Transfer news, gossip and rumours - Manchester City want Harry Kane to replace Sergio Aguero

Manchester City are reportedly planning for life without the club's all-time top goalscorer Sergio Aguero, whose current contract expires in the summer of 2021. According to the Sun, the Premier League champions are looking to recruit a potential successor for the Argentine, with Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane and Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez at the top of their list. Aguero will be 33 years old when his deal expires and he has previously expressed his desire to return to boyhood club Independiente in the latter stages of his career. City officials are happy to allow Aguero to control his own destiny” and will only begin to make serious” plans for a replacement once the club legend confirms his decision to leave. It is unclear in the report whether the club view 22-year-old forward Gabriel Jesus as a serious replacement for Aguero.

Paper Round's view: He might be getting older, but Aguero isn’t slowing up just yet so it makes sense that City are holding off making any plans to sign a new forward this summer. The Argentine striker has been nothing short of sensational at Manchester City, but all good things must eventually come to an end - and the end could be in the summer of 2021. Kane has been one of Europe’s best strikers on a consistent basis over the past five years so it makes sense for City officials to place him at the top of their wishlist. Lautaro Martinez is also one of the best young footballers playing in Europe at the moment and his style isn't dissimilar to that of Aguero. It’s going to take a player of the highest quality to successfully replace the 31-year-old at the Etihad Stadium and both names on City’s shortlist have the potential to win trophies and become legends at the club. It is surprising that City officials don’t view Gabriel Jesus as a replacement in the making. The Brazilian joined City back in 2017 and was supposed to be the eventual heir to Aguero’s throne.

Manchester United are getting closer to getting the Bruno Fernandes deal over the line as the Mirror report that the Red Devils have agreed personal terms with the 25-year-old. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have been chasing the Portuguese international since last summer, but the club seem to be closing in on the goalscoring midfielder. However, the Sun report that the deal is at risk of falling apart” due to Manchester United rejecting Sporting’s demands of a £55 million transfer fee being paid up front. United are said to be willing to pay £42 million up front, whereas Sporting are requesting an extra £13 million to be included in the payment for their club captain. The deal is said to be worth in excess of £65 million included add-on bonus fees.

Paper Round's view: United need to get this deal over the line. It's the same problems that the club experienced in the summer with the Harry Maguire transfer from Leicester. Every single football club in the world know that United are desperate to sign their targets as they need to go all out in their battle for a top-four finish. Sporting know that the Red Devils will pay up, so they can demand £55 million up front. Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay suffering long-term injuries really impacted Solskjaer's side and his midfield options. Bringing in Fernandes would offer some creativity, but more importantly, more goals from midfield. The UEFA Nations League winner scored 33 goals last season for his club and already has 15 this term. These goals could make all the difference in a dreary United side.

Leicester City are planning to make a move for Southampton left-back Ryan Bertrand in the summer as a replacement for Ben Chilwell who is said to be on his way to Stamford Bridge. According to the Mail, Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers views the 30-year-old Saints defenders as an "experienced, quality replacement" for Chilwell who has been wanted by Chelsea since last summer. Rodgers previously worked with Bertrand when he was coming through the ranks at Chelsea and even took him on loan for a season during his time at Reading in the Championship. Bertrand will have just one year remaining on his contract in the summer, which could mean Leicester could sign him for a cut-price fee. The Foxes will face competition from Inter Milan for the Champions League winner, who has attracted long-term interest from former Blues boss Antonio Conte.

Paper Round's view: It seems inevitable that Leicester will lose Chilwell. The England international has become highly-sought after over the past two years, but the fact that he signed a contract extension until 2024 last season means that the Foxes can demand a huge fee for their full-back. A price tag of around £50 million would be fair in the current market, especially because the 23-year-old is home-grown and has become Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate's number one choice at left-back. Bertrand would be a shrewd replacement by Leicester. The former Chelsea defender would fit their style of play, while keeping their English core intact. Bertrand's experience and leadership would make up for the fact that he will be turning 31 years old at the start of next season.

The Champions League could be set for a major change, with European football leaders closing in on an agreement to add four extra match dates every season in the competition. According to the Telegraph, Europe's elite competition might be looking at a restructure that could see a longer group stage, or even an additional round-robin phase which could deeply impact domestic football. It would mean the eventual finalist will end up playing 17 Champions League matches in a single season, but it could also see English clubs involved in the competition dropping out of the Carabao Cup due to an inflated fixture list.

Paper Round's view: Clubs have already been consistently complaining about the sheer number of fixtures in a season, so adding four more to the calendar won't help. France will see their second-tier domestic competition binned off from next season due to the fact that no television company was willing to buy the rights for it, and the same thing could happen in England. In 2024, Sky Sports' deal with the EFL ends and this is the same year that the Champions League could end up expanding. If the biggest clubs in England who are involved in the European competition withdraw from the League Cup, it could spell the end for England's second-tier trophy due to the lack of interest in the competition.