Papers: Hands off Micah

New deal for Micah
Manchester City will make Micah Richards their highest-paid player with a £10.4million deal to keep their prized asset out of the clutches of Manchester United and Chelsea. He will sign a new £50,000-a-week four-year deal next week as a reward for the key role he has played in helping City top the Premier League under new boss Sven Goran Eriksson. Despite offering him the new deal, City know they face a battle to keep him beyond the end of this season, with United and Chelsea preparing £30m packages to land him next summer. "For the moment it is okay," said boss Sven Goran Eriksson. "But then the question is 'Are Manchester City getting better and better? When will they be playing in Europe? So it depends on him in one way and on us in another. "Micah still has three years left on his contract and I know the club are talking to him. This club will do everything possible to keep a player like that."
David McDonnell, Daily Mirror

Meanwhile, Spurs left-back Gareth Bale, who was linked with United before his summer move to White Hart Lane, looks set to make his Tottenham debut at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Elsewhere, Gabriel Heinze was unveiled as a Real Madrid player on Thursday after completing his move from Old Trafford.

The fall-out from England's friendly defeat to Germany continues with The Sun speculating that boss Steve McClaren will omit Michael Carrick from his next squad.

Round up by Gemma Thompson