The Times:
Carlos Tévez is expected to complete his transfer to Manchester United in the next 24 hours. The Argentina forward will join the Barclays Premier League champions on an initial two-year loan, at the end of which United will have the chance to buy the player permanently for a fee that could be more than £20 million.
The deal is complicated because West Ham United do not own Tévez outright, but it is thought that the London club have agreed to hand over the player's registration rights to United so that the transfer can be sanctioned by the Premier League.
In turn, United will pay two annual fees of about £3 million to Kia Joorabchian, the businessman whose Media Sports Investments (MSI) firm owns the economic rights to Tévez.
It was unclear last night whether West Ham would receive any payment from United, although privately the club are thought to be glad to see the back of a player, who, through no fault of his own, has caused them considerable embarrassment.
A spokesman for the Premier League said: "As far as the Premier League is concerned, any potential deal for Carlos Tévez must be struck directly with West Ham United."
The agreement is believed to be similar to that which Liverpool arranged with West Ham and Joorabchian for Javier Mascherano, Tévez's Argentina team-mate, who joined the Merseyside club on an 18-month loan in January for an initial fee of £1.5 million, with the option of a permanent deal.
The Guardian:
Carlos Tevez's move to Manchester United is in doubt after the Premier League last night ordered that West Ham United must receive his transfer fee.
The Premiership champions expected to conclude a deal for Tevez once his international duties at the Copa América in Venezuela are fulfilled, with the Argentina forward joining their squad during their tour of the US in the middle of this month. But the league's intervention has left West Ham and Tevez's agents on a collision course to the courts.
West Ham had been prepared to let Tevez go to Old Trafford without receiving a fee but have been forced to reposition themselves. "As far as we are concerned any deal to take Carlos Tevez away from West Ham has to be done directly with the club," said a Premier League spokesman.
That is because the player's registration lies with West Ham and not with the offshore companies who had brought Tevez to the Premiership: Media Sports Investments and Just Sports Inc.
After being fined £5.5m by a disciplinary commission in April for illegally registering the player last August, the Hammers chose to rip up the third-party agreement that connected them to MSI and JSI.
That meant West Ham were effectively taking a £20m-plus-rated player as their own, despite never having paid a transfer fee. MSI and JSI refused to recognise West Ham's decision and instead prepared a path for the player to Old Trafford.
After the disciplinary commission, West Ham had the choice of renegotiating terms with the player's handlers, who are led by Kia Joorabchian, in a deal akin to that which took Javier Mascherano to Liverpool in January. But that would have been a potentially complex discussion and Tevez was needed in a relegation fixture at Wigan the next day. The most expedient route was to rip up the contracts.
That, however, appears to have stored up problems, and these were coming home to roost last night. MSI and JSI have retained the experienced sports lawyer Graham Shear to act on their behalf and a courtroom battle appears inevitable.
The Telegraph:
The Premier League will block Manchester United's attempt to sign Carlos Tevez unless they agree to pay a "significant" chunk of any transfer fee to West Ham.
United have agreed in principle a two-year deal with Kia Joorabchian, the owner of the Argentine striker's economic rights, with an option to buy him outright in the summer of 2009.
The club could make an announcement today confirming the deal, subject to obtaining the necessary paperwork and the player passing a medical when he returns from the Copa America in Venezuela later this month.
However, winning the backing of the Premier League could prove the biggest hurdle to the transfer, even though West Ham last night seemed to accept they would struggle to retain a player desperate to go to Old Trafford. League sources say they could even charge United with 'tapping-up' Tevez by going behind West Ham's back and doing a deal directly with Joorabchian.
Having seen the climax to last season overshadowed by the Tevez affair, the League's chief executive, Richard Scudamore, fears the player's move to United could make a mockery of the competition's rulebook.
The Indie:
Carlos Tevez is set to sign for Manchester United in the next two days in a deal that could be worth up to £30m. The Argentine will fly directly from the Copa America in Venezuela to join up with United's pre-season tour to the United States on Monday.
However the transfer could lead to a round of legal action with his present club, West Ham United, fearing they will be urged by the Premier League to clarify Tevez's registration and ownership by taking Kia Joorabchian, the businessman who owns his economic rights, to court.
In the light of the highly-sensitive inquiry into Tevez's transfer to Upton Park, West Ham would clearly not want to take that step. There are concerns at the club as to exactly how they can now extricate themselves from the saga without hurt being caused especially as Joorabchian could present potentially damaging evidence against them in court.
Tevez will sign a two-year deal at United with a "loan fee" of between £4m-£8m a year being paid. None of that will go to West Ham, even though they hold his registration and claim that he is "their player". Instead the money will be received by Joorabchian and the companies that control Tevez. United will then have an "exclusive option" in the second year of buying the striker out-right. That fee is expected to be between £14m-£22m.
When Tevez signs for United the Premiership champions will hold his registration. However Joorabchian will still retain the 23-year-old's "ownership and economic rights" until a permanent deal is agreed.
Although controversial it does not break the Premier League rules which allow for third-party ownership of players but which preclude the existence of so-called "side agreements" which allow that third-party influence over the club.
* Ed. There is not a tour to the States.