Wayne Rooney could be on his way out of Manchester United, and Cristiano Ronaldo won't be coming in. That and more from the Tuesday papers.
Rooney talking about move to China
Could Wayne Rooney become the face of Chinese football? The Sun
claim that the Rooney is being courted by the China Super League, which
are willing to pay the Manchester United man huge money to join the
league. The CSL believes that a star like Rooney would convince other
stars to sign with Chinese clubs. A new £830 million TV deal has the
league swimming in riches and they have reached out to Rooney's
representatives, who are considering the move.
Paper Round's view - You can argue about
whether Rooney has been horrible for Man United this season and whether
he should be starting, but there's no doubt that he's been far from his
best. At 30 years old, Rooney's quality is trending down and he has to
consider life after Manchester United. There's no telling when he won't
be good enough for them anymore - some might argue that's now - but it
will come and China will be among the several places he could go to
finish his career.
Read the full story
Ronaldo not moving to United
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) after El Clasico - AFP
Paper Round's view - It's silly to speak in
absolutes with Real Madrid right now. The club is in disarray. Will
Benitez be there come Christmas? Or the end of the season? Or next
season? No one knows. And the same is true of president Florentino Perez
because he too is under fire. So with the club's hierarchy in flux, and
Ronaldo both aging and in demand for potentially the final time at a
monster transfer fee, to say that anything has been decided can't
possibly be true.
Read the full story
Rodgers could take Qatar job
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers - PA Photos
Brendan Rodgers
has been offered £3.5m tax free to take a job in Qatar, according to
The Sun. The offer is believed to be from Al Sadd, which is the best
club in the country. Rodgers is considering accepting the offer, which
would pay him double what he was making at Liverpool and allow him to manage Xavi.
Paper Round's view - It's tough to imagine
Rodgers in Qatar. He's only 42 years old and is a very ambitious
manager. As far as moving up the management ladder and coaching big
clubs go, going to Al Sadd would be like putting that all on hold. It's
not like Rodgers won't be able to get a job in a very good league soon
either. But £3.5m tax free is a lot of money and tough to turn down.
Read the full story
Arsenal have list of midfielders to buy
Bayer Leverkusen's Lars Bender - Reuters
Arsenal need to sign a defensive midfielder with Francis Coquelin set to miss considerable time and The Mail believe they have already drawn up a short list. Lars Bender and William Carvalho
top the Gunners' wish list and Arsene Wenger intends to make quick work
of signing a midfielder come January. Below those two, but also on
Arsenal's radar are Gregorz Krychowiak, Lucas Biglia, Vincent Koziello
and Nampalys Mendy.
Paper Round's view - Wenger bet that Coquelin
would man the midfield for the whole season and lost. It wasn't a wise
move - being completely dependent on any one player to stay fit isn't -
but here they are. Bender is tremendous and would be a great buy, but Bayer Leverkusen
have worked hard to retain him when teams have shown interest before.
The same is true of Carvalho so if Arsenal are to land either of their
top targets, it will require hard work. Krychowiak's new contract with
Sevilla will make a buy there tough, while Biglia is aging. Koziello and
Mendy aren't as proven as the rest so they are gambles.
Read the full story
United favourites to sign Bartra
Spain international Marc Bartra made 24 starts for Barcelona this season - PA Sport
Marc Bartra
could be a Manchester United player come January. There are several
reports from Spain that the defender is unhappy with his lack of playing
time at Barcelona and The Mirror say that the Red Devils will lead the
way in the pursuit of him. Louis van Gaal still wants a centre back,
having missed on Sergio Ramos in the summer, and would like Bartra to help strengthen the back line.
Paper Round's view - Bartra is already struggling for playing time and that is with Thomas Vermaelen
out. When Vermaelen returns, Bartra will play even less. Man United
would love a left-footed defender so Bartra isn't a perfect fit, but
he's an accomplished defender capable of playing either centrally or on
the right. If the Red Devils are looking for defensive help, they'll be
hard-pressed to find better in January than Bartra, and he's only 24
years old so he can be a part of the team for years to come.
Read the full story
Dembele will get new contract
Tottenham will enter talks with Mousa Dembele to get the
midfielder a new contract, per The Mail. Dembele is having a fantastic
season and is a key player in Mauricio Pochettino's
team, but his current deal expires in 18 months. Spurs don't want to
let Dembele enter the final year of his contract, let alone leave on a
free transfer. The club will start negotiations in the coming weeks and
Pochettino is keen to ensure the Belgian is rewarded for his fine play.
Paper Round's view - Dembele is vital to the
Tottenham team. His play on the wing has made Spurs' midfield fully
functional and led their recent surge. Pochettino's system puts extreme
pressure on the midfielders and when Spurs find someone as capable as
Dembele, it would only be wise to keep him. That Tottenham have several
Belgians now and the team is successful should make Dembele want to stay
so odds are that negotiations will be simple.
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