What the back pages of the papers say - June 6

Cristiano Ronaldo's departure from Manchester United moved a step closer last night after admitting he is ready to quit Old Trafford for Real Madrid.

Also: Aston Villa are reluctantly ready to allow Gareth Barry to join Liverpool in a £14million deal even though manager Martin O'Neill remains adamant the England midfielder should stay.

Steve McClaren is in desperate pursuit of the vacant manager's job at Blackburn Rovers but looks likely to be left on the sidelines again.

Milan bound? Adebayor, reports the Telegraph

THE SUN

Cristiano Ronaldo has rocked Manchester United by insisting: I want to join Real Madrid.

Also: Mark Hughes vowed to help Manchester City fans lift the roof off Eastlands.

Kevin Pietersen's first Test ton at Trent Bridge saved England from humiliation against New Zealand.

DAILY MIRROR

Cristiano Ronaldo finally broke his silence last night and admitted he wants to move to Real Madrid this summer.

Also: Bungling Steve McClaren's first big job as a BBC pundit will be as an "expert" on Croatia - the team that got him sacked as England manager.

Alex McLeish believes Eduardo's horrific injury at Birmingham probably cost Arsenal the Premier League title - and his own team's survival in the top flight.

DAILY STAR

First the thumb, then the cold shoulder: Ronaldo is set to snub Fergie

Cristiano Ronaldo last night finally admitted that he wants to quit Manchester United.

Also: Carlo Ancelotti is still in the frame to be Chelsea's new manager.

Manchester United's hopes of winning the battle to sign teen starlet Aaron Ramsey have received a major boost from Cardiff manager Dave Jones.

DAILY EXPRESS

Cristiano Ronaldo will give the cold shoulder to Sir Alex Ferguson when the Manchester United manager arrives at Portugal's Euro 2008 HQ in a last-ditch bid to persuade the winger to stay at Old Trafford.

Also: Luiz Felipe Scolari has moved to the top of Chelsea's managerial hitlist after his
agent had secret talks with Stamford Bridge chief executive Peter Kenyon.

Never again. That is the frank verdict from Football Association chairman Lord
Triesman on England's failure to qualify for Euro 2008.

THE TIMES

Cristiano Ronaldo's faltering relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson appeared to deteriorate further yesterday when the Portugal winger effectively banned the Manchester United manager from visiting his country's European Championship training camp.

Also: Blackburn Rovers' uphill battle to keep their best players after Mark Hughes's departure as manager was underlined last night when Roque Santa Cruz, the Paraguay striker, revealed that Manchester United are eager to entice him from Ewood Park.

DAILY TELEGRAPH

Manchester United could be on course for a bitter summer struggle to retain Cristiano Ronaldo after the player was reported to have said yesterday that he wanted to join Real Madrid.

Also: AC Milan are preparing to test Arsenal's resolve with a £32 million bid for striker Emmanuel Adebayor.

Luciano Spalletti, the Roma coach, refused to rule himself out of the running
for the vacant manager's seat at Chelsea yesterday.

THE GUARDIAN

Cristiano Ronaldo delivered the news that Manchester United had been dreading last night when the world's most coveted footballer publicly declared that he wanted to leave the Champions League winners to join Real Madrid.

THE INDEPENDENT

Kevin Pietersen is unlikely ever to win a popularity contest in Nottingham, the acrimonious way in which he left the county for Hampshire in 2004 put paid to that, but, as a batsman, he won the respect of the county's cricket-loving public yesterday with a stunning hundred.