Football news - Lionel Messi set for Barcelona stay ahead of transfer to MLS - Paper Round

ByAlexander Netherton

Updated 01/05/2021 at 07:28 GMT

Lionel Messi's potential new Barcelona contract could let him move onto a Major League Soccer club in a few years, while Edinson Cavani is likely to give Manchester United one more season. Lucas Vazquez is now likely to stay at Real Madrid instead of moving on, and Ozan Kabak's loan move should soon become permanent.

Barca close to Messi deal

Lionel Messi is close to agreeing a deal to stay on with Barcelona, reports the Daily Mail. He would be expected to stay on as a first-team player for the next two or three seasons before being allowed to join a MLS team while fulfilling ambassadorial duties for the Spanish club, before returning as a team member behind the scenes.

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Paper Round’s view: Keeping Messi on for the next couple of seasons would be a huge advantage for Barcelona, given he still remains the best player in the world or close to it. If he is then able to go to MLS to earn even more cash, then that would not stop him returning on loan for appearances in La Liga before coming back to lead the club as part of the backroom staff.

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United close to Cavani signing

Manchester United are apparently close to finalising a deal to keep Edinson Cavani at the club for another season. The 34-year-old Uruguayan striker has been reportedly keen on joining Boca Juniors next season but now appears likely to stay on after enjoying a brilliant performance against Roma in the Europa League on Thursday.

Paper Round’s view: Cavani has grown into his role at United after a relatively late and slow start to his career at Old Trafford. It took him some time to get up to speed but he has been an important part of United’s success in the second half of the season. Him staying allows United to spend elsewhere in the summer transfer window.

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Real make new Vazquez offer

Real Madrid have offered a new deal to their versatility player Lucas Vazquez. Spanish newspaper Marca reports that the 29-year-old had been close to joining Bayern Munich but they have since offered a new deal to the player and he is now closer to staying at the club than he had been before a season-ending injury.

Paper Round’s view: With the impact of the coronavirus it makes sense to keep Vazquez at the club given the club’s finances are heavily curtailed. Vazquez can occupy most roles in the first team and that will be important over the course of next season, with plenty of chances to come over the next few years.

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Van den Berg hints at Kabak stay

The Mirror reports that Liverpool defender Sepp van den Berg might stay at Preston North End for at least another season. The 19-year-old Dutch defender has said that he hopes to stay with PNE for another season, which means that Liverpool are likely to keep Ozan Kabak by converting his loan deal to a permanent one, with their game against Manchester United on the horizon.

Paper Round’s view: Kabak has put in a few decent performances since his arrival at Schalke after taking his time to settle in with the Premier League side, and given his potential one would expect he would continue to improve next season. If Van den Berg goes on loan for another season that would allow him to improve for the longer term.

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