Paper Round: Manchester United favourites to sign £40m Fred

Manchester City met Fred's representatives in the winter transfer window, and were unable to come to an agreement with the player. Sources say that a summer transfer is now unlikely, despite Pep Guardiola having wanted to replace Fernandinho with the 25-year-old Brazilian international in midfield. United have scouted Fred as they are looking to replace both Marouane Fellaini and Michael Carrick, and are now favourites to sign him, according to The Times.

Paper Round's view: Manchester City have enough money to consider all options in the transfer market, so if they no longer want Fred it is unlikely to be because of money, and probably because they think they have found a better option elsewhere. For United, it might be enjoyable to seem to win another transfer battle, but the most important thing is that they replace and upgrade Fellaini and Carrick after what looks set to be a disappointing season.

Liverpool are pushing hard for RB Leipzig's striker Timo Werner, report The Independent. The 22-year-old German international has impressed in the last two seasons in the Bundesliga, and Jurgen Klopp wants to add him to the squad to improve his attacking options. Werner has spoken in the past about his admiration for Manchester United, but Liverpool are the club who are making most of the running as they attempt to add him to Naby Keita, who is on his way to Liverpool in the summer.

Paper Round's view: Most fans won't care if Werner has praised United if they end up getting him in the transfer window, especially when he starts scoring goals. On the pitch, he will give Klopp some impressive depth to his forward line, and aid them in their fight for both the Premier League and Champions League. It is not quite clear how Liverpool can afford to spend as heavily as they have been in the last two years, but fans won't mind the ambition.

Everton want to sign Jack Wilshere on a free transfer in the summer, according to The Mirror. Arsenal have failed to agree a deal with the 26-year-old England international so far, asking him to take a £20,000 a week cut from his current £110,000 deal. Everton will be able to offer a signing-on fee which could represent an increase in salary over the course of his contract. Juventus are also interested in bringing Wilshere to Italy.

Paper Round's view: Juventus always have their scouts looking for a bargain. If they think they can improve Wilshere's fitness, he would represent a good deal in midfield, and if they also get Emre Can for nothing then they would be hedging their bets. Everton need to be careful, though. They are on the verge of becoming a home for discarded players from bigger clubs. Starting with Wayne Rooney and then Theo Walcott, Wilshere could be next to arrive.

West Ham chairman David Sullivan is keen to keep David Moyes at West Ham United, report The Independent. Despite protests at the last home game, West Ham's owners are not looking to move on, and instead will recruit a Director of Football in order to give him them more success in the transfer window. There has been criticism from fans over the poor performance in the transfer market by their fans, and this might help relations.

Paper Round's view: West Ham are too much of a cash cow and too much of a valuable asset for David Sullivan and David Gold to simply sell up. Getting a Director of Football, if properly qualified, is a sensible move after a couple of years of poor performance in the market. It would also allow Moyes to focus on training his players, where he has seen inconsistent success since his arrival. This, of course, assumes they stay up this year.