Manchester United make contact over new Paul Pogba contract - Paper Round

Manchester United have contacted super agent Mino Raiola over a possible contract extension for his client and midfielder superstar Paul Pogba, according to the Sun. The World Cup winner attracted interest from European giants such as Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus over the summer and United's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward is keen to keep Pogba happy at Old Trafford by handing him a new deal. It is reported that the Red Devils will use the money saved from Alexis Sanchez's salary after the Chilean joined Inter Milan on a season-long loan.

Paper Round's view: Paul Pogba hasn't been subtle when discussing his future in past interviews and a move to Madrid was looking likely at points during the summer. However, a new deal could be key to keeping him in England. The 26-year-old probably feels undervalued at United, especially due to the fact that he is always being slated in the media whenever Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side fail to win, so a contract extension would be a perfect way for the Manchester club to show their appreciation for Pogba.

Ex-Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is set to return to football as a technical director for FIFA, according to the Mirror. The Frenchman has been unemployed since leaving Arsenal in 2018 after 22 years at the club. The Mirror report that Wenger has told his close friends that he has decided against returning to club management, but could be confirmed in the role at FIFA "as early as this month". The 69-year-old has recently revealed to BeIN Sports that he holds a desire to manage at nation at the 2022 World Cup.

Paper Round's view: It was always going to be difficult for Arsene Wenger to walk back into club management following his 22-year stint in North London. The latter years had their sour moments, but Wenger left with his head held high. Despite this, it always seemed unlikely that he would take a job at another Premier League club and any other realistic European job would more than likely have been a step down. A senior job at FIFA could be perfect for 'Le Professeur' and he has been linked with the position multiple times since his departure from Arsenal.

Lionel Messi has a secret transfer clause in his contract and it has been revealed by the Sun. The Argentine international is reported to have a clause that allows him to leave for free at the end of any season - but it is only active for clubs outside of Europe. The Barcelona superstar last extended his contract in 2017 and is said to have added that clause in case he wishes to leave. Messi has previously expressed interest in ending his playing career at his childhood club, Newell's Old Boys.

Paper Round's view: It's a strange clause to have included in a contract, but it can be imagined that Barcelona are confident that Messi is unlikely to drop down to the lower level any time soon. It wouldn't be surprising to see Messi end his career in Argentina, but he doesn't seem like slowing down at the moment. His current deal expires in 2021 and it's hard to see the 32-year-old only staying in Spain for two more seasons, so the transfer clause is fairly irrelevant.

Manchester City right-back Kyle Walker is reported to be panicking over his Three Lions future after being excluded from the current squad. According to the Star, the defender is "sceptical" that Gareth Southgate left him out for rotational reasons, despite the England boss reassuring Walker that he was still part of his future plans. The 29-year-old was snubbed from the latest squad in favour of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Kieran Trippier.

Paper Round's view: Walker started at right-back for England at the UEFA Nations League where the Three Lions finished in third place, but the emergence of Liverpool's Alexander-Arnold and Manchester United's Wan-Bissaka has complicated matters for Southgate. The pair are 20 and 21 years old respectively and Walker will be 30 by the start of next summer's European Championships. The Manchester City man is still reliable, but it's completely understandable that Southgate is looking to the future.