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Man Utd to renew Harry Kane interest, Barcelona make Mo Salah their Plan B transfer option - Paper Round

Michael Hincks

Updated 15/03/2022 at 08:31 GMT

Tuesday’s Paper Round leads on Manchester United wanting Harry Kane. Elsewhere, Mohamed Salah is being targeted by Barcelona with his Liverpool contract extension talks still at an impasse, while Zinedine Zidane wants Karim Benzema to join him at PSG if he replaces Mauricio Pochettino as head coach. There’s also talk of Manchester United potentially demolishing Old Trafford.

Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 2-3 during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur at Etihad Stadium on February 19, 2022.

Image credit: Getty Images

Kane and Poch at United?

Manchester United will look to reignite their interest in Tottenham striker Harry Kane this summer, the Mirror reports. United could seek a potential link-up with Kane and his former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino, if the PSG boss swaps the Parc des Princes for Old Trafford. The Red Devils are watching how the race to sign Erling Haaland pans out, with Manchester City eager on the Borussia Dortmund forward after failing to land Kane last summer.
Paper Round’s view: It feels like years we’ve spoken about the length of Kane’s contract and how it will prove to be a stumbling block. This summer, there are still two years to go, meaning it will once more be a case of Spurs chairman Daniel Levy making it almost impossible for the 29-year-old to leave. United missing out on the Champions League would do little to persuade Kane, but City may go back in if they fail to sign Haaland. Who knows? No one, yet.
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Salah is Barca’s Plan B

Barcelona have been buoyed by their initial contact with Mohamed Salah’s entourage as they seek a Plan B if the club are unable to sign Haaland this summer, AS in Spain reports. Haaland will be the most sought-after forward at the end of the season due to his £64m buyout clause at Dortmund, but with Manchester City and Real Madrid also interested, Barca are keen to make Salah their back-up option, with head coach Xavi a fan of the Liverpool star’s versatility. Salah will enter the final year of his contract soon, and with extension talks stalling, Barca hope an offer in the region of €60-70m could persuade Liverpool to sell if it is clear he will leave the following summer for free.
Paper Round’s view: It would seem likely Liverpool will give in to offering Salah more, particularly with talks currently at an impasse, but whether they meet his exact demands remains the big unknown. If the Egyptian does not extend his Liverpool stay, Barca would not be alone in looking to sign Salah – no doubt PSG and Real would be among his other suitors.
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Zidane keen on Real duo if he goes to PSG

Zinedine Zidane wants both Casemiro and Karim Benzema to join him at Paris Saint-Germain if he replaces Pochettino this summer, El Nacional reports. Pochettino’s PSG future is uncertain after their Champions League exit, and former Madrid boss Zidane has been sounded out as a potential replacement. The prospect of Casemiro moving to Paris is far stronger than the chances of Benzema going, with Real president Florentino Perez unwilling to sell the 34-year-old striker.
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Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)

Image credit: Getty Images

Paper Round’s view: He won’t have needed reminding, but Perez saw exactly what Benzema is still capable of on Monday night and also last week, and he will unlikely want to help PSG even if they do poach Kylian Mbappe from the Ligue 1 leaders. How Mbappe and Benzema work together would be intriguing to find out, but there’s no telling where this forward merry-go-round will stop if Mbappe and Haaland get the ball rolling.
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United could demolish Old Trafford

That is quite the headline, but according to the Telegraph and Daily Mail it is one of three options for Manchester United as they club eye an Old Trafford refurb. Knocking down the stadium and starting from scratch is one idea on the table, but the other two less drastic options are, A: rebuilding and extending the South Stand, and B: leaving the stadium “structurally intact but conduct a comprehensive revamp of spectator and corporate areas on all four sides” – the Mail says.
Paper Round’s view: Unlikely to see a complete demolishing, but it remains an attention-grabbing option, nonetheless. It would appear the Glazer family favour the South Stand option, which seems much more reasonable – and affordable, relatively speaking.
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