – we cannot afford it. That’s not going to happen. All the clubs struggle financially and we are not an exception.”

Paper Round’s view: If City are having a hard time getting their cash together then there is little chance for anyone else. It is hard to take this with anything but a pinch of salt given the huge resources at their disposal, but they still have to at least pay lip service to financial credibility and the idea of obeying Financial Fair Play regulations, particularly if they want to sign Lionel Messi too.

Thomas Tuchel would not be drawn on any explicit plans to move for Erling Haaland or Sergio Aguero, according to the Mirror. Chelsea are in the market for another forward, as mentioned above, and another name in the hat is Aguero, with the 32-year-old striker coming to the end of his time at the Etihad, which could prompt Chelsea to make a move for him on a free transfer.

Paper Round’s view: Aguero looks to be a bargain given he would not cost any transfer fee, however there is one consideration. The striker has had a problem with his hamstrings and other injuries over the past few years, so he could not be relied upon to go a whole season without missing a decent chunk of it, given his age. But that might be a gamble worth taking.