Paper Round: Manchester United line up £160m deals for Willian and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic

Manchester United have reportedly agreed a deal for Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. The 23-year-old Serbia international has been followed by United for much of the season, and Jose Mourinho has agreed to meet the £80m asking fee for the player. United had hoped to spend less for the player, but as Marouane Fellaini looks set for the exit, and with Michael Carrick close to retirement, there is an awareness they cannot wait long to complete deals.

Paper Round's view: If Manchester United are able to complete a deal of this size before the World Cup, it augurs well for the rest of the year. Ed Woodward has failed to deliver what has been asked of him in most transfer windows, so an early transfer would indicate that the penny has finally dropped for him. Mourinho needs not just one midfielder, but two, and will need to replace all of his back line if he is to challenge Manchester City for the title next season.

Jose Mourinho is considering letting Anthony Martial join Chelsea. There is no hurry to let the 22-year-old go, but he has stagnated this season and has rejected an offer of a new contract as he worries about regular time on the pitch. With Juventus ready to bid for the player, Chelsea are also interested. Should they firm up their interest, Mourinho would want around £20m plus Willian, his favourite player from his last time at Stamford Bridge.

Paper Round's view: Mourinho has long been linked with a move for Willian, who was one of the few players to emerge with credit in Mourinho's awful last season at Chelsea. Willian is 29, but has the professionalism and consistency that Mourinho desires. If they do sign Milinkovic-Savic at the same time, then they would still be reducing the average age of the squad overall, and getting the experience of a winger who can show Marcus Rashford how to play.

Riyad Mahrez might have retracted his transfer request, but still plans to leave in the summer. His preference would be a move to Arsenal, so he could move to his house in London. His desire to move to the capital means that both Chelsea and Spurs would also be acceptable clubs should his ideal move fail to materialise.

Paper Round's view: London can be a decisive factor for most players in the league, and across the world, and after two seasons of being unsettled it is no surprise that Mahrez no longer wants a move to Manchester City, but to find a way to a city he finds comforting. Arsenal would benefit from adding Mahrez to their squad, as would both Spurs and Chelsea, given Mahrez has title-winning experience, is just 27, and is relatively affordable.

Cristiano Ronaldo has made it clear to Real Madrid that he would be happy to play alongside Neymar, especially as negotiations are underway to give him a salary raise. Neymar, for his part, has let it be known that he would be open to being in the same squad as Ronaldo, and would be ready for the challenge. There is no release clause for Neymar, so Real Madrid are working out how best to deal with Paris Saint-Germain to sign the Brazil international.

Paper Round's view: Ronaldo remains remarkably effective and is in superb shape, so he will probably be one of the very best strikers in the world for a couple of seasons yet. However, Neymar's speed, technical ability and inventiveness would take some of the pressure off him, and also offer some of the qualities Ronaldo used to offer earlier in his career. PSG might not be open to a deal, but with the Kylian Mbappe deal still to pay for, they might see sense over the sale.