Barça after Auba

Paper Round’s point of view: Ah the old £ 350,000 a week wage problem. This Barca can’t afford, so it could be a question of whether Arsenal are willing to send him and cover the costs. Aubameyang’s entire contract is a problem, indeed. He runs until 2023, and unless a club takes him away, we could have another undesirable situation at Arsenal – as if it wasn’t bad enough already.

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Or… Cavani at Barça?

Paper Round’s point of view: Obviously Barca are looking for a short-term solution to losing Aguero, and so it’s Aubameyang, 32, or Cavani, 34. In fairness, they would both do a job, but that would only be a temporary fix.

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Lingard will wait for summer

Paper Round’s point of view: It’s a shame Lingard’s progress has been hampered by his return to Manchester United. He looked like a reborn player at West Ham, got a callback in England and seemed to enjoy his football again. He obviously loves Manchester United, but for the sake of his career it’s time to move on – it’s just a shame he’s waiting until the end of the season.

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The Man Utd DM hunt in January

Paper Round’s point of view: Nothing surprising here, but the prospect of signing a new midfielder could prove tricky. Clubs will charge hefty prices, as is the case in January, while others will be reluctant to lose players at this point in the season. If their top picks aren’t available, United will have to ask how far they go before deciding to wait until summer.