Football news - Martin Odegaard 'set for Wolves switch'

Wolverhampton Wanderers are planning a move in the transfer market this January, according to the Mirror. The player in their sights is 20-year-old Norwegian playmaker Martin Odegaard, who has impressed in his loan spell from Real Madrid to Real Sociedad this season. Wolves believe an offer of £20 million could be enough to prise him away from Spain and bring him to the Premier League.

Paper Round’s view: Odegaard looks like an excellent player full of potential, but perhaps the bar is set just too high given the quality required at Real Madrid. A move to England for a Norwegian should not be too much of a culture shock, and he would probably be able to get more regular game time than he could if he returned to Real at the end of the season.

The Sun reports that Manchester United will attempt to sell Dean Henderson for £20 million, despite the goalkeeper’s high-profile mistake against Liverpool for Sheffield United on Saturday. Having secured David de Gea’s future with a new contract, they can afford to sell Henderson who had been considered a potential replacement.

Paper Round’s view: At 22, Henderson may consider that he could leave on loan for a couple more seasons before returning to Manchester United, but given United’s current standard he is hardly risking leaving a trophy-winning behemoth. Henderson looks in line for an England cap, and may understandably be more focused on his immediate career.

Paul Pogba could be another player on the way out of United, according to Italian newspaper Tuttosport. He wants to join Real Madrid or Juventus in the summer, but United are holding firm on their £180 million valuation. As a compromise, if he has to stay at the club then he wants a new contract that pays £600,000 a week.

Paper Round’s view: Given the problems Alexis Sanchez caused when he arrived on half a million quid a week, it would presumably far worse to give someone even more money for being even more frustratingly ineffective. Ed Woodward obviously wants to keep his most marketable star but the club would be better served by having players who are willing to try on the pitch instead.

The Mail on Sunday runs a story that reports that Jose Mourinho could be back in management soon, fresh from his advert for Paddy Power. The paper claims that Mourinho is ready for a return to his metier after the best part of a year away from management. If Zinedine Zidane succumbs to the pressure he is under at Real, then Mourinho is ready to step in.

Paper Round’s view: Failing upwards is not unusual or football or other industries, but it must be the first time it could happen to Mourinho. He has plenty to prove following his struggle at United, for all the excuses he could point to. The huge financial resources at Real Madrid should make that an easier ride, though.