Al-Nassr keen to reunite ex-Real Madrid duo Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos in double swoop – Paper Round

From Madrid to the Middle East…

Al-Nassr are confident of completing the shock signing of Cristiano Ronaldo on a free transfer following his Manchester United exit and Marca report that Sergio Ramos could follow his ex-Real Madrid team-mate to Riyadh. The Middle Eastern club have made Ramos their next high-profile transfer target and plan to contact the 36-year-old to spark negotiations. The Spaniard’s contract at Paris Saint-Germain is set to expire this summer, but the report states that Ramos could extend his stay in the French capital after finally breaking into the starting eleven.

Paper Round’s view: Signing Ronaldo is going to be a game-changer for Al-Nassr and football in general in Saudi Arabia. There are going to be more eyes than ever on the Saudi Pro League. Ronaldo’s move is definitely going to encourage other high-profile players to pack their bags and head over to the Middle East. If Al-Nassr can afford to pay both Ronaldo and Ramos, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t try to sign them both. But signing the Portugal international should be enough to win titles, sell out your stadium and get fans watching every match.

Chelsea chase new midfielder… despite Kante staying

The Athletic report that Chelsea have made progress with N’Golo Kante and his representatives over a contract extension. The World Cup winner’s current deal is set to expire at the end of the season, but there is now “increasing confident” that Kante will commit his future to a new two-year deal, with the option of a third year. Despite this, Chelsea are still in the market for a new midfielder in January or the summer. The club are heavily interested in Jude Bellingham and Enzo Fernandez, while Declan Rice, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia are also on their radar.

Paper Round’s view: It seems strange that Chelsea are so keen to tie Kante down to a new deal. The French midfielder has suffered numerous injuries over the past couple of seasons and has rarely rediscovered his form from the years he was vital to winning the World Cup or Champions League. Obviously Kante still has quality, but his current salary is staggering, so you’d hope his new deal is going to be on lower terms. Chelsea should definitely still be trying to sign a world-class midfielder to freshen things up in the middle of the pitch. Bellingham, Fernandez or Rice could lead that midfield for the next 10 years or so.

Benfica desperate to hold onto Fernandez

Benfica will do all they can to try and keep Enzo Fernandez in Lisbon amid interest from the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Real Madrid. The 21-year-old enjoyed a successful string of performances during Argentina’s World Cup-winning campaign and is now at the centre of a transfer tug-of-war. The Mail reveal that Benfica have reiterated their desire to keep Fernandez until the end of the season at least and are willing to offer him a contract extension in order to commit his future to the Portuguese club.

Paper Round’s view: It seems like all the top European clubs are after two young central midfielders who shone at the World Cup in Qatar: Jude Bellingham and Enzo Fernandez. The Argentine’s release clause is worth £106 million – so clubs would have to pay that in full to sign him in the winter window. This makes it seem unlikely that he will leave before the end of the season. However, Bellingham and Fernandez will probably both leave this summer and they will have the choice of Europe’s finest, while Benfica will continue to sign young talent and sell them on for huge profits.

Arsenal to return with second Mudryk bid

Arsenal are ready to return to Shakhtar Donetsk with a new and improved bid for Mykhailo Mudryk, according to the Times. The Gunners saw an opening bid of £45 million rejected by Shakhtar, despite the fact that the 21-year-old is keen to complete a move to north London. The Ukrainian club have slapped an £80-million price tag on their prized asset and have compare Mudryk to Jack Grealish, who joined Manchester City for £100 million in 2021. Arsenal believe it will be easy to negotiate personal terms with the winger, but agreeing a transfer fee could prove difficult in January.

Paper Round’s view: The winter window is notoriously tough to sign players. The prices are always inflated because no club wants to lose a player during the season, while the club buying are usually desperate due to an injury or something so that tends to increase the fee. In this case, Arsenal are hoping to sign Mudryk to strengthen their attack following the frustrating long-term injury to Gabriel Jesus at the World Cup. Mikel Arteta knows he needs to add some depth to his attacking options if he wants to keep the Gunners’ shock Premier League title bid alive.