Kylian Mbappe spotted in Madrid as Real remain confident, Arsenal keen on Raheem Sterling transfer – Paper Round

Kylian Mbappe was spotted in Madrid on Monday, as first reported by Cope, while Marca claim there is “total confidence and serenity at Real Madrid” regarding the Frenchman’s future. Despite reports claiming Mbappe could yet sign an extension at Paris Saint-Germain, Marca’s report says the 23-year-old has told Real Madrid's directors he has not changed his mind and that his only desire is to play for the Liga champions. Mbappe was seen in the Spanish capital along with PSG team-mate Achraf Hakimi.

Paper Round’s view: Spotted! It’s a transfer season favourite, and while Mbappe may have initially wanted to remain inconspicuous, he will have quickly realised it’s virtually impossible in the social media age to go through a capital city unnoticed, so had probably given up by the time Hakimi posted on his Instagram story. This transfer won’t be done as quickly as Erling Haaland to Manchester City, it would appear, but could feasibly be done by the end of this month.

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Arsenal are looking into the possibility of signing Raheem Sterling this summer with the Manchester City forward soon entering the final year of his contract, the Telegraph reports. City do not typically like players in their prime to run their deals down, meaning the 27-year-old’s future is likely to be decided once the current campaign is over. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta worked with Sterling during his three years at City, but the Gunners will face competition from other Premier League clubs, and some of Europe’s biggest teams, if the England international was to be made available.

Paper Round’s view: Arsenal are hoping to confirm a Champions League spot this week, at Tottenham no less, and know a return to the competition will boost their recruitment plans. Signing Sterling would be some start, but they must confirm fourth, first.

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Bruce Buck and Marina Granovskaia are set to remain in their Chelsea roles under prospective new owner Todd Boehly, the Times reports. The Boehly-led consortium still requires government and Premier League approval before taking over at Chelsea, but the group are already looking at changes to the club’s structure. Boehly will sit on the board, while chairman Buck and director Granovskaia are expected to survive the restructure. The Telegraph report Buck and Granovskaia will hold talks with Boehly ahead of the FA Cup final.

Paper Round’s view: Roman Abramovich took a back-seat role during his time as Chelsea owner, and so the prospect of Buck and Granovskaia remaining at Stamford Bridge would certainly help the club’s stability at a time of such change. This news will lead to some detractors, but it would be a wise decision from Boehly, even if it does mean the fingerprints of the Abramovich era have not been erased entirely.

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West Ham are hoping to take advantage of Eddie Nketiah's contract stand-off at Arsenal, the Mail reports. The 22-year-old striker is a free agent this summer, and though Arsenal want to keep him, West Ham are poised to pounce if talks between the Gunners and Nketiah's representatives come to nothing.

Paper Round’s view: Nketiah is right to wait until the summer to explore his options, especially with Arsenal targeting forwards in the upcoming window, and it could be quite a nice fight if he was to make the move over to the Hammers.