Rashford on Mbappe’s shortlist for PSG transfer

Mbappe wanted Rashford deal

The Mirror claims that Kylian Mbappe supplied a list of four names of players that he wanted to play with this season, and one of them appears to be available in the near future. Gianluca Scamacca signed for West Ham, Robert Lewandowski is at Barcelona, Ousmane Dembele signed a new deal with Barca, but Marcus Rashford is yet to sign fresh terms at Manchester United.

Paper Round’s view: There are no rumblings of dissatisfaction for Rashford at Old Trafford but the 24-year-old neither seems desperate to stay. His form under Erik ten Hag has markedly improved which could help his chances of securing a huge pay rise, but a move to play with Mbappe must be tempting.

Messi not thinking of Barca return

Spanish newspaper Marca reports that Paris Saint-Germain striker Lionel Messi is not desperate to return to his former club Barcelona. There has been talk of bringing him back at the end of the season but Messi is focused on his current side, and the looming World Cup, and would require high wages for any return.

Paper Round’s view: Messi would also reportedly require being a starter for Barcelona if he were to make a return to the club, but there is a problem there. While he has improved a little with PSG this year he is not the great player he once was, and any emotional reasons for his return should probably be ignored.

Hulk threatens to quit Atletico Mineiro

The Daily Mail reports that Atletico Mineiro striker Hulk has suggested that he will quit the club if he continues to receive criticism from fans. Speaking after a defeat to Palmeiras, the 36-year-old striker said: “I have a lot of respect for the [club] and the fans, but if you think this isn’t intensity, if you think I’m not trying, just say it and I’ll leave.”

Paper Round’s view: Hulk is close to the end of his career and after earning millions in Europe and China, he might decide that he’s had enough of the game. With 62 goals in 110 appearance for the Brazilian, he would surely be able to find a new team in the near future.

Barcelona yet to complete Torres payments

Barcelona have barely made a dent in their payments for Ferran Torres. The 22-year-old completed a £48.4m transfer last season, and the Sun reports that they have paid only £2.6m of the money due. There are other outstanding amounts, including around £28m for Frenkie de Jong from Ajax.

Paper Round’s view: There is no suggestion that Barcelona have missed any payments so far, but the debts are racking up for the Spanish club and one of the potential consequences of failing to meet their obligations is a transfer embargo. The club needs to stay on top of their finances so may need to further make sales.