Paper Round: 'A United State' - Jose Mourinho meltdown affecting Man Utd players

Jose Mourinho’s general mood on Manchester United’s tour of the United States is starting to affect the players, a number of papers are reporting on Tuesday.

From ‘United on edge’ and ‘Mourinho meltdown’, to ‘What a United state’ and ‘We’re fed up!’ – the back pages are littered with a gloomy-looking Mourinho, who has criticised Antonio Valencia, Anthony Martial and essentially all of United’s youth players during their pre-season visit across the pond.

Paper Round’s view: With just over a week until the Premier League gets under way, it appears Jose’s third-season syndrome is kicking in a little earlier than normal. Unless United get rid, the best the club’s fans can hope for is that this saga has happened so early it might somehow resolve itself before the campaign starts. That’s a long shot, however, and Mourinho’s mood is unlikely to brighten unless they can keep pace with their nearest rivals.

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Marseille have approached Chelsea regarding striker Olivier Giroud in a move which could help the Premier League club land Gonzalo Higuain – the Mirror reports. World Cup winner Giroud only joined Chelsea in January, but already he has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge, and with Marseille showing their interest, new Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri could continue to make his mark on the squad by bringing Higuain to England.

Paper Round’s view: The striker merry-go-round we were promised after Cristiano Ronaldo left Real Madrid for Juventus is yet to get going, with few other forwards hopping on to date. If Higuain or Giroud get on board then perhaps it could be a dramatic month in the market, though the days are running out for Premier League teams to have an impact. Window closes on August 9, after all.

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Everton are interested in Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo, the Telegraph reports, though the Argentine’s wage demands could derail any deal for the centre back. Rojo earns more than £120,000-a-week at Old Trafford, having signed a new contract earlier this year, but United would be willing to offload the 28-year-old if a bid of around £20m comes in.

Paper Round’s view: Location wise, it makes sense for Rojo, but it’s hard to see Everton coughing up £20m and a suitable salary for the former Sporting Lisbon defender. That’s all rather excessive, too – the money could be better spent elsewhere.

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Leicester City will look to double Harry Maguire’s salary in a bid to ward off Manchester United, the Mirror and Star report. The England centre-back has been linked with a £65m move to Old Trafford, but Leicester are desperate to hold on to the 25-year-old after already selling Riyad Mahrez to Manchester City. That means offering Maguire £95,000-a-week – almost double his current £50,000-a-week deal.

Paper Round’s view: Leicester certainly play hardball in the transfer window, and they also play it wisely. Maguire was always going to be in demand after his World Cup showing in Russia, but now the Foxes will either get £65m in the bank or keep one of their strongest assets for another season, even if it does mean doubling his salary.