Football news - Manchester United set to pay off David de Gea's huge contract - Paper Round

Manchester United will give David de Gea a huge payoff to leave the club, according to the Mirror. The 30-year-old Spanish international is on around £350,000 a week with two years left on his deal, and United’s owners want rid of him to reduce their outlay. They are also paying £70,000 a week to Sergio Romero, and Lee Grant and Joel Pereira will also be on their way out.

Paper Round’s view: De Gea’s contract at the time seemed like a huge outlay but a risk worth taking given he had been one of the best goalkeepers in the world, but he has been unable to get back to his most reliable form. Getting rid will free up funds and allow Dean Henderson to develop, and he too could be moved on next summer if he does not seize his chance.

The Daily Mail claims that Harry Winks is set to leave Spurs in the summer. The 25-year-old England international has Spanish heritage, and is wanted by Atletico Madrid, Valencia and Sevilla, with Diego Simeone’s side in the lead for his signature. Another side in contention for the £20m-rated player is Premier League team Everton, with Oliver Skipp ready to take over his role when he comes back from Norwich.

Paper Round’s view: Winks is a solid but unspectacular player and it makes sense for him to move on in order to get regular game time after struggling for minutes under current boss Jose Mourinho. He will have seen how Kieran Trippier has flourished after moving on from Spurs to La Liga, and if he has links to the country then he may find settling in relatively easy. Spurs may be happier to let Winks leave than their striker Harry Kane.

The Sun suggests that Wolves could be ready to swoop for Sheffield United’s striker Oli McBurnie. The 24-year-old Scotland international could be available for £15 million and may be able to lead the line in the absence of Raul Jimenez, who is recovering from a fractured skull. He can also play off a lead striker so would be able to play alongside the Mexican when needed.

Paper Round’s view: With Sheffield United now almost certain to go down after losing to Leeds United, it is time for the side to work out which players can be sold in order to raise funds. McBurnie is a promising enough player who can score goals, so as a back-up for Wolves he would potentially be a bargain while giving the Blades the cash to reassemble a side to attempt to come back up next season.

Manchester United could spring a surprise by offering midfielder Juan Mata another year at Old Trafford, reports the Star. The club could extend his deal by activating another season, which would also ensure that they could command a transfer fee of £5 million should he be sold in the summer. However the 32-year-old Spaniard would also be happy to stay on, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and others believing him to be a good influence at the club, while Paul Pogba may stay.

Paper Round’s view: Mata’s professionalism and experience stands out at Old Trafford with plenty of players who could use some guidance and an example to follow off the pitch. Harry Maguire was brought in to do the same and ended up getting arrested, and Marcus Rashford is perhaps the only other player acting particularly admirably off the pitch with constructive endeavours.