Juventus offer Dybala and Bernardeschi to Manchester United in Paul Pogba swap deal - Paper Round

Juventus are ready to offer two superstars to Manchester United in a swap deal to secure the signature of former midfielder Paul Pogba. The World Cup winner's Old Trafford future was recently thrown into doubt after his agent Mino Raiola publicly declared Pogba's desire to leave. According to ESPN, Paulo Dybala and Federico Bernardeschi could be sacrificed by the Old Lady as the club lack the finances to meet Manchester United's asking price. Juve have suffered from the financial impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, but plan to offer two of their prized assets in order to tempt the Premier League side into accepting an offer. It is unclear whether Dybala would be open to moving to the Manchester club.

Paper Round's view: It might be unclear on whether Dybala would want to move to Manchester United, but why on earth are Juventus so willing to let him leave? The Argentine forward is a symbol of the club's future and was one of their best player during their title-winning campaign last season. Additionally, Dybala had a great relationship with Pogba before the Frenchman returned to Old Trafford back in 2016 - so why not try to re-ignite that partnership if Pogba returns? It really makes no sense. Offering Cristiano Ronaldo a return to United would make a lot more sense for Juve as they would be relieved of the financial burden which are the Portuguese star's wages.

Liverpool are planning to address their defensive injury crisis in the January transfer window, with the Mail reporting that the Premier League champions are in the market for a new centre-back. The Merseyside club are without Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez for an extended period and have fielded midfielders Fabinho and Jordan Henderson in the heart of defence in recent weeks. The Mail believe that RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano is Liverpool's "top target", while the Reds remain interested in Borussia Dortmund's Manuel Akanji and Brighton's Ben White as "alternative options".

Paper Round's view: It really is a nightmare situation for Liverpool. Although Fabinho is proving to be as comfortable in central defence as he is in midfield, the club still need to strengthen their options if they wish to successfully defend their Premier League title. Fabinho lined up alongside youngster Rhys Williams against Tottenham on Wednesday, but it would be too much to ask of an inexperienced defender if the club needed to rely on him for the remainder of the season. The only issue is that the January market is tough. Every club in world football knows Liverpool are desperate for a new defender and will bump up their prices. It might be worth getting a short-term option in January and then revisiting the proper shortlist in the summer.

Sticking with Liverpool, the Reds are also planning their summer transfer business as they look for a potential replacement for Georginio Wijnaldum. The Dutch midfielder's contract is set to expire at the end of the season and he will be able to negotiate with foreign clubs from January. It is unclear whether Wijnaldum - who has attracted interested from Barcelona - will extend his stay at Anfield, but Liverpool are looking at Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma as his replacement. The 24-year-old is valued at around £30 million and Manchester United and Arsenal are both keeping tabs on him too.

Paper Round's view: It makes sense for Liverpool to plan for the potential departure of Wijnaldum. The club are unsure whether he will stay or not, but their forward planning and recruitment is one of the reasons why they are one of the best clubs in football right now. Bissouma is great footballer who has Premier League experience too. The Mali international has quickly become one of Brighton's best players this season and it's clear why the league's top clubs are interested in the possibility of signing him this summer.

Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen are exploring the possibility of signing Manchester United full-back Brandon Williams on loan in January, according to the Telegraph. The 20-year-old will reportedly be allowed to leave Old Trafford on loan in the new year as he searches for first-team football to aid his development. Leverkusen are short in the right-back position due to on-loan defender Santiago Arias suffered a leg break back in October and the German club are ready to battle Southampton for the signing of Williams.

Paper Round's view: Williams is very highly rated by Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but his first-team opportunities have been limited this season. The youngster mainly featured at left-back last year (but he can play either side of defence) and has fallen down the pecking order since the arrival of Alex Telles in the summer transfer window. A loan move to either Southampton or Bayer Leverkusen would be a great chance for Williams to develop, but a move to Germany in particular would be interesting. Leverkusen currently sit top of the Bundesliga table and are competing in the Europa League. It would show great ambition from the youngster to try and become a part of that side.