Real Madrid edge closer to Jude Bellingham transfer, Liverpool eye cheaper alternative in Enzo Fernandez – Paper Round

Real Madrid have been given positive news in their pursuit of England World Cup star Jude Bellingham as Marca report that transfer rivals, Liverpool, have turned their attention elsewhere. The Premier League club are thought to view Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez as a “much more accessible target” and – essentially – a cheaper alternative to Bellingham. Fernandez would cost around €90 million, while Borussia Dortmund could demand north of €150 million for Bellingham after his performances in Qatar. Liverpool’s shift in focus to the Argentine would give Real Madrid a clearer run at Bellingham.

Paper Round’s view: It would be a mistake for Liverpool to pursue Fernandez instead of Bellingham. The club have clearly identified the 19-year-old as their top central midfield target for over a year now and it has come to the point where they have practically put all their eggs in the Bellingham basket. There’s no problem with switching transfer targets, but the England international would be the perfect midfielder for them. You’d expect Bellingham would be keen too (it’s no coincidence that he was seen hanging out a fair bit with Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold in Qatar) so Liverpool just need to find the money. He will be worth every penny.

Borussia Dortmund wonderkid Youssoufa Moukoko is the target of a trio of Premier League clubs, including Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool. The 18-year-old’s current contract at the German club is set to expire this summer and Dortmund’s upcoming offer is set to be around £1.5 million per year under his demands. United, Chelsea and Liverpool are all tempted by signing Moukoko in January after the former parted ways with Cristiano Ronaldo and the other two suffered injuries to attacking duo Armando Broja and Luis Diaz respectively. The Times report that Moukoko will need to be convinced that he will be given first-team opportunities instead of being a bench player.

Paper Round’s view: Moukoko would be a solid signing for any club in the Premier League. He has been highly rated for years now and his ceiling is very high. The Dortmund teenager looks increasingly likely to leave the Bundesliga club next summer if they fail to meet his contract demands. But he is right to be wary about his landing spot. Moukoko cannot afford to stunt his development by sitting on the bench at a top Premier League club in favour of a better financial package. It’s unlikely that the 18-year-old would be considered a starter for any of the three Premier League clubs interested in him if they had a fully-fit squad.

Bayern Munich have entered the race to sign Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona next summer. The Dutch midfielder has already publicly declared his desire to stay at the Catalan club, but Bayern believe they can tempt him to move to the Bundesliga. Barca are still hoping to reduce his salary and Spanish media outlet Sport reveal Bayern will interrupt the negotiations to sign De Jong for a cut-price fee. The 25-year-old will only have one year remaining on his Barcelona contract after the summer, so it could be the Blaugrana’s last chance to sell him for a decent transfer fee.

Paper Round’s view: It seemed strange that no Champions League-level club came in for De Jong last summer when he was only really wanted by Manchester United (and not even his parent club Barcelona). The former-Ajax midfielder ended up staying at the Camp Nou, but their financial situation seems to mean they cannot afford to keep him on his current salary. Surely it’s time for him to move on – and if Bayern are interested, it seems like a no-brainer. You have the chance to join a club that actually want you… and one that can challenge for the Champions League trophy.

We all read about the England World Cup squad’s love affair with Dave the Cat in Monday’s Paper Round – but the Star reveal that there is a “bizarre tug-of-love” over the pet. It is reported that Dave’s new home in England is still unknown because “so many players want him”. Initially, it was believed that Kyle Walker would be adopting Dave, but his Manchester City team-mates John Stones and Kalvin Phillips have challenged this as they want to bring him home as their pet too.

Paper Round’s view: One thing we know is that Dave is definitely heading to Manchester… but we don’t know which player will be adopting him. It’s a fun story from Qatar, but the newly-crowned ‘England squad mascot’ will genuinely become a pet for one of the players after meeting them at the training facilities. Walker, Stones and Phillips will have to make the decisions between themselves.