Manchester United set for £130 million January swoop for Premier League pair - Paper Round

Manchester United are ready to make an ambitious January move for Leicester City duo James Maddison and Ben Chilwell, according to the Mirror. The pair have been on top form this season and have been constantly linked with the Premier League top clubs. United have reportedly sent scouts to watch the young English stars in high-profile matches against Tottenham and Liverpool in recent weeks. The duo would cost around £130 million and are expected to be replacements for attacking midfielder Jesse Lingard and left-back Luke Shaw, who have both failed to impress on a consistent basis over the past few seasons.

Paper Round's view: It's really difficult to see United spending this kind of money in the winter transfer market, but it's also very unlikely that Leicester would be willing to consider offers for their stars mid-season. The Foxes are currently sitting in fourth place in the Premier League table and are genuinely pushing for a Champions League spot next season. Losing two of their most influential players would be shocking halfway through the season, but it wouldn't be surprising to see both of the players leave for huge fees next summer.

Tottenham Hotspur are ready to sell Christian Eriksen to Real Madrid in January, according to the Mirror. The Danish international's current contract expires at the end of the season and Spurs are worried about losing their playmaker on a free transfer. Real Madrid were interested in a move for the 27-year-old during the summer, but an official bid failed to materialise as Spurs demanded around £100 million. Eriksen previously described Los Blancos as a "step up" as he flirted with a move to Madrid after last season.

Paper Round's view: Christian Eriksen to Real Madrid is a transfer rumour that has been flying about for a couple of years now. The talk has failed to die, but now that Eriksen's contract expires at the end of a season, the story will finally come to a conclusion. The Spurs midfielder looks unlikely to renew his deal in north London and Real Madrid could definitely sign him for a bargain fee. The only decision Madrid president Florentino Perez needs to make is whether Los Blancos need him in January, or are they happy to just wait until the summer and sign him as a free transfer when his current deal expires?

Everton manager Marco Silva has reportedly been given three matches to save his job, according to the Star. The Portuguese boss had crunch talks with majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri, who has decided that Silva's future lies in the balance on the results from West Ham, Brighton and a home tie against his former club Watford in the Carabao Cup. Everton currently sit in 18th place in the Premier League after eight matches, despite heavy investment in recent transfer windows.

Paper Round's view: 18th in the Premier League just isn't good enough for a club like Everton. The Merseyside club spent over £100 million in the summer transfer market, with players like Alex Iwobi, Moise Kean and Andre Gomes joining from Europe's top clubs. Everton's squad is very good on paper, but it seems to be underachieving year after year and time is definitely running out for Marco Silva. The 42-year-old showed great promise as a manager at both Hull and Watford, but he has ultimately failed to deliver success, once again, at his third Premier League club.

Spanish defender Sergio Ramos is considering the opportunity to represent his nation in the football at next summer's Olympic Games in Tokyo. The Mail have reported that the 33-year-old "dreams" of adding an Olympic gold medal to his long list of accolades and that it is likely to be the final chance to fulfil his ambition. Ramos is likely to be leading out his national team at the 2020 European Championships, which start in June, with the final at Wembley just 10 days before the football kicks off in Japan. The Olympic squads are made up of players under the age of 23 years old, but coaches are allowed to pick three footballers over the designated age limit.

Paper Round's view: League winner. Champions League winner. European Championship winner. World Cup winner. Ramos is right... the only thing missing from his incredible trophy cabinet is an Olympic gold medal. No wonder he is "desperate" to represent his nation at the Games in an attempt to get his hands on the item that could potentially complete his career. The only doubt over his involvement would be the relentless summer schedule due to the 2020 European Championships.