DAILY MIRROR: Manchester United are being held to ransom over their attempts to fill the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo’s £80 million switch to Real Madrid. Also: Samuel Eto’o has been offered to Liverpool by Barcelona in a swap deal as the European Champions step up their bid to land Javier Mascherano.

THE SUN: The Premier League’s chairman faces investigation into his links with the proposed £60 million takeover of Portsmouth FC. Also: Real Madrid are set to step up their astonishing spending spree – after an £8million offer for Liverpool’s Alvaro Arbeloa.

DAILY STAR: Moneybags Manchester United were last night told to splash the cash or forget their transfer targets in the wake of Cristiano Ronaldo’s £80m move to Real Madrid. Also: Carlo Ancelotti wants Italy legend Paolo Maldini to join his coaching staff at Chelsea.

THE TIMES: A week ago, the sense was that whatever fate or the opposition could throw at him, Roger Federer would achieve the crowning glory of his career and become a greater giant of the game. In a less grand but no less defining context, Andy Murray is piecing together a sequence of performances on grass that stir the blood almost as vigorously.

THE INDEPENDENT: Manchester United last night made the first significant move to replace the outgoing Cristiano Ronaldo by making a £17.5m bid for Wigan Athletic’s Ecuadorian winger Antonio Valencia. Also: The legendary former Milan left-back Paolo Maldini was in a meeting with Carlo Ancelotti the new Chelsea manager at Cobham yesterday with a view to joining the club’s coaching staff.

DAILY TELEGRAPH: A breakdown in communications between the coaching teams of the British and Irish Lions and Wales was last night blamed for Ryan Jones’s return to the UK less than 24 hours after arriving in South Africa as a replacement for Stephen Ferris. Also: Premier League clubs are losing out to their La Liga counterparts in the chase for top overseas players because of Spain’s more generous tax system, an agent warned yesterday.

DAILY EXPRESS: Manchester United’s attempts to rebuild are set to meet with a mixed response and there will be no quick fix to Cristiano Ronaldo’s £80 million departure to Real Madrid. Also: Sepp Blatter last night performed a stunning U-turn by giving Cristiano Ronaldo’s £80 million move to Real Madrid a huge presidential seal of approval.

THE GUARDIAN: Manchester United have confirmed they intend to replace Cristiano Ronaldo with Antonio Valencia once they have completed the world-record £80m transaction with Real Madrid. Also: Ryan Jones was flying back to London last night, less than 24 hours after joining up with the Lions in South Africa as a replacement for the injured flanker Stephen Ferris.

DAILY MAIL: Manchester United were last night rocked by news that Barcelona have emerged as favourites to land Franck Ribery, the France international they have targeted after selling Cristiano Ronaldo for £80 million. Also: The Lions sent Wales captain Ryan Jones straight back home last night in an embarrassing U-turn within 24 hours of flying him out.