Jonny Evans set for January return to Manchester United - Paper Round

The Sun reports that Manchester United are keen on the return of their former player Jonny Evans. The 32-year-old Northern Ireland international is out of contract with Leicester City at the end of the season and if he has not signed a new deal by the time of the new transfer window, then Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could use some of his £20 million transfer budget to sign him.

Paper Round’s view: Evans’ temperament has improved since his departure from United in 2015, though he has always been a better player than Marcos Rojo and Phil Jones. If United want a left-sided central defender to partner Harry Maguire then he would be a cooler presence than Victor Lindelof, and there would be no question of him settling into the side.

Manchester City veteran Fernandinho is set to leave the club at the end of the season. The Mirror claims that the 35-year-old Brazilian believes he will not be offered a new contract to stay on at the Etihad, where he has been a consistent performer for seven years. Instead he could join Manchester City’s sister club in New York, or perhaps return to a side in Brazil.

Paper Round’s view: Fernandinho’s versatility has been vital at times but with more money for Pep Guardiola to spend over the next transfer windows they will probably concentrate on bringing in another defender, which would reduce Fernandinho’s usefulness. The club need to refresh the age of their squad and so letting the Brazilian go would be an obvious move to take.

Spanish newspaper Marca reports that Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos is expected to sign a new deal to remain at the club, with his current contract expiring at the end of the current season. Ramos wore a pair of Adidas boots in training which also happens to be the supplier of Real Madrid for kit, meaning there could be an indication he will stay.

Paper Round’s view: There has been little doubt that Ramos would stay on at the Bernabeu, with few other clubs able to afford him, and the excellent relationship he has with the club. With the news that he could be signing a deal with Adidas, the main sponsor for Real Madrid’s kit supplies, it appears likely that an announcement to stay could be imminent.

When fans return to stadiums under Tier 1 and Tier 2 restrictions, the government will not require them to wear face masks, according to the Telegraph. They will not be required to undergo temperature checks either, but that does not mean they will avoid both these activities if the clubs insist that they should be respected, with the final decision resting on those in charge of the sides.

Paper Round’s view: Face masks do not appear to be really necessary for outside activities, with most infections occurring in the workplace, school or at home. The open-air nature of football clubs means that the risk is low already, and the reduced capacity will make the chances of mass outbreaks - or any outbreaks at all - pretty unlikely.