Paper Round: Wayne Rooney in talks to leave Manchester United for 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.

Cristiano Ronaldo won't be returning to Old Trafford. The Mirror understand that Real Madrid's board has sided with Ronaldo over Rafa Benitez and that the manager's support from the club is entirely short-term. Moreover, Ronaldo's agent said that the superstar joining Man United would be "impossible" and that he will "end his career at Real Madrid."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.