Paper Round: Premier League bidding war for Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci

There'll be a transfer market battle in January for Juventus's Leonardo Bonucci, the Daily Star on Sunday reports breathlessly. Manchester City have the deepest pockets when it comes to securing the signature of the defender, but Chelsea are ready to enter the bidding, with a price-tag of £50m being thrown around.

Paper Round's view: Bonucci has been linked with a move to England for months now, and it's still not clear whether it's based on fact or wishful thinking. He's recently signed a new contract with Juve and been very clear that he's not looking for a new club. Juventus, for their part, aren't desperate for cash so that's not too much of a factor - unless, perhaps, silly money begins to be mentioned.

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Yaya Toure's ever-garrulous agent Dimitri Seluk has some more thoughts, which the Mirror are sharing with us. He says that Pep Guardiola's refusal to select Toure could be breaking employment law - because it's based on Seluk's acerbic comments, and nothing that Toure himself has done.

Paper Round's view: We're unconvinced that simply not selecting a player breaks employment law - otherwise the courts would be full of disgruntled players. However, Seluk is correct to point out that FIFA's regulations allow players to terminate their contract should they be fit and available and still not selected for 10 per cent of their club's games - but they can only do that at the end of a season. In the meantime, if Seluk genuinely thinks it's his comments that are making Toure's life difficult at Manchester City, maybe he should stop talking.

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One Manchester United legend out, another one in at the Britannia - according to the Sunday Express. Mark Hughes's job is on the line after failing to take three points off West Brom - West Brom! - and they reckon Steve Bruce is ready to take over.

Paper Round's view: We're not putting too much faith in this. For starters, the Express claim that Stoke lost to West Brom (they drew); they then point out that Stoke always start slowly under Hughes and still manage to finish ninth; and they have no evidence pointing towards Bruce's imminent employment other than the fact he's not currently working elsewhere.

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Watford captain Troy Deeney is set to receive a call-up to the England squad, says the Sunday Express. He's ready to replace the crocked Harry Kane against Malta next month.

Paper Round's view: Why not? Presumably England are expecting to beat Malta quite comprehensively, so it makes sense to pick a player in form who's not been tested at elite international level to see what he can manage. His boss Walter Mazzarri is the one making the loudest noises about Deeney being selected, though, so it's unclear whether this is a rumour that's started within the hallowed Vicarage Road halls.

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