Julian Nagelsmann: Tottenham will target RB Leipzig boss if Jose Mourinho is sacked – Paper Round

Tottenham will make RB Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann their number one target should current head coach Jose Mourinho fail to turn around the club’s current form, the Telegraph reports. Spurs are currently ninth in the Premier League, nine points off fourth but with a game in hand, and if they continue to lose ground in the race for Champions League football then Daniel Levy could consider sacking Mourinho. The report claims Nagelsmann would not want to leave Leipzig mid-season, potentially buying Mourinho more time with a north London derby at Arsenal on the horizon on March 14.

Paper Round’s view: Some 15 months into the job and it is already looking difficult to see Mourinho in the Spurs dugout come the start of the next campaign. While they remain in the Europa League you get a sense he will believe it can all be turned around, but an exit in Europe would almost certainly push him closer to the door and Spurs towards realising this was never quite the right fit. The appointment of Nagelsmann, however, would almost certainly reignite the interest of those Spurs supporters looking to fast forward through this season.

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On the weekend The Sun reported that David de Gea or Dean Henderson could leave Manchester United in the summer, with the battle for the No 1 jersey causing an issue behind the scenes, and now the paper is reporting 21-year-old AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma is being considered as a replacement. Donnarumma’s contract expires in the summer, although Milan appear intent on keeping the Italian despite talks stalling to the point of there being under six months left on his current deal.

Paper Round’s view: So, the fact you have two quality goalkeepers is an issue means you will then get rid of one of those quality goalkeepers and bring in another quality goalkeeper to keep the competition and issues going? Something doesn’t add up, but perhaps Donnarumma would be seen as the undisputed No 1 going forward at Old Trafford – if they somehow convince him to join.

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Vinicius Junior has claimed he wants to stay at Real Madrid “forever”, one month on from reports linking him with a loan move away from the Bernabeu, the Daily Mail reports. Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain were all said to be keen on the 20-year-old, who could yet move to PSG as a makeweight in their attempts to sign Kylian Mbappe.

Paper Round’s view: A bold statement for a 20-year-old to make, especially if your club may be willing to offload you when pursuing their dream signing. Few things in the modern game last forever, one-club players are dwindling in their numbers, and so it’s hard to picture 2036’s Paper Round featuring a 35-year-old Vinicius insisting Real is still the only club for him.

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Tottenham could look to sell defender Matt Doherty this summer just one year after buying the Republic of Ireland international for £15m from Wolves, the Daily Mail reports. Doherty has played a full Premier League game just once since being sent off against Leeds in January, and Mourinho could offload the currently out-of-favour 29-year-old.

Paper Round’s view: See above, maybe it won’t me Mourinho who gets to have his say this summer, though that said, it’s likely Levy who will swing the axe and give some players the chop.