Manchester United to sell four defenders to raise January transfer fund – Paper Round

Manchester United plan to ditch a handful of defenders to raise transfer funds and sign Villarreal center-back Pau Torres. According to the Express, Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is set to trim his squad in the January transfer window by putting Victor Lindelof, Marcos Rojo, Phil Jones and Eric Bailly in the showcase. United are interested in signing Spanish central Torres, who has a £ 60m buyout clause in his contract with Villarreal. Tottenham Hotspur are also interested in the possibility of signing the 23-year-old defender.

Paper Round’s opinion: It’s about time Manchester United got serious about selling their dead defenders. It’s a bit harsh to include Lindelof on that list, but Rojo, Jones and Bailly should get a push towards the Old Trafford exit. Club captain Harry Maguire, Lindelof and Axel Tuanzebe should stick with a new signing, which could definitely be Torres. However, so much transfer activity is unlikely in the winter window. This seems more like a task that needs to be tackled at the end of the season (or months before the current campaign started).

Juventus midfielder Sami Khedira has continued to be linked to a Premier League move in January. The World Cup winner has fallen down the pecking order in Turin and has yet to appear for the Old Lady this season. Khedira recently admitted that a possible transfer to England was a “dream” of his and has now revealed that he is still in contact with former Real Madrid coaches José Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti, who are currently in charge of Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League and Everton respectively. The 33-year-old has only six months left on his current contract with Juventus.

Paper Round’s opinion: It seems that Khedira is creating rumors of a Premier League change single-handedly. The German midfielder knows his future is far from Italy and is trying to make one last big move before his career comes to an end. Everton can be seen as a serious destination. Ancelotti has been successful with the signings of James Rodríguez and Allan, whom he previously managed. Khedira probably wouldn’t be a starter at the Merseyside club, but he would still have plenty of minutes and his experience could prove vital to some of Everton’s youngsters.

Barcelona’s playmaker Philippe Coutinho has opened the door to a possible return to the Premier League. The Brazilian international refuses to rule out the possibility of returning to England as he reflected on his time at Liverpool. Coutinho left Merseyside for Barcelona in 2018 for a fee of £ 142 million, but has not been able to discover his form since his departure. The 28-year-old player’s agent, Kia Joorabchian, recently dismissed any comments about a departure from Barcelona. Coutinho was linked to Arsenal throughout the summer transfer window.

Paper Round’s opinion: Does Coutinho regret leaving Liverpool? Maybe. The Samba star was seen as one of the best players in the Premier League and ended up forcing a move to Barcelona in 2018. However, his career has completely stalled since that transfer and Liverpool have become one of the best teams in world football. Barça loaned Coutinho to Bayern Munich last season, where he played a supporting role during the German treble campaign and has now returned to the Camp Nou. The Brazilian’s career has started to get back on track with Ronald Koeman and he hopes not to return to the Premier League anytime soon.

Chelsea and West Ham are set to face off in battle to sign RB Leipzig defender Matthew Bondswell. The 18-year-old, England Under-18 international, is on loan to Dutch FC Dordrecht as he seeks out first-team football to help his development. Premier League pair Chelsea and West Ham, as well as Sporting Lisbon, have identified Bondswell as a potential target. The left-back was part of the Nottingham Forest academy before moving to Leipzig in 2018.

Paper Round’s opinion: It’s good to see young English players willing to travel abroad for first-team opportunities. Germany and the Netherlands have played their part in the development of young English people in recent years. Bondswell could find his way back to England soon, but he should keep looking for first-team football right now. Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount is a great example of how a young English player can go on loan to the Eredivisie at a young age and then enter the Premier League as a starter. Bondswell could be one of those to watch for years to come.