Paris Saint-Germain make move to sign Lionel Messi on free transfer - Paper Round

The Mirror reports that Barcelona could be on the verge of losing star player Lionel Messi. The 33-year-old forward tried to leave the club in the summer but ended up staying, however he is free to sign a new deal with another team in January. PSG have now made contact with Messi’s father, and are one of the few clubs in the world who could afford his wage demands.

Paper Round’s view: Creating a forward line of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar might be enough for PSG to finally win the Champions League, after years of investment to bring glamour to the side. Messi was expected to sign for Manchester City if he ever chose to leave Spain, but PSG are probably just as wealthy.

Brazilian striker Neymar is set to sign a new deal with Paris Saint-Germain, according to the Sun. The 28-year-old forward is into the last two years of his contract in Paris and so the club are in talks with him to extend his stay. One prerequisite of negotiations is assurances that Kylian Mbappe will remain in the capital, which may botch Real Madrid and Liverpool’s interest in the French forward.

Paper Round’s view: Neymar has been linked with a return to Barcelona for years because he seemed so unhappy in France. However he appears to have adjusted to his life and a proper run at the Champions League may have cheered him up. Mbappe is absolutely crucial to the club too, and he will be able to command a huge new salary from whichever club gets his signature next.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen has signed a new deal to stay at Barcelona, and he has made it clear that he is not interested in leaving the Spanish club any time soon. The 28-year-old goalkeeper has extended his contract to 2025, and newspaper Marca reported him as saying: "I want to play at the Camp Nou for many years and continue to win trophies.”

Paper Round’s view: Barcelona are desperately trying to keep their best players despite their financial problems, so successful negotiations help them both by keeping their wage structure sustainable - they will hope - and also ensuring that they don’t lose players for nothing, as they would then have to spend in order to find a replacement.

The Daily Mail has reported on the successful start to the season for Lille’s attacking midfielder Yusuf Yazici. The 23-year-old Turkish international has attracted comparisons with Mesut Ozil in the past, and with the German out of luck at Arsenal, there have been suggestions that Yazici could be in line to switch to the Premier League. Liverpool are also said to be interested.

Paper Round’s view: Yazici has seven goals in eight games this season, but six of those have come in two European games, so it is not necessarily indicative of his true form given the games against Sparta Prague. He does though appear to be a talented goalscoring central midfielder, something that Arsenal would be able to accommodate. If he continues at this rate he will doubtless earn himself a move