Football Paper Round: Real Madrid open to selling £50m James Rodriguez to Manchester United

Real Madrid open to United bids for James

Manchester United have been given the green light to sign Real Madrid's James Rodriguez - reports The Mirror. The Colombia international signed for Real in 2014 for a whopping £56 million, but struggled to tie down a regular starting spot at the Bernabeu following the appointment of Zinedine

Zidane. Watching on from the sidelines as his team won the Champions League in May proved the final straw for James, and his agent Jorge Mendes' relationship with new United manager Jose Mourinho should accelerate a move.

Six clubs compete for Townsend

Newcastle winger Andros Townsend is attracting bids from six Premier League clubs - according to The Sun. The England international is currently sitting at home watching Euro 2016 following a disappointing season that saw him dropped from the national squad and relegated from the top-flight. However, a handful of sparking individual performances towards the end of the season was enough to catch the eye of a number of suitors, with Townsend's £12m release clause also tempting.

Liverpool given hope in Mane chase

Sadio Mane celebrates with team mates after scoring for Southampton - Reuters

Southampton have softened their stance on the possible sale of Sadio Mane, giving Liverpool hope - says The Guardian. Mane, who scored 11 times in the Premier League last season, was initially valued at £40m by the south coast club. But the Saints have acknowledged that they may have to reduce their asking price, with Liverpool hoping to get the fee closer to £30m. Mane is keen to leave Southampton having been denied a move to Manchester United last year.

Source: Eurosport