Chelsea leapfrog Liverpool in battle to sign ‘top target’ Jude Bellingham, PSG play down Kylian Mbappe exit rumours

Hey Jude

Chelsea have made Borussia Dortmund wonderkid Jude Bellingham their “top target” ahead of next summer’s transfer window, according to the Mail. The 19-year-old is wanted by a host of European giants, with Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Real Madrid all reportedly interested in the youngster. However, Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly has made Bellingham the “key target” as the west London club attempt to leapfrog their transfer rivals. The report states that Chelsea will look to strengthen in central midfield next summer and also have West Ham United captain Declan Rice on their shortlist.

Paper Round’s view: 2021 was the summer of Jadon Sancho, 2022 was the summer of Erling Haaland and 2023 will be all about Bellingham. Dortmund make sure they don’t let multiple big names leave in the same year, but it really looks like Bellingham is going to be the next star to depart the Bundesliga club. It really seems like we’re going to see a bidding war for the teenager. He’s only 19 years old but he has already had his shirt number retired at his boyhood club Birmingham City, captained his club side and become a starter for the England national team. Whichever club wins the race to Bellingham’s signature is getting a certified superstar for the next 10 years.

PSG attempt to quash Mbappe story

Kylian Mbappe continues to be linked with a move away from Paris Saint-Germain after it was reported last week that he was unhappy in the French capital. However, Marca report that PSG reached an agreement with the World Cup winner to ensure he told the media that he denied asking to leave. The French champions were keen to “publicly refuse the situation” so asked Mbappe to deny the accusations in his post-match interview after beating Marseille on Sunday. Marca still state that it is “very clear” that Mbappe wishes to leave PSG, but do not reveal whether he will be allowed to exit in 2023.

Paper Round’s view: Mbappe’s protests seemed a bit strange after the Marseille match because usually there is no smoke without fire. The 23-year-old’s happiness has been under question ever since he made the fateful decision to reject Real Madrid and sign a contract extension at PSG last summer. It seems like he has completely u-turned and now wants to leave. The Parisian club can ask him to deny that story to the press, but let’s see if he actually commits to staying in Ligue 1 for another season when the summer transfer window comes around…

Barca identify Busquets replacement

Barcelona are targeting PSV’s Ibrahim Sangare as the club searches for a long-term heir to succeed Sergio Busquets. Xavi has made it a priority to sign a defensive midfielder and the Blaugrana could make their move as early as January, according to Sport. Sangare is valued at more than €30 million and will reportedly leave the Dutch club next summer at the latest. The Catalan club are also interested in Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi and Enzo Fernandez of Benfica but are put off by their asking prices, while Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves represents a more affordable transfer target. Jorginho and Youri Tielemans could join Barca as extra depth next summer as they will become free agents.

Paper Round’s view: It’s clear that Barcelona are looking to inject a bit more depth into their midfield. Gavi and Pedri are exciting young options, while Franck Kessie – who was signed as a free agent last summer – is a good option to have in the squad. However, it seems like Busquets’ time at the Camp Nou has come to an end after a sensational stint and Frenkie de Jong is no longer wanted by the Barcelona chiefs. A new defensive midfielder is needed – if De Jong is not the answer to Xavi’s problems – so it should become a priority. If the Catalan club can afford to buy Sangare in January, they should move quicker than their potential transfer rivals.

Southgate’s 55-man squad

England manager Gareth Southgate will be naming his initial 55-man extended squad list ahead of the World Cup by Friday and the Mail report that Crystal Palace midfielder Eberechi Eze will make the cut. The 24-year-old was reported to be selected in Southgate’s provisional 33-man squad ahead of Euro 2020 but unfortunately suffered a serious Achilles injury and missed out. Eze is expected to be joined by Marc Guehi, Tyrick Mitchell and Joe Gomez in the extended squad list. The final squad will be comprised of 26 players and will be named in November.

Paper Round’s view: It’s good to see Eze back in Southgate’s thoughts after he completed a tough recovery from a severe injury. However, you can’t really read into this extended squad too much. It’s 55 players. It’s going to be cut by nearly half before the tournament kicks off next month. It’s a nice personal achievement for Eze, but he has not been involved in a match-day squad for England yet and has not featured for his country. The real aim is to be part of that 26-man World Cup squad… and if not, break into the senior squad for the Nations League fixtures in March.