Manchester United are set to make a double swoop for Ander Herrera and Daniele De Rossi, while Arsenal target Julien Draxler, Soloman Kalou and Kaka - here are the main transfer stories from today's newspapers.
United target Herrera and De Rossi: United will increase their bid for Athletic Bilbao playmaker Herrera
to trigger a £30.7 million release clause in the Spaniard's contract,
while also lodging a £10.2m bid for Roma midfielder De Rossi, according
to the Daily Telegraph. The Old Trafford club have had bids for both
players knocked back earlier in the week, but the paper says "there is a
confidence within Old Trafford that deals will be done before Monday
evening".
Paper Round's view: With Everton standing firm on Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini - the Toffees having rejected United's latest double bid - perhaps the Premier League champions do indeed need to look elsewhere. The combative De Rossi is a great player and would no doubt work well in English football, but he has reservations about leaving Rome. Herrera would be a more likely purchase, if United can stump up enough cash to trigger that clause in his Athletic contract.
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Arsenal target Draxler: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has made a last-ditch move to sign German teenager Draxler, according to the Daily Mirror. The paper reports that Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis was at the club’s training ground yesterday trying to seal a deal for the 19-year-old Schalke midfielder, although the Gunners are not prepared to meet the German club's £60m valuation. A fee of £40m is more appealing to Wenger.
Paper Round's view: Sixty million does seem a rather inflated price tag, even for a player of Draxler's talent and potential. But, as everyone, including Schalke, knows, Arsenal are desperate with just hours to go before the transfer window shuts. Then again, surely any deal would depend on how Arsenal went with their reported triple bid for Real Madrid's Karim Benzema, Mesut Ozil and Angel Di Maria.
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Arsenal holds talks over Kalou: Meanwhile, the Daily Mail claims Arsenal have held talks over a move for Kalou, the former Chelsea man. Kalou has been the subject of interest from West Bromwich Albion, Liverpool and Cardiff so far this summer but each had struggled to agree terms. The paper adds that free agent Carlton Cole is also an option and the Gunners have made a bid for Melbourne Victory and Australia midfielder Mark Milligan.
Paper Round: Kalou, Cole and Milligan. This really is scraping the barrel. But that's what happens when you go an entire summer without spending a penny on new recruits.
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Arsenal eye Kaka: The Daily Telegraph claims that former world footballer of the year Kaka has joined Arsenal's list of targets after the Brazilian said he wants out of the Bernabeu in a bid to win more minutes on the pitch.
Paper Round's view: And another! Arsenal are certainly hedging their bets ahead of the closing of the window, but Kaka could well be one of the more attainable of their targets. Certainly more so than his Madrid team-mates Benzema, Ozil and Di Maria, who have all said they want to stay put. There could be a stumbling block though: Kaka's wages. Despite not featuring regularly, he is still one of the best paid players in the world.
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Liverpool close on double defensive deal: The Daily Mail reports that Liverpool are close to sealing a £25m deal for defenders Mamadou Sakho of Paris Saint-Germain and Tiago Ilori of Sporting. The Reds' prospects of landing Sakho improved on Friday after rivals Roma seemed ready to pull out, the paper claims. It adds that the Reds face competition for Chelsea's Victor Moses though, in the form of Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, Norwich and Southampton.
Paper Round's view: Sakho is a tremendous player and would be a great addition to Liverpool's squad, even if he's fallen down the pecking order at PSG and not played a minute this season. That state of affairs has led him to ask to leave the French capital club, and Liverpool appear to be in pole position to land him.
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