Football news - Brendan Rodgers 'tops shortlist to replace Unai Emery at Arsenal'

Arsenal are on the hunt for a new manager following the sacking of Unai Emery. The Spaniard’s potential replacements include Brendan Rodgers, who has taken Leicester City into second position in the league. Another option is Mikel Arteta, who almost took over from Arsene Wenger, and Napoli’s Carlo Ancelotti. There is a chance that Freddie Ljungberg could retain the job on a permanent basis too, reports the Mirror.

Paper Round’s view: Rodgers has done another exceptional job, this time at Leicester. The only reason to give him a wide berth is because of his ludicrous manner in front of the cameras and occasionally comical self-regard. If you can suffer that, then he is potentially the next great British manager with the best track record of his peers.

There is a chance that Diego Maradona could be given a chance to manage a club in Europe, according to a report in the Spanish newspaper Marca. Their story suggests that Elche, lying 10th in the Segunda division, could attempt to bring the Argentine coach to Spain. He is currently attempting to lead Gimnasia away from relegation though could be tempted to move if he is not supported in the transfer window.

Paper Round’s view: Maradona is a legend, but he also has more than enough unsavoury episodes in his life which could leave clubs with good reason to give him a swerve when it comes to management. He has also achieved relatively little as a coach, and if Elche want more than just a publicity stunt, they should be looking elsewhere to get back up the table and ultimately into the top flight.

The Sun’s Karren Brady uses her column in the newspaper to give some support to the current boss at the London Stadium, Manuel Pellegrini. The Chilean is under pressure and could be replaced by David Moyes, also wanted by Everton. But Brady writes: “There’s a lot of talk of leaders under pressure at the moment. It’s when they can really show their mettle. We all need to find our backbone and most of all we have to stick together.”

Paper Round’s view: Pellegrini’s efforts at West Ham have done little to change the opinion of anyone who was sceptical about his achievements at Real Madrid and Manchester City, but if the replacement on offer is David Moyes, then there is little reason to rush unless the form threatens relegation - and it is not far from that as they are just outside the bottom three.

A doctor with the England national setup caused concerns in many clubs who met with him, after he raised the possibility of giving players tests for asthma and thyroid problems. The clubs were worried he was seeking a reason to give players performance enhancing drugs under the guise of a medical exemption. Dr Rob Chakraverty joined England in 2016, and every club he met with raised objections, according to the Mail.

Paper Round’s view: It is no surprise that clubs are reluctant to push the guidelines when it comes to performance enhancing drugs, because the sanctions for making even an honest mistake can lead to months out for players, and a stain on their reputations. There are examples of therapeutic use exemptions in both cycling and tennis that have drawn scepticism over competitors.