Football news - Paper Round: Juventus compete with Bayern Munich for Aaron Ramsey

Bayern Munich will give Juventus competition as they attempt to sign Aaron Ramsey for nothing. The 28 year old is available for a free transfer at the end of the season, and can sign a pre-contract agreement. Ramsey can command wages of £200,000 a week and a signing on fee, but he has not yet committed to signing a new deal.

Paper Round’s view: Bayern and Juventus are both risking a lot of money on a player who has rarely been consistent, and shows no sign of making a great stride forward in terms of talent. A free transfer is one thing, but the wages he is asking for could hamstring them in the face of financial fair play regulations. There must be better alternatives at a similar price.

As Ramsey looks set to leave the Emirates, Arsenal could bring another midfielder to the club in January. Reece Oxford, who can play both in defence and midfield, has struggled for game time under Manuel Pellegrini, and the 20 year old is thought to be on the market should any serious offers come in. Everton are also interested, and may hold an advantage because of their reputation for developing young talent.

Paper Round’s view: With Rob Holding and Shkodran Mustafi injured, Arsenal need defensive reinforcements for the rest of the season. Oxford has plenty of first team experience considering his age, but it would be a risk to bring him into central defence with half a season to play and little time to settle.

Real Madrid are considering a move for Lyon captain and forward Nabil Fekir. The 25 year old is being considered as a long term replacement for Luka Modric, and with a contract that expires in 2020, Lyon could sanction a sale as early as January to raise funds rather than lose him for nothing. Real are also interested in Exequiel Palacios, and Rodrygo is due to join from Santos.

Paper Round’s view: Fekir is an excellent playmaker who offers goals, too. He would not be a direct replacement for Modric but he has the talent to be converted to a deeper role in midfield. By signing Palacios and Rodrygo for the future, Real might be changing from a transfer policy driven by superstars to one that offers greater stability to the club.

Arsenal may find it difficult to prise away Lille’s goal-scoring winger Nicolas Pepe after the French club set an asking price of £72 million for the player. Pepe has 12 goals and five assists already for the season, and Lille are open to selling the 23 year old in the winter transfer window. However a fee of £40 million was expected, not almost twice that.

Paper Round’s view: Taking a young player from Ligue 1 and expecting him to adjust to life in the Premier League is something of a risk. However, Pepe is in superb form and if Arsenal’s scouts think that this is not a short-term fizz, and he can sustain these performances, then paying up would be a wise move.