Next Newcastle manager: Frank Lampard and Lucien Favre in frame to replace Steve Bruce – Paper Round

Former Borussia Dortmund head coach Lucien Favre and ex-Chelsea boss Frank Lampard are among the names being considered by Newcastle United, the Telegraph reports. With Steve Bruce expected to be sacked in the next 48 hours, Newcastle are looking to bring in a new manager before their match against Tottenham on Sunday. Both Favre and Lampard are out of work, with the former almost joining Crystal Palace in the summer, and either would be ready to replace Bruce without the need for any negotiations with other clubs.

Paper Round’s view: The duo would be speedy replacements, but with money behind them Newcastle can target almost anyone without having to worry about the cost of compensation. It will make for the most fascinating Premier League appointment in years, arguably, as it is a scenario which doesn’t come around too often. At Manchester City Mark Hughes lasted around 18 months before Roberto Mancini took them to another level, so there could be some trepidation about being the first in – but nothing the salary won’t soothe.

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Liverpool are considering a move for forward Ousmane Dembele which could then help Barcelona pursue Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling, the Mirror reports. Dembele’s contract expires at the Nou Camp next summer, and while talks over a three-year deal on a reduced salary have stalled, a move to Anfield could be in the offing. That could free up Barcelona’s wage bill, and assist them in their bid to sign Sterling, who is not starting regularly at City and was linked with the Spanish club last week.

Paper Round’s view: Liverpool doing Barca a favour is the easy headline here and it would also be a deal which benefits City too, especially if they can cash-in on Sterling, whose contract expires in summer 2023. With Bernardo Silva staying and impressing at City, something has to give following Jack Grealish’s arrival. Many felt it would be Sterling until his Euro 2020 heroics, and once more that appears to the case a couple of months into the new season.

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Real Madrid could look to sell forward Eden Hazard in order to fund a deal to sign Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland next summer, Sport reports – via the Mirror. Haaland will be wanted by clubs across Europe given his release clause is £68m in 2022, and with a view to also signing Kylian Mbappe – albeit on a free if he runs down his PSG contract – Real are keen to make this formidable partnership a reality. Selling Hazard would help them raise funds to sign Haaland, and then they will hope to persuade him with an enticing contract offer.

Paper Round’s view: It could take some topping with regards to contract offers from PSG and Manchester City, were they to approach Haaland, but Real will surely be in the mix when Mino Raiola is chasing a hefty pay day for himself and his client. Like Newcastle and their soon-to-be managerial search, transfers like this don’t come around too often either, so expect the months before the summer transfer window to get clogged with Haaland speculation.

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Another one from the Mirror, who are reporting that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could leave Liverpool with a view to earning more regular game-time elsewhere and work his way back into the England reckoning. The 28-year-old is reluctant to leave, but may feel forced to if he remains out of Jurgen Klopp’s starting XI, and that could alert Arsenal to make a move for the player who left them four years ago.

Paper Round’s view: This screams of Newcastle, doesn’t it? It would have to be a step down in order to play more regularly, and the prospect of joining Project Newcastle United may be too difficult to pass up. That said, an Arsenal return doesn’t seem out of the equation either, but his chances of breaking into the Liverpool XI and starting more often than not? Slim.