Manchester United and Chelsea face battle for Brentford striker Ivan Toney – Paper Round

Chelsea and United could battle for Toney

Chelsea and Manchester United could both turn their attention to Brentford striker Ivan Toney. The 26-year-old forward impressed in his first season with the Bees, and Chelsea might consider him as an option if they miss out on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. United are also facing the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo, and have kept the English player on their shortlist.

Paper Round’s view: Toney has established himself as one of the better strikers on the books of mid-table sides in the Premier League. He clearly has an eye for goal and is reliably fit, but for United and Chelsea Toney would represent a gamble. As impressive as his move up the tables has been, it remains to be seen if he has the talent to handle the pressure in the biggest games.

Pulisic set to reject United

The Sun believes that Manchester United are unlikely to succeed in their hunt for Chelsea forward Christian Pulisic. The 23-year-old American international was linked with a loan switch to Old Trafford as United grew desperate, but the paper reports that the player would prefer to stay with a Champions League side, and would prefer to stay at Chelsea over United if the choice is offered.

Paper Round’s view: United have now managed to slip in and out of the Champions League places enough times to harm their chances of signing players, even on temporary deals ahead of the World Cup. This should alarm the Glazer family, who have leant on the strength of United’s brand at times of incompetence and under-performance, suggesting that their complacency is starting to cost them.

Sarr set for Villa switch

Watford striker Ismaila Sarr missed his club’s match against Preston North End on Saturday and while an injury was blamed, the Mail reports that the likely reason for his absence is instead that a £25m move to Aston Villa has been agreed. The 24-year-old Senegalese international has impressed in the early stages of the season in The Championship and he will now return to the top flight.

Paper Round’s view: Sarr is one of the most talented players in the second division and it is something of a surprise that it has taken this long for a Premier League side to step in and add him to their squad for the coming season. At just 24 he should be able to improve for a few years to come and will add quality to Steven Gerrard’s squad improvement at Villa Park this summer.

PSG and Marseille warned by UEFA

Spanish newspaper Marca reports that UEFA have informed Ligue 1 sides Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Marseille that they are on borrowed time as they continue to make losses which go against the rules of Financial Fair Play. PSG have been given three years to sort out their bottom line before they could face sporting sanctions as a punishment for the transgressions.

Paper Round’s view: PSG must be feeling fairly bullish about their chances after Manchester City fought hard against any punishment from UEFA, and they clearly have the financial wherewithal to drag this one through the courts for as long as they feel it is needed. The idea of right or wrong is a tough one here, with the introduction of Financial Fair Play perhaps used to keep newly rich clubs in check.