Real Madrid and Juventus battle to sign N'Golo Kante - Paper Round

Real Madrid are set to rival fellow European giants Juventus for the signing of N'Golo Kante from Chelsea, according to the Mail. The Blues midfielder is reportedly wanted by the Spanish club who have signed Belgian pair Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois from the Premier League side in recent years. The Mail state that Kante would cost around £70 million and is seen by Los Blancos' manager Zinedine Zidane as an "upgrade" to Madrid's current defensive midfielder Casemiro.

Paper Round's view: Kante is one of the best players in the world in his position, so it makes sense that two of Europe's elite clubs are set to battle out for him. £70 million isn't an outrageous price tag for a player of his quality and it would certainly help Real Madrid's defence, which has looked fairly weak over the past year. Los Blancos are currently in a transitional period and club president Florentino Perez heavily invested in his side during the summer transfer window. It still seems like more work needs to be done and Kante would definitely improve the squad.

Chelsea and Manchester City are set to fight over the signing of England and Leicester City left-back Ben Chilwell, according to the Sun. The 22-year-old would reportedly cost £50 million. Manchester City are hoping to win the battle as they look for a consistent fixture in the left-back position as they currently switch between natural midfielder Oleksandr Zinchenko and Frenchman Benjamin Mendy who has struggled to stay fit since moving to the Etihad Stadium in 2017. Frank Lampard will be looking to continue promoting young English talent at Chelsea as he makes a move for Chilwell.

Paper Round's view: Leicester are doing well this season under Brendan Rodgers, but Chilwell definitely has the ability to move to any of the Premier League's top clubs. The England international is strong both going forward and defensively, which is rare for full-backs in the modern game that sees so much emphasis placed on attacking wing-backs. £50 million is a huge fee, but in the current market it is expected, especially considering Aaron Wan-Bissaka joined Manchester United for a similar fee during the summer. Chilwell is only 22 years old so signing him would be seen as a long-term investment by whichever club wins the battle for the full-back.

The Gunners have been told by PSV Eindhoven that they will need to pay £50 million to re-sign 20-year-old Dutch forward Donyell Malen, who they sold for just £200,000 in 2017. The Mirror have reported that Arsenal face competition from AC Milan for the signing for Malen who has scored eight goals in eight matches so far this season for the Eredivisie side. Malen made his international debut for the Netherlands this season and has become one of the most wanted young forwards in Europe.

Paper Round's view: £50 million for a player who left for a fraction of the price just two years ago would be horrendous business from the north London club. Arsenal are pretty well-stocked with striking options at the moment with world-class forwards Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette scoring a combined 50 goals last season. The Gunners also have 18-year-old Brazilian forward Gabriel Martinelli who has scored four goals in three appearances so far this term, so would be unlikely to see them splash £50 million on another young forward - especially when there are other more pressing issues in their squad that desperately need to be addressed.

Speaking of problems in Arsenal's squad... Unai Emery is reportedly keen to bring Wolves centre-back Willy Boly to the Emirates Stadium, according to the Mail. The Gunners have conceded 11 goals in just eight league games so far this season, and they have consistently suffered from defensive problems over the past few years. Emery brought in David Luiz from Chelsea on deadline day, but the Brazilian has failed to impress. Now the Spanish manager is "desperate to improve his defensive options", with Boly identified as a potential signing.

Paper Round's view: It's likely that any half-decent centre-back would improve Arsenal's defence. Willy Boly is definitely better than "half-decent" and has been one of Wolves' most consistent players since winning promotion to the Premier League in 2018. The 28-year-old Frenchman knows the league well and is comfortable on the ball, which makes his a desirable signing for Arsenal. Boly would probably cost a hefty fee in the current market, but the Gunners really need to find a trusted centre-back to fix their defensive woes.