Cristiano Ronaldo can leave Man Utd in January, Rafael Benitez in frame for Nottingham Forest job – Paper Round

Ronaldo can go

Paper Round’s view: We go again in January, then, and if Ronaldo remains adamant on joining a Champions League side, it will be fascinating to see which clubs have changed their mind from the summer. It went from courting PSG, Chelsea and Bayern Munich to potential loan moves to Napoli or Sporting as the window dragged on, with nothing materialising. Let’s see who’s struggling in November or December to make a January pursuit possible. Maybe Todd Boehly can convince Graham Potter?

**

**

Rafa in at Forest?

Paper Round’s view: The team that Cooper guided to the Premier League back in May is essentially not the team in front of him, and after a staggering summer where 23 new players were signed, it is no surprise to see the momentum from their play-off win was non-existent. This would come as no surprise, but you have to feel for Cooper and wonder what might have been if there weren’t so many changes.

**

Chelsea’s Leipzig double

Paper Round’s view: No messing from Boehly, who remains the man in charge of transfers until a sporting director comes in. That shouldn’t be far off, but it may be a quiet summer for them if Chelsea already have a double signing under their belts. Where else they need to strengthen will depend on how their season pans out, most likely.

**

Chelsea lead Leao race

Paper Round’s view: It looks as though Boehly is willing to keep chucking money at the Chelsea cause, but how much truth there is to this move is unclear, especially as the Nkunku deal looks a near certainty. And as the report points out, Leao will have no shortage of interested parties, although clubs able to pay £87m are few and far between.