Riyad Mahrez 'could leave Man City'

Manchester City midfielder Riyad Mahrez is complaining to team-mates about his lack of starts for the club, according to the Daily Mail. The £60m winger has been on the bench, unused, for the club's last three games and is frustrated about his lack of game time, and could seek to leave the Etihad. Pep Guardiola is sympathetic but believes the form of Bernardo Silva and Raheem Sterling make it a justifiable decision.

Paper Round's view: Mahrez should not have joined City if he was not prepared for a situation like this. Because they are backed by a state, City will provide Guardiola with the highest-level players that money can buy, and that will inevitably lead players spending time on the sidelines when they would usually be automatic starters elsewhere. Mahrez would easily find more time available at other clubs with bigger fanbases than City, but not necessarily win as much.

The Independent suggest two names that Manchester United are considering at right-back for next season. Antonio Valencia will be leaving on a free transfer, and the paper says that Thomas Meunier, Paris Saint-Germain's Belgian international could be an option. The 27-year-old defender would be an easier proposition than some other players, but Reece James - just 19 - from Chelsea, is the other new name mentioned.

Paper Round's view: Meunier is a reliable performer at right-back for PSG, but he is nothing special. If money and time is saved by bringing him in, it would have to be compensated by improving the squad elsewhere. Having said that, he would be an improvement on the current choice of Valencia or Ashley Young, and give Diogo Dalot time to mature. Buying Reece James would put pressure on both the Chelsea man and Dalot to get up to speed perhaps too quickly.

Two more prominent names are mentioned by the Mirror as they discuss United's potential recruitments for the position. The first is Aaron Wan-Bissaka, the 19-year-old Crystal Palace defender, but his current club are reluctant to sell him and Wilfried Zaha in the same transfer window, and Manchester CIty are also interested. Another name is Kieran Trippier, the Spurs right-back who could be sold to raise funds for Mauricio Pochetiino.

Paper Round's view: Trippier is a deeply underwhelming possibility after such a mediocre season, so it depends if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes he can revitalise the player. He is, though, a United fan so that could help him improve the motivation levels of the current United squad. Wan-Bissaka is clearly the best option going in the Premier League, which suggests City are the logical choice for him.

Manchester United are also in the Express over another defensive problem: the future of David de Gea. The paper says that United could have to let him go if he is not willing to sign a new deal, with his current demands close to Alexis Sanchez's wage of £400,000. They speculate that 26-year-old Atletico Madrid 'keeper Jan Oblak could replace him, at a cost of around £90 million.

Paper Round's view: Oblak would cost a huge sum, and United would probably only be able to get £60million for De Gea if they sold him this summer. Is the £30million saved in transfer fees a meaningful difference in doubling De Gea's wages over the course of a contract? Of course not, but Ed Woodward's approach to transfers and money evidently have not made sense since the departure of Alex Ferguson.