Arsenal target Dominik Szoboszlai for £26m January move - Paper Round

The Sun reports that Arsenal are considering a move for Dominik Szoboszlai. The 20-year-old Hungarian midfielder plays for RB Salzburg and there is a potential move on the cards to sister club RB Leipzig. The player is said to be worth around £26 million and could be a January transfer for Mikel Arteta. There is also interest from Italian side AC Milan, who have been tracking the player.

Paper Round’s view: With Dani Ceballos, Mohamed Elneny and Thomas Partey, Arteta may have found his preferred midfield three, but perhaps only Partey was a player that the manager was desperate to have brought to or kept at the club. Salzburg will be a selling club if the price is right, and if the pandemic situation is starting to improve in January then clubs may start to buy again.

The Daily Mail explains that a proposed new deal for Heung-min Son could be subject to delays. The 28-year-old South Korean forward has switched to Creative Artists Agency and that move could hold up progress on any negotiations. He has three years left on his current contract on wages of £110,000, so he can expect a significant uplift given his excellent form.

Paper Round’s view: With three years remaining he is unlikely to be able to force a move to anywhere else, and if he is happy in London then Son’s pragmatic move is to secure a pay rise where he is. The club look to be on the up under Jose Mourinho, and with things seemingly positive between the players and the boss, they could perhaps finally win the league in this odd season.

Further to a story about pay cuts at Barcelona below, there is also something more immediate on the cards according to a story in the Mirror. The Spanish club urgently need to cut costs and raise funds, and to that end they will look to sell five players. Ousmane Dembele leads the group of players up for grabs, and Samuel Umtiti, Martin Braithwaite, Carles Alena and Junior Firpo are the rest.

Paper Round’s view: With the continued problems caused by the coronavirus, and the extensive second wave across Spain, La Liga clubs could have to endure a sustained period of financial pressure. If they can cut the dead would and also get Umtiti and Dembele sold for significant fees then it could allow them to keep their heads above water while the club is restructured.

Spanish newspaper Marca reports that Barcelona are still trying to negotiate a pay cut with their players. Talks are ongoing, and the players are content to try to find an arrangement with the club, despite claims of the opposite. Barca currently spend around 70% of their turnover on their wages and are desperate to arrange a cut of 191 million euros.

Paper Round’s view: Those figures were unsustainable before coronavirus hit, and now that revenues have tanked due to the pandemic, it is crucial that the club reduces expenditure wherever it can. One thing that may have crossed their mind is that Lionel Messi’s current deal is going to have to be a high point in the amount they pay him, maybe just as he has decided to leave.