Manchester United target Sporting Lisbon's Paolo Oliveira

On ESPNFC, Neymar's dad has confirmed that Manchester United made an offer to Barcelona which wasn't entertained. This all makes for a lovely and heartwarming way for Neymar to get a new contract. It would be easier for United to buy players who are on their way to becoming as good as Neymar, but that seems to have escaped them.

The sponsors must have had a word with Louis van Gaal, because he's told the world that Wayne Rooney is his most valuable and influential player. Dearie me. He's valuable in the sense that he brings in a great deal of commercial income, but he's an abomination on the pitch now, the worst player in the Premier League by some distance. That's in the Guardian.

Manchester United are interested in Paolo Oliveira of Sporting Lisbon, and the player is happy to hear that he might be able to soon afford more cars and a bigger house, and maybe even shop in Ocado. The quotes are in the Mirror.

And Manchester Evening News become the first proper paper to seriously suggest that Rooney is dropped for the match against Everton. It's impossible to argue a case otherwise, unless you're wilfully ignorant of facts.