Football news - Paper Round: Manchester United plan to replace David de Gea with Jordan Pickford

Manchester United are preparing for the exit of David de Gea. The 27 year is considering leaving Old Trafford as his contract talks have stalled since the start of the season. De Gea is wanted by Juventus, who could wait until his contract runs out and sign him on a free, but United might be happier to cash in. In turn they would spend £60m on 24-year-old Jordan Pickford, who is impressing with both Everton and England.

Paper Round's view: Pickford has impressed over the course of the year as he took over as the number one choice for Gareth Southgate. He has shown at the World Cup that despite his relatively small size, he is capable of the extraordinary, and is unflappable under pressure. However, there is no doubt that he still remains a drop-off in quality compared to De Gea, and other improvements of the side would be needed to compensate.

Manchester City look likely to have beaten the competition to the signing of Ajax midfielder Frenkie de Jong. The 21-year-old is wanted both by Tottenham Hotspur and Barcelona, but The Sunday Mirror thinks that Pep Guardiola is close to sealing a £61m transfer for the Ajax midfielder. City need a replacement for Brazilian Fernandinho, who will be 34 at the end of the season.

Paper Round's view: De Jong is one of the most promising young players in Europe, and should he establish himself quickly in the Premier League then perhaps he could hold down a place for the next decade at the Etihad. He should be concerned about whether he will be able to immediately step up from the Dutch league to the rigours of the English top flight, as there have been plenty of players of late who have struggled.

Liverpool are considering a single transfer in the January transfer window. Jurgen Klopp has been monitoring Hoffenheim midfielder Kerem Demirbay. Demirbay was a Turkish under-21 international, but has switched his allegiance to Germany, where he was born. Klopp is aware of his talent, having had him at Borussia Dortmund in his time at the club.

Paper Round's view: Klopp has shown, as have the club's scouts, a rapidly improving eye for talent across Europe, and despite spending less than Manchester City remain in touching distance. By bringing in Demirbay in January, he could use the attacking midfielder to spread the strain over his squad, and allow the club to continue the fight both in the Champions League and the Premier League.

Paris Saint-Germain have become the latest club to show an interest in Manchester United's out-of-favour Eric Bailly. The central defender is wanted by Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur after Jose Mourinho rebuffed their interest in the summer, but has continued to leave him on the sidelines. Mourinho continues to see Bailly as a long term option, and with Macos Rojo and Phll Jones struggling for fitness, he is still keen to keep him.

Paper Round's view: Bailly has benefitted from being out of the side of late, as Chris Smalling's regularly dreadful performances make the return of Bailly seem like a potential fix for the side. However, Bailly has struggled for consistency without a senior partner, and without being fit enough for a consistent run of games. PSG have Thiago Silva who could help the 24 year old come on, and Ligue 1 is an easier ride for most players in general.