Manchester United demand just £50 million for cut-price Paul Pogba - Paper Round

The Manchester United board are finally fed up with the antics of midfielder Paul Pogba and his agent Mino Raiola and will look to offload the Frenchman in the January transfer window, according to the Sun. Raiola publicly declared Pogba's desire to leave Old Trafford in an interview on the evening before United's make-or-break Champions League tie away at RB Leipzig, which they proceeded to lose. Club officials have agreed that the 27-year-old should depart, but they know they won't be receiving close to the £89 million they paid for the Frenchman's services back in 2016. United have accepted that they may need to lower their asking price to £50 million in order to strike a deal with potential buyers, such as Juventus or Real Madrid.

Paper Round's view: There are multiple factors that have lowered Pogba's value. Firstly, his contractual situation. The World Cup winner's current deal at Old Trafford expires in 2022 - meaning that if United fail to sell him in 2021, the club risk losing him for free the following year. Another major factor is Raiola's interview which publicly stated Pogba's desire to leave the club. It weakens Manchester United's position in any negotiations. Whether it's Juventus or Real Madrid, the buyers will know that the French midfielder is pushing for a move and United won't want to keep a player at the club against their will. It's a nightmare situation for the Premier League club. Pogba might not be in the form of his life, but he's definitely worth more than £50 million in the current market.

Manchester United are planning to sign a new centre-back to partner club captain Harry Maguire and have added Brighton's Ben White to their shortlist, according to the Manchester Evening News. The Premier League side currently play Victor Lindelof alongside Maguire, but the MEN report that White joins RB Leipzig's Dayot Upamecano and Real Madrid's Raphael Varane on the club's list of transfer targets. Brighton are "determined" to keep the 23-year-old on the south coast until the end of the season, but could be open to a summer transfer for the right fee. White has impressed for the seaside club so far this season and has also attracted the attention of defending champions Liverpool, who are currently suffering from a defensive injury crisis.

Paper Round's view: United really do need to find a partner for Maguire. Lindelof is decent, but he's not good enough for the long-term aims of the club. However, before the club goes searching for a new centre-back, they desperately need to dispose of the defensive deadwood in their squad. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer still has Eric Bailly, Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo at his disposal. The latter two should've been sold a long, long time ago. It was unfortunate for United that the coronavirus pandemic financially crippled plenty of football clubs this year. This made it more difficult to offload players, but now it should become a little easier. Those three need to be sold before a new defender is brought to Old Trafford.

Paris Saint-Germain are prepared to make a new loan offer for Tottenham attacker Dele Alli in January, according to the Mail. The French champions failed in their bid for the England international during the summer, but it has now become clear to the Spurs hierarchy that Jose Mourinho does not see Alli as part of his plans this season. The 24-year-old has only made one Premier League start so far this campaign - in the opening day defeat to Everton when he was substituted at half time. PSG want to bring Alli in on loan and he is desperate to play first-team football ahead of next summer's European Championships.

Paper Round's view: Alli needs to play football and Mourinho obviously doesn't rate him so there's no reason why Spurs should try and keep him in north London if he's not going to get any minutes. It's a strange situation because he was one of Tottenham's most important players a couple of years ago and now the club are flying without him. It must be difficult as Alli has lost his place in both the Tottenham and England sides, but a move to a top club like PSG is a great opportunity. It would be the perfect chance for the Three Lions star to regain his confidence, while still playing at the highest level. If the finances are right, it's a win-win for both parties.

Former Manchester City coach Mikel Arteta is ready to return to his former club to poach a defensive free agent. The Mirror report that Arsenal are prepared to battle Barcelona for the signature of Eric Garcia, whose current contract expires at the end of the season. The 19-year-old has already informed City of his desire to leave the club next summer and Arteta views the youngster as a player who fits his philosophy. However, Barcelona remain front-runners for Garcia's signature, with the Spaniard a graduate of their famed academy, La Masia. Real Madrid are also interested in the City defender as they search for a long-term replacement for club captain Sergio Ramos.

Paper Round's view: It seems like Arteta is keen on right-sided defender. Arsenal have been linked to John Stones and now Garcia in recent weeks - both players are at Manchester City and previously worked with the Spaniard. Arsenal's defence has looked slightly better since Arteta's arrival this time last year, but they still look suspect. David Luiz, Sokratis Papastahopoulos and Shkodran Mustafi are all out of contract at the end of the season, with the latter two expected to leave. £27-million signing William Saliba must be asking what he needs to do to get a chance, but it's clear Arteta doesn't fancy him. Will Arsenal beat Barcelona or Real Madrid to the signing of Garcia? It's unlikely.