Gabriel Jesus: Manchester City star wants £25m move to Barcelona ahead of Erling Haaland arrival - Paper Round
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Updated 22/04/2022 at 07:30 GMT
Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus could join Barcelona as he awaits Erling Haaland's arrival at the Etihad, while Manchester United are reluctant to give Erik ten Hag the assistants he wants. Elsewhere, Harry Kane could remain at Tottenham next season, and Mohamed Elneny could be given a new Arsenal contract after the win over Chelsea.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 10: Gabriel Jesus of Manchester City celebrates after scoring their side's second goal during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Liverpool at Etihad Stadium on April 10, 2022 in Manchester, England. (Photo by
Image credit: Getty Images
Jesus wants move to Barcelona
The Sun report that Barcelona could sign Gabriel Jesus this summer. The Manchester City forward will be out of contract at the end of next season and so could be available for £25 million this season. The 25-year-old is aware that Erling Haaland is set to join City in the summer, suggesting his playing time will be more limited, and Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez wants to refresh his squad with younger players.
Paper Round’s view: Jesus looked like a brilliant option for City when he first arrived from Palmeiras and for a period he looked on the cusp of usurping Sergio Aguero, only to see the striker become even better in response to the challenge, while injuries hampered the Brazilian's development. There is little chance he will be able to beat out Haaland to be first choice at the Etihad, so moving on makes sense.
United reluctant to appoint McClaren
Manchester United’s incoming new boss Erik ten Hag wants to organise his backroom staff recruitment at the club, but The Telegraph report that United are yet to formally appoint either of his preferred assistants: Steve McClaren and current colleague Mitchell van der Gaag. The club are expected to acquiesce to the request rather than risk a disagreement so early in his tenure.
Paper Round’s view: It is almost impressive that United’s hierarchy go out of their way to undermine their managers whenever they are given the chance. They clearly do not know better than any of the managers they’ve had since Sir Alex Ferguson, but it does not stop them constantly meddling. If Ten Hag is already being challenged he should probably wonder what the point is of taking over.
Kane set for Spurs stay
A year after almost joining Manchester City, Tottenham striker Harry Kane now looks likely to remain at the club for the foreseeable future. Spanish newspaper Marca reports that Kane, who turns 29 this summer, will remain in England and at Spurs in order to pursue the all-time Premier League goalscoring record, and will have two years remaining on his deal in North London to do so.
Paper Round’s view: Kane has likely missed his opportunity at a move to a big club and given he is now approaching 30, his best bet is probably to run down his current deal and secure a huge signing-on fee to a bigger club when he is free to negotiate with other sides. Given his professionalism it seems that he will remain fit enough to compete at the top for some years to come.
Elneny could land new deal
Mohamed Elneny was perhaps the best player on the pitch as Arsenal defeated Chelsea earlier this week, and was certainly one of the key figures in their victory. The 29-year-old Egyptian midfielder has a contract that runs out at the end of the season, and The Mirror suggests that his efforts might prompt manager Mikel Arteta to award him a new contract.
Paper Round’s view: With a squad rebuild going well under Arteta, and with many of the underperforming signings from the Wenger era finally being cleared out, there is little reason to give Elneny a new deal. Even if he is a professional player in training and contributes occasionally, there is no reason to keep on a squad member who is mainly mediocre.
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