Football news, transfer rumours, gossip - Phil Foden set for senior England call-up - Paper Round

Phil Foden is in line to receive his first England call-up to the senior side for the Three Lions' friendly matches taking place at Wembley later this month. The 19-year-old has only made 10 starts for Manchester City in all competitions so far this season, but the youngster shone in Sunday's Carabao Cup final win against Aston Villa in the capital. Foden provided an assist for Sergio Aguero's opening goal and was awarded man of the match as England boss Gareth Southgate's assistant Steve Holland watched on from the stands. England are set to face Italy and Denmark in the March international break, where Foden will be hoping he has the chance to impress Southgate ahead of this summer's European Championships.

Paper Round's view: Foden is a massive talent - there's no denying that. Pundits and journalists were quick to laud his man-of-the-match performance as City won their third consecutive Carabao Cup trophy on Sunday and some immediately called for Southgate to include him in his next squad. We have to remember that he's only 19 years old and he's still inexperienced in terms of minutes played. The teenager's game time has been limited due to those ahead of him at City, but manager Pep Guardiola is always quick to praise his ability. It will be interesting to see if Southgate includes him in his final squad for the Euros. England are in desperate need of midfield players who are comfortable on the ball and Foden is being taught by some of the best in the world at City... but could it be too much too soon for the youngster?

Manchester United have taken the lead in the chase for Jadon Sancho's signature, with the Red Devils ready to make the Borussia Dortmund winger the most expensive signing in Premier League history. According to the Telegraph, the 19-year-old's asking price is north of £100 million and the currently record transfer is Paul Pogba's £89 million move to Manchester back in 2016. The report also states that United are confident in agreeing personal terms, with the club happy to offer Sancho a contract worth more than £200,000 a week. The youngster, who is lighting up the Bundesliga, has also attracted the attention of Premier League rivals Liverpool and Chelsea, but the Merseyside outfit are said to prefer RB Leipzig's Timo Werner, who would be a cheaper alternative to Sancho.

Paper Round's view: Sancho's potential transfer is going to be one of the ongoing stories this summer. Dortmund are likely to resist completing any deal until after the European Championships as they will know that his value could rocket if he has a good tournament. Marcus Rashford is injured at the moment, so Sancho is currently favourite to nail down a starting role for the Three Lions and if England progress to the latter stages, Dortmund could demand a lot more than the rumoured £100 million they are looking at right now. United are desperate for a player with Sancho's directness and creativity. It wouldn't be surprising to see Ed Woodward do everything in his power to try and get that deal done as soon as possible.

Staying at Old Trafford, the Mail report that David de Gea's future at the club could be in doubt after a dip in his form over the past 18 months. The United stopper has started to come under scrutiny after making some high-profile errors and the Red Devils are looking at the possibility of replacing De Gea with Dean Henderson upon his return from loan at Sheffield United at the end of the season. United officials are due to talk with Henderson's representatives before the end of the month and they could be ready to give him reassurances around his playing time, with De Gea's nine-year reign as number one at the club potentially coming to an end. The Mail state that if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sticks with the Spaniard, Henderson could be looking at a third consecutive season on loan at Sheffield United next term.

Paper Round's view: David de Gea is obviously a world-class goalkeeper. He's just struggling for form at the moment. United are in a position where they will be forced to make a decision when Henderson return from loan, as the 22-year-old won't want to sit on the bench as De Gea's deputy for a season. The fact that a decision has to be made means stories like this will come out, but De Gea has been there for United throughout their most difficult times, so the club needs to stand by him during his own. The only issue is that United could face losing a class keeper in Henderson if they don't give him minutes. A potential way around the problem could be selling Henderson to Sheffield United, but including a buy-back clause which would allow Solskjaer's side to re-sign him if De Gea were to move away from Old Trafford.

Leicester City are already on the search for a new left-back amid rumours of Ben Chilwell's departure this summer. According to the Times, the Foxes have identified Burnley defender Charlie Taylor as a potential replacement for the 23-year-old who has gathered interest from the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham. The Times state that Leicester's recruitment team have sent scouts to watch Taylor on multiple occasions this season, as Brendan Rodgers looks to keep the strength in his squad ahead of the club's likely qualification for next season's Champions League. The 2016 Premier League champions are also interested in Liverpool's Adam Lallana who will available as a free agent this summer.

Paper Round's view: It's always good to plan ahead. Leicester's transfer policy over the past few years has been one of the best in the Premier League. The Foxes know Chilwell is likely to leave the King Power stadium this summer, but they won't let him go for cheap. They're in a similar situation to last year when they sold Harry Maguire to Manchester United for the price they demanded. Leicester wanted £85 million and they held out until they received that fee. If some of the league's richest clubs come in for Chilwell, they will be able to do the exact same thing again this summer. Taylor has been a bright spark for Burnley this season and it would be a shrewd signing by Leicester ahead of their next European adventure.