Paper Round: Antonio Conte appointment would hinder Eden Hazard’s Real Madrid move

Real Madrid’s reported interest in manager Antonio Conte could hinder their desire to bring Eden Hazard to the club, the Mirror reports. With Julen Lopetegui under pressure at Real, former Chelsea boss Conte is being sounded out as a potential replacement. However, should that move come to fruition, then Hazard – who had a difficult relationship with Conte at Stamford Bridge – is unlikely to head to the Bernabeu.

Paper Round’s view: If it’s a case of one or the other then you imagine Real Madrid fans would vote overwhelmingly in favour of Hazard. The appointment of Conte would feel like no more than a stop-gap, and if it would be detrimental towards buying Hazard, then it would be a surprise if they did not look elsewhere.

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Liverpool were close to signing Lyon midfielder Nabil Fekir over the summer, but now it appears the French World Cup winner has another club admiring his talents. German outlet Kicker - via the Mirror - reports that Bayern Munich sent a scout to watch Fekir in Lyon's Champions League match against Shakhtar Donetsk earlier this month, ahead of a possible January move.

Paper Round's view: One of the transfer names of the summer resurfaces. Fekir has struggled with injuries recently following that Champions League match, while it was reportedly a failed medical that saw his move to Liverpool break down. Is he too much of a risk to take on? Let's see what happens in January.

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Chelsea are looking towards Serie A in January as they look to boost their Premier League title hopes. The Mail reports Maurizio Sarri wants to bring Inter striker Mauro Icardi to Stamford Bridge, but are also keeping tabs on Genoa forward Krzysztof Piatek, who could be a cheaper alternative. The 23-year-old Polish international has scored 13 goals in nine games for Genoa.

Paper Round's view: Chelsea remain unbeaten in the Premier League, but they have been somewhat fortunate so far. A sustained title bid seems unlikely, but the arrival of Icardi would give them a fighting chance. Piatek, too, but it will be interesting to see how he fares once (if) he suffers a dip in form.

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Fulham are keen on opening contract talks with defender Ryan Sessegnon, the Mail reports. The 18-year-old defender has 18 months left on his current contract, but has attracted plenty of interest of the past couple of years, most notably Tottenham. On the weekend he became the first player born in the 2000s to score in the Premier League.

Paper Round’s view: Fulham have far greater concerns to deal with at the moment, but it makes sense to extend Sessegnon’s deal, even if it’s simply for the case of getting a bumper price for him when he eventually leaves.