Paper Round: Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s dig at ‘complaining’ Class of ’92 - aka the 'Circle of Ferguson'

In a wide-ranging interview with the Mirror, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has criticised Manchester United’s Class of ’92 (or the 'Circle of Ferguson' as the Swede calls them) – which includes Paul Scholes and Gary Neville - stating they are "always complaining" and comparing current goings on at United to their own trophy-laden years under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Ibrahimovic said: “They are not there any more. They are on TV and complaining all the time because they are not active in the club.

Paper Round’s view: Ibrahimovic does have a point in stating United will struggle to create a new identity if they keep looking to the past, but it is currently serving them well under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who is channelling, and even using, Ferguson as a source of inspiration as the club looks to put Jose Mourinho’s mini-era behind them. After all, drawing motivation from a team that won for two decades can hardly be a bad thing.

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Roma defender Kostas Manolas could join Manchester United for a cut-price fee this summer, according to the Manchester Evening News, but only if the Italian club finish outside of the Champions League spots. Roma are currently fifth, four points behind AC Milan, and should they fail to make the top four, then Manolas could be available for £30.8m due to a release clause in his contract. However, it would also depend on whether United can finish in the top four in the Premier League.

Paper Round’s view: Plenty of permutations for a player United have long been linked with, but that does not stop the speculation. Of course, it also depends on who will be in charge at United, likely Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and whether they get a director of football in time, identity unknown.

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Arsenal are prepared to send Denis Suarez back to Barcelona after a loan spell which has featured just six appearances off the bench, The Sun reports. The 25-year-old midfielder has failed to impress Unai Emery at the Emirates since joining in January, and though the Arsenal head coach wants to exercise patience, there is little time left to impress and it is unlikely the move will be made permanent.

Paper Round’s view: It hasn’t quite gone to plan for Suarez, who is yet to start a single game for Arsenal. It is a difficult situation to judge, too, with so few opportunities to watch him, but Emery will know best. There’s still around two months or so for Suarez to prove the club otherwise.

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James Rodriguez wants to return to Real Madrid after his two-year loan spell at Bayern Munich ends this summer, the Mirror reports, although his future will depend heavily on two factors. Firstly, Bayern Munich have the option to buy the Colombian – although their delay in doing so has Rodriguez questioning whether the German club want to keep him beyond the summer – while the second issue surrounds Zinedine Zidane, whose return as Real boss means Rodriguez’s future could lie elsewhere – Manchester United and Juventus are two reported targets.

Paper Round’s view: It is difficult to see Rodriguez sliding seamlessly back into the Real setup, particularly with Zidane back at the helm, but his future is likely to be part of a mighty merry-go-round which could be sparked if Real go in search of a Galactico or two. Rodriguez could even be a makeweight in any potential deal.