Paper Round: Gareth Bale tops Jose Mourinho's shopping list

Manchester United have made Real Madrid's Gareth Bale their number one transfer target - for next summer, according to the Star. They want to be the new home of the Galacticos, and the Welsh wizard is top of their list for 2017.

Paper Round's view: You can tell the transfer window's shutting when the papers start speculating about next summer's signings. Of course United want Gareth Bale. Who wouldn't? But Bale has committed his future to Real by signing a new contract, and it's difficult to see why he might be lured to Manchester.

It's OK, everyone, you can stop worrying about Joe Hart. He's been offered the opportunity to resurrect his career in Serie A, according to the Express, with AC Milan and Torino first in the queue. There he will be able to forget the ignominy of not being wanted by new Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, who gave him a farewell Champions League match as captain a few days ago.

Paper Round's view: Well, if your options are Italy or Sunderland - as was rumoured a day or two ago - you can't blame Hart for plumping for the continent. Paper Round always like to see English players going abroad to test themselves, but will new England manager Sam Allardyce be impressed by this particular bit of adventure? We're not sure.

New England manager Sam Allardyce has likened Eric Dier to his Bolton stars Ivan Campo and Fernando Hierro - and declared that the youngster will be the lynchpin of his side in the pivotal holding midfielder role. That's what the Express is reporting, anyway.

Paper Round's view: Let's hope that Dier copes well with pressure - such plaudits heaped on to your shoulders by your international manager might not sit well with everyone. Paper Round couldn't help but have a quiet chortle, though, at Allardyce drawing parallels between Dier and Campo and Hierro - would the 22-year-old even remember those two legends?

Jose Mourinho had a "furious spat" with builders working on Manchester United's training ground in Carrington, says the Sun. The contractors used flagpoles and cones to mark out their site - so in return Mourinho took their shovel. No, really, that's what the story says.

Paper Round's view: We wondered last week whether the Mourinho-Wenger feud would seriously carry on or whether they might decide to act like adults when it comes to transfer negotiation. Now Mourinho is using the basest form of tit for tat to avenge himself on folk who are building the extension to his own team's facilities. It's ridiculous - but all too believable.