Barcelona are ready to offer Wayne Rooney an escape route from Manchester United, according to the morning tabloids.
Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted Rooney is struggling to cope with the media spotlight on him after allegations over his private life.
The News of the World report that Ferguson will ban his stars from holding a Christmas party in the wake of the Rooney scandal.
The Manchester United boss is upset after previous United parties saw a hotel damaged in 2006 and a rape charge - later dropped - against Jonny Evans a year later.
The Sunday Express report that Fergie is set to bid £12million for Atletico Madrid’s teenage keeper David de Gea.
Sir Alex and goalkeeping coach Eric Steele watched de Gea in La Liga action against Valencia rather than attend United's Carling Cup match in midweek.
And the Star on Sunday claim an exclusive from Wesley Sneijder who has apparently revealed that he would only play for Manchester United in the Premier League.
Sneijder is quoted as saying: "If somebody asks me if I will ever play for Manchester United, it’s impossible for me to say no. How can you say that if the chance came you would not play for one of the biggest clubs in the world."
On the blue side of Manchester, the NOTW report that City boss Roberto Mancini has had a blazing row with physio Jamie Murphy.
Manchester City's football administrator Brian Marwood is reported to have been forced to intervene after boss Mancini threatened to fire Murphy.
Mancini is furious with City's medical department over the club's crippling injury list.
Cardiff boss David Jones has added his voice to the criticism of Mancini’s training in the Mirror, blaming Craig Bellamy’s latest injury problems on the Italian.
Dutch fitness expert Raymond Verheijen has been helping with Bellamy’s recovery and has been using Twitter to warn City that Mancini is risking the health of his squad with his gruelling training methods.
Jones has added: “At Manchester City, Craig was training twice a day and that’s part of the problem. He’s probably overtrained. He overdid it and we’re paying the penalty for that."
Down the East Lancs Road and the Express report that Liverpool fans have mounted a campaign to sabotage co-owner Tom Hicks’ attempts to stay in control.
Reds fans have flooded US media outlets and financial centres with e-mails outlining their disgust at Hicks’ attempts to cling on to power.
The Sunday Telegraph report that Royal Bank of Scotland says it has not ruled out the possibility of Kop Holdings, the company which owns Liverpool, going into administration.
While the News of the World highlight that Inner Circle Sports, the firm which helped Hicks and George Gillett buy Liverpool, are now in talks with club chairman Martin Broughton to assist in an Anfield takeover.
The New York-based investment bankers are one of the six parties currently negotiating with Barclays Capital as the Merseysiders seek an end to the boardroom turmoil.
Broughton has emerged as the key target for the FA as they look to appoint a new chairman according to the Mirror.
The 63-year-old British Airways chairman looks odds on to be offered the job once he leaves the Premier League club.
While the same paper note that Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard is set to claim the England captaincy from Rio Ferdinand on a permanent basis.
One final piece of Anfield news from the red tops is in the Star with Bayern Munich said to be contemplating a £17 million offer goalkeeper Pepe Reina during the January transfer window as they attempt to take advantage of the Anfield club’s current crisis.
The NOTW claim Arsenal are also poised to make a fresh bid for Reina after a £15m bid was rejected during the summer.
After Manuel Almunia gifted West Brom a 3-2 win at the Emirates, Arsene Wenger is considering a new bid in the January transfer window to solve their long-standing goalkeeper problem."
This is epic stuff
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