Whilst the tabloids sharpen their sabres for the inevitable jingoistic lead up to the World Cup last sixteen clash with Germany, they are not so interested in domestic buying and selling.

Even so, David Silva, Yaya Toure, James Milner and Micah Richards all manage to make an appearance in one publication or another this morning.

In the Sun, regular City watcher and WTPS ‘contributor’ Martin Blackburn centres on Spain international Silva.

‘Manchester City have been given permission to talk to Valencia’s £30million-rated winger,’ he reveals before quoting Javier Gomez, Valencia’s deputy chairman.

The Daily Mail has a different take on the same subject in its ‘Screamer’ column.

‘Chelsea are poised to hijack Manchester City’s move for Valencia winger David Silva,’ it reckons.

‘City were confident that a £28million deal was in place but the Spain player is said to prefer the Barclays Premier League champions.’

They also have a quote, this one from Silva’s agent Julio Llorente which confirms he is weighing up three offers though tellingly there is no quote from anyone in which the player or anyone else says that he would prefer Chelsea.

Bill Thornton, in the Star, combines Silva and Yaya in a piece which states:

‘Manchester City are closing in on the £50million double signing of David Silva and Yaya Toure next week.’

It is the Mirror’s Football Spy column that reckons Harry Redknapp wants to take Micah Richards to Spurs along with Villa’s Curtis Davies whilst Kevin McCarra in the Guardian, in an article assessing England’s progress out of the World Cup group stage, has a rather sombre outlook on Milner’s value.

‘It sometimes feels extraordinary that the Aston Villa player should so entice Manchester City that a price of £30million is given an airing,’ he declares.

That statement is qualified with the words Milner ‘has no cause to apologise for a valuation that is not doing’ and concedes that he looked worth his place in the England. I’m sure Milner will be grateful for that testimony.