Ronaldo does not give up

Cristiano Ronaldo has continued his attempts to move away from Manchester United this summer, according to the Mail. The Portugal captain has asked to be released from the final year of his contract at Old Trafford and is therefore ready to give up his £360,000-a-week wage. Ronaldo is desperate to join a Champions League contender but Manchester United have informed him they “have no desire to sell him”. Ronaldo refuses to change his mind but would remain professional during his time in Manchester.

Paper Round’s point of view: This saga is simply not going away. Obviously, Ronaldo wants to leave so he can continue playing in the Champions League. The 37-year-old hasn’t played in the Europa League in his career and doesn’t intend to start now. Ronaldo probably feels like he still has a chance of winning the Champions League and it’s essentially been a wasted year at Old Trafford as the Red Devils are nowhere near the level needed to compete for silverware. However, there is a small problem. Neither club is interested in signing Ronaldo.

Barça is synonymous with business

Barcelona are looking to follow up on the signing of Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde with a double swipe at transfer rivals Chelsea. Marca report that the Catalan club have identified Blues defensive duo Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso as their latest deals in the summer transfer window. Xavi is ‘desperate’ to add defensive depth to his team – especially at the back. Azpilicueta would offer him some versatility at the back, while Alonso would provide competition for Jordi Alba.

Paper Round’s point of view: Barcelona aren’t slowing down in the transfer market as they look to continue rebuilding their squad following Lionel Messi’s exit last summer. Will Azpilicueta and Alonso join Robert Lewandowski and co. at Camp Nou this summer? Well… that puts Chelsea in a sticky spot. Barca have just beaten them to the signings of Kounde and Raphinha, while Andreas Christensen has just left Stamford Bridge for free to join Xavi’s side. Chelsea might still be annoyed about it and refuse to sell to them.

Hammer blow for West Ham’s pursuit Kostic

West Ham United have suffered a setback in their pursuit of Eintracht Frankfurt full-back Filip Kostic. The Sun have reported that the Bundesliga club have rejected an opening bid from West Ham worth around £12.5million for Kostic. The 29-year-old has just one year left on his current deal in Germany so Frankfurt are ready to sell him this summer. However, the Europa League winners value Kostic closer to £16million – and have set that price due to a number of clubs being interested in the Serbian.

Paper Round’s point of view: West Ham are doing decent business this summer and are working to build depth in their squad. David Moyes reportedly had a unique opportunity to scout Kostic when Frankfurt knocked West Ham out of the Europa League in the semi-finals last season. It’s clear that the former Manchester United and Everton boss was impressed with Kostic. The 29-year-old would be a smart addition. He won the silverware and offers a lot of versatility on the wing.

Another addition for Everton

Everton are closing in on signing Dwight McNeil from Burnley, according to the Guardian. The 22-year-old was due to leave Turf Moor in the summer following the club’s relegation from the Premier League and had also been linked with Crystal Palace. However, McNeil is set to become Everton’s third signing this summer, alongside former Burnley teammate James Tarkowski and Ruben Vinagre – who have been loaned out by Sporting Lisbon. The deal for McNeil is expected to be worth around £20million.

Paper Round’s point of view: McNeil has shown he is at Premier League level since joining the Burnley squad in the 2018-19 season. It’s no surprise to see him return straight to the English top flight this summer, despite being relegated last season. Everton boss Frank Lampard now has a young English duo on the wings in McNeil and Anthony Gordon. It should be fun watching two old-school wingers support Dominic Calvert-Lewin at Goodison Park throughout this upcoming campaign.