With a fair proportion of City’s squad returning from their summer break tomorrow, speculation surrounding several of Roberto Mancini’s squad has resumed where it left off last May.

Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham continue to be linked with Micah Richards with Martin Hardy in the News of the World claiming Spurs will lodge a bid for “forgotten man” Micah Richards.

“Redknapp feels Richards can recapture the form that saw the defender burst on the international scene when he was just 18,” writes Hardy.

He continues: “The Spurs boss likes his versatility and City could be tempted with a bid of £7m.”

The Daily Star on Sunday believes Nedum Onuoha is wanted by both Sunderland and Everton with the Toffees themselves allegedly braced for a bid in return from the Blues for their talismanic midfielder Mikel Arteta – a story which appears in both the News of the World and Sunday Mirror.

In the latter, Simon Mullock writes: “Last year David Moyes blamed Everton’s poor start on Joleon Lescott’s protracted departure. Moyes rates Arteta as an even more important player and it will take a bid in excess of £25m to take the former Real Sociedad and Rangers playmaker away from Goodison.”

The NoTW’s Neil Ashton has a different take on the story. He writes: “Manchester City have thrown Stephen Ireland, Nedum Onuoha and Michael Johnson into the package as part of a plan to sign Arteta.”

Ashton adds: “All three have been offered in a swap deal to tempt Moyes to sell his star asset.”

It looks like all the above stories are set to run and run in the coming weeks...