Heavy Liverpool defeat could end Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Man Utd reign – Paper Round

A heavy defeat to Premier League leaders Liverpool could spell the end of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s time as Manchester United manager, the Mirror reports. United sit 12th in the Premier League after losing 1-0 at Newcastle on Sunday, and Solskjaer is said to be losing the confidence of both the players and hierarchy at the club. United host Liverpool on October 20 – after the international break – and an embarrassing loss could see the Norwegian leave his post.

Paper Round’s view: This can’t last much longer, surely. Can anyone really see Solskjaer sitting in the United dugout come May 2020? It just so happened that Jose Mourinho’s last game in charge of United was against Liverpool last December. Oh how the Liverpool fans would love to send another United manager packing once more – although perhaps they’re quite enjoying United under Solskjaer…

Barcelona still have £84m to pay for Philippe Coutinho, the Mirror reports. The Brazilian swapped Liverpool for the Nou Camp back in January 2018, and though the midfielder has since joined Bayern Munich on loan, Barca still owe £84m. The report claims £24m is due short term, with a further £60m to be paid in the future, although the majority of that amount will go to third-party lenders, not Liverpool.

Paper Round’s view: The anatomy of a modern transfer. Rarely is a fee paid wholly and this summer saw the rise of loan deals with a view to buy in the future. It all revolves around balancing the books and adhering to Financial Fair Play, but will it eventually get too messy? Only time will tell.

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Everton are considering a move for Manchester United target Moussa Dembele, the Daily Star reports. Both Everton and United are struggling for goals so far this Premier League season, and Lyon striker Dembele is said to be the solution at £40m. The former Celtic forward has scored six goals in eight Ligue 1 games so far this season – the same amount as Everton and three shy of United’s tally so far in the league.

Paper Round’s view: Throw more money in and all your problems will disappear, won’t they? Both Everton and United are on torrid runs and while reinforcement up front would help address the issue, it would be far from the perfect fix.

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Michy Batshuayi could return to Crystal Palace in January, the Daily Mail reports. The Chelsea striker scored six goals in 13 games when he was at Palace on a six-month loan last season. He opened his account for the current campaign in Chelsea’s win at Southampton, but could leave having played second fiddle to Tammy Abraham.

Paper Round’s view: What (and where) exactly is Batshuayi’s level remains up for debate. He struggled at Valencia but had more fortune at both Borussia Dortmund and Palace, and it’s likely he’ll need to move again in search of first-team football. Especially with Abraham in such a rich vein of form.