The Mail:
Rio Ferdinand has withdrawn from the club's pre-season tour of the Far East and Australia - increasing speculation that he will move to Manchester United for a British record transfer fee.
And reports indicate that Leeds have given the Old Trafford club until noon on Sunday to match their valuation of the player.
Ferdinand, who has seen a transfer request rejected by Elland Road chairman Peter Ridsdale, is believed to have been the subject of a £30million bid from United - although Ridsdale insists no 'acceptable' offer has been received.
United are thought to have warned that they would scrap any possible move if Ferdinand had joined the Leeds tour.
The People:
Ferdinand missed Leeds' trip to the Far East yesterday because of "mental fatigue", Leeds revealed.
As Leeds and Manchester United continued their attempts to thrash out the deal last night, friends of the Elland Road skipper admitted they feared for the pressure he is under after Peter Ridsdale insisted "he is unable to play football".
Ridsdale has set a deadline of noon today for the deal to go through - and they still want United to match their £35m valuation.
The Leeds captain has told friends he has been "torn apart" by the controversy surrounding his move to Old Trafford.
And the England superstar, one of the stars of the World Cup, has even considered CANCELLING the transfer.
Ferdinand was shaken when Leeds fans abused him as he drove to training.
(Special Project Security) to give him round-the-clock protection once the deal is finally completed.
Such is the anguish of Rio's mum Janice, she has personally asked top lawyer Michael Kennedy to ensure a smooth conclusion to the drama that is taking such a toll on her 23-year-old son. Kennedy, who also represents Manchester United captain Roy Keane, is on stand-by to join Rio at Old Trafford once the clubs agree a fee.
O’Loiry in his People column says to Rio:
"Rio, there is no turning back. You have asked for a transfer, you have made up your mind. This was never going to be easy.
I know the agonies you have gone through these past weeks and how much your relationship with the Leeds fans meant to you.
I have watched with pride at the way they took to you, after your move up from London. You were more than the captain and an outstanding defender. I know the agonies you are going through, but you must have the character to handle it."
The MEN:
United are still attempting to prise Rio Ferdinand away from Leeds after the Elland Road club last night rejected a £30m bid for the England defender.
The Reds were contacting their Yorkshire rivals this afternoon with an improved offer for Ferdinand, thought to be around £32m.
The Sunday Times:
The possessive feelings of Leeds fanatics who threaten to despise Rio Ferdinand as violently as they did Eric Cantona — not only for leaving, but for wanting a move to that club, Manchester United — are misguided.
Ferdinand never belonged to Leeds United. He is a modern footballer, and they belong to the highest bidder. Only the fans wear the same colours for life. Ferdinand, in becoming a one-man transfer spiral during a summer of dried-up football finances, is an ordinary young man aware of the extraordinary price on his talents.
If Ferdinand is breaking the contract, who brokered the deal? Leeds procured him against his homing instinct from West Ham for £18m. He was under contract then, as now. Their money (borrowed against an uncertain future) took him out of his background; their promise was that Leeds had the ambition and means to usurp Manchester United and to reach out for the European Cup.
Unmarried, unafraid to talk on racial issues, he keeps his own counsel on what it must have felt like to skipper Leeds at a time when two of the club’s most high-profile players faced court over the assault of a young Asian. At 23, granted the freedom of the borough “in recognition of his personal achievement and services to Southwark”, Ferdinand received a message last month on the eve of England’s World Cup match with Brazil. It was signed by Denise Capstick, the mayor of Southwark, and it concluded with the phrase: “Go Rio go!” He is going — the moment one United says yes to the other.
Venables in The NOTW:
“It highlights how worthless football contracts seem to be. Leeds stuck their neck out and offered Rio a five-year contract after paying a huge sum of money for him - £18m - to West Ham.
"To lose a player one-and-a-half years later just because that player has become so big is simply not right.
"Players must take some responsibility and be prepared to respect the contract they have signed.
"There must be some limits, otherwise it is the beginning of a farce. When I took the job I really thought I would be able to persuade him to stay.
"I understand about the lure and appeal of Manchester United but I still felt Rio would understand.
"He is mad about football and, sometimes, a young player has to learn you can't always have what you want, when you want it."
"It's in their court now but I've had enough of it.
"We can't keep going on like this. It's interfering with the business of the club and our pre-season preparation. That comes into my area and I will not tolerate it.
"The fact Rio is still a Leeds player shows we don't want to sell him. But if United want one of the best players in the world, they must pay the best price in the world. That's the way it is.
"They seem to think they are entitled to everything and, if they do get Rio, it will make me more and more determined to stop them lifting the title."