Football news - Paper Round: Manchester United battle Barcelona for £50m Cengiz Under

Manchester United are in the hunt for Roma forward Cengiz Under. The 21-year-old is attracting attention as his current club are willing to accept around £44million for him in January, despite only signing him in the most recent summer transfer window. United are not the only club interested, as Premier League rivals Arsenal, and Barcelona, are also keen on the Turkish international.

Paper Round’s view: If Anthony Martial’s contract is not resolved soon, then he will likely be leaving the club in the summer, and Alexis Sanchez is reportedly close to a winter transfer to Paris Saint-Germain. Regardless of who is manager at Old Trafford, new players will be needed, but whether they are now a more attractive proposition than Arsenal is unclear. Barcelona would likely blow both clubs out of the water, though.

Spurs fans may be disappointed they will not play in their new stadium until 2019, but the club are securing the future in other ways. Dele Alli is set to extend his current deal beyond 2022 in return for a significant pay rise, with his continuing injury problems not standing in the way of negotiations. Spurs are also keen to tie down Harry Kane, and he is expected to be next when it comes to sealing a new deal.

Paper Round’s view: A run of games for Spurs should see Alli back on track to rediscovering his best form, but until his injuries are resolved it seems his inconsistency could drag own. Nevertheless, Alli is one of the very best young English talents, and it would cost a fortune to replace him. Higher wages are a small price to pay for a player who Spurs could build a side around for years to come.

Jose Mourinho has revealed he is not confident of goalkeeper David de Gea signing a new deal at Manchester United. The 27-year-old has two seasons left on his current deal and has reached an impasse after initially appearing set for a new contract. That has left Juventus lurking, with a record of snapping up talent for nothing when the chance presents itself.

Paper Round’s view: Juventus have a track record of smart free transfer signings, including Andrea Pirlo, Dani Alves, Sami Khedira, Emre Can, and Paul Pogba for a pittance. If they have to wait a year or two for David de Gea then they could easily get by before welcoming the best goalkeeper in the world at a bargain price. United now have limited time to resolve their dreadful situation and convince De Gea to stay.

Manchester United legend Eric Cantona has hit out at Jose Mourinho’s approach to football, and also the Glazers’ approach to running the club. Cantona said the situation is made even worse because Manchester City - previously the less successful comedy club of the city - are playing such brilliant football. He also suggested Ryan Giggs, or any other ex-player who was part of the club, should be given the job in the manner of Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid.

Paper Round’s view: Cantona is not unreasonably viewed by Manchester United as the greatest living Frenchman, and his opinions here are hard to disagree with. Mourinho’s approach is hindering United, regardless of the limitations of the squad, and the Glazer family have let one of the best football teams in the world - in 2008 - atrophy into something that is nowhere near a trophy. The only quibble is that Giggs has shown little aptitude for management yet.