What the back pages say: City make £18m bid for Johnson, England line up Brazil friendly in Qatar,

12 June 2009 08:30
DAILY MAIL Sir Alex Ferguson has been handed a £100million transfer fund by Manchester United after he personally gave the order for Cristiano Ronaldo to be sold to Real Madrid. Also: Andrew Flintoff made a surprise return to action for Lancashire at Durham yesterday, taking a wicket with his second ball, six weeks after undergoing knee surgery. In demand: Now Manchester City have joined the race for Pompey defender Glen Johnson DAILY TELEGRAPH Real Madrid are ready to pay Cristiano Ronaldo £106million in wages over the duration of a six-year contract at the Bernabeu sanctioned the world record £80million sale of the Manchester United winger. Also: Fabio Capello believes that Ashley Young, James Milner, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Tom Huddlestone can challenge for places in the 23-strong party that England will take to South Africa next summer. Andrew Flintoff declared himself "over the moon" with his return to competitive cricket yesterday and said he was confident he would be back to his best for the Ashes. THE TIMES Sir Alex Ferguson could lose two more of his Manchester United stars in the wake of Cristiano Ronaldo's £80million world-record transfer to Real Madrid. Despite Ronaldo's impending exit from Old Trafford, Carlos Tevez, the Argentina striker, still wants to leave the club and United are bracing themselves for offers from Barcelona, and possibly Real, for Nemanja Vidic. Also: Paolo Maldini has rejected the possibility of joining Carlo Ancelotti in an undefined role at Chelsea. DAILY MIRROR Cristiano Ronaldo demanded to leave Manchester United because he feared he would miss out on his dream move to Real Madrid if he waited any longer. Also: In the end it was Sir Alex Ferguson, who fought so hard to keep Cristiano Ronaldo last summer, who sanctioned his star's players world record move to Real Madrid. Big-spending Manchester City have made a stunning £18million move for England full-back Glen Johnson. Roberto Martinez stalled on becoming Wigan Athletic's new manager yesterday - after a row about bringing his backroom staff with him. THE INDEPENDENT After all the weeks and months of conjecture, rumour and flirtations, the £80million deal which will take Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United to Real Madrid on an initial £9.5million annual salary was tied up in just two hours, it was revealed last night. Also: Fabio Capello and the Football Association will be given the option of a friendly against Brazil in Qatar in November providing the England team have qualified for the World Cup finals by then. DAILY STAR Cristiano Ronaldo was allowed to leave Manchester United for Real Madrid on one condition - that manager Sir Alex Ferguson could use all of the £80million fee as a transfer treasure chest. Also: Pitiful England were thrashed by South Africa in the World Twenty20 last night after toppling to their lowest score in this form of cricket. David Beckham will consider playing in England again to keep his World Cup dream alive. Portsmouth are ready to accept a bid from Chelsea for England full-back Glen Johnson that could rise to nearly £20million. THE SUN Cristiano Ronaldo last night branded his world-record £80million move to Real Madrid "historic". Also: Paul Collingwood insists the World Twenty20 dream is not over despite England's bulldozing by South Africa. DAILY EXPRESS Sir Alex Ferguson had the last words in the Ronaldo-Real Madrid transfer saga - Cristiano, you can go. Also: Cristiano Ronaldo triggered the world's most expensive transfer yesterday by telling Manchester United he wanted to go to Real Madrid. England crashed to defeat at the hands of South Africa in their opening second-round match of the World Twenty20 after being bowled out for their lowest-ever score...Wigan unveiled an empty chair as their new manager for the second time in 19 months after a late hitch held up their attempts to agree compensation with Swansea for Roberto Martinez. THE GUARDIAN Sir Alex Ferguson has put together a list of potential summer transfer targets as he tries to fill the enormous void created by the imminent £80million transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid and the prospect of Carlos Tevez following the world footballer of the year out of Old Trafford. Also: Chelsea are increasingly resigned to losing another of their summer transfer targets, David Villa, to Real Madrid after exploratory discussions with the Spain striker's current club, Valencia, confirmed he has set his heart on a move to the Bernabeu.

Source: Daily_Mail