Manchester United 'to sell six players'

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is preparing to get rid of six players this summer as he rebuilds at Old Trafford, according to the Daily Mail. Club captain Antonio Valencia is set to leave, as is fellow defender Matteo Darmian. Marcos Rojo and Eric Bailly could be sold, and Ander Herrera and Juan Mata could both leave at the end of their contracts. Alexis Sanchez, Axel Tuanzebe and TImothy Fosu-Mensah could be sold, too.

Paper Round’s view: If Manchester United are to properly improve their squad then more than just a few squad players need to be moved on. Room needs to be made on the wage bill, and funds for additional players need to be raised. None of the players listed above have made the case that they must be kept, but a huge overhaul is nonetheless a serious risk to stability.

Fulham believe that they will lose Ryan Sessegnon this summer, according to the Mirror. The 18-year-old left-sided player was subject of a rejected £50 million bid from Spurs in the summer, but he now has just one year left on his contract and is likely to force his way out after the club are relegated to the Championship. Aleksandar Mitrovic is also set to stay in the top flight.

Paper Round’s view: Mitrovic has shown enough to be considered a back-up target man for some of the better sides in the league, and he could perhaps replace Fernando Llorente at Spurs, who remain the probably destination for Sessegnon as they settle into their new ground. The key for Fulham will be to use the funds to rebuild for the long term.

Wolverhampton Wanderers will continue their building for the future, as the Mirror also report that they are due to announce the signing of Raul Jimenez. The striker is on loan from Benfica, and 15 goals for the 27-year-old Mexican international has convinced the Premier League side to confirm the permanent transfer worth £30 million.

Paper Round’s view: It is rare to discover an international striker who settles into the Premier League so quickly, especially as Jimenez was not particularly impressive either at Atletico Madrid or for Benfica. Nonetheless, he has formed an excellent partnership with Diogo Jota and could score consistently next season if Wolves improve elsewhere.

The Sun reports that Chelsea fans believe owner Roman Abramovich will soon sell the club. The billionaire has given up his corporate box at the club, something he had held since 2011. There has been concern from some Chelsea fans over Abramovich since he lost his visa to reside in Britain.

Paper Round’s view: Britain’s richest man, Jim Ratcliffe, is one prospective buyer for Chelsea, and he is reportedly set to relocate to Monaco which might free up some cash for a purchase. Most likely though is that now Abramovich is an Israeli citizen, it simply makes no sense for him to pay for a box that he will only rarely need.