Press Watch: Beckham-Ronaldo swap deal 'tempts Real'

Sir Alex Ferguson may say that selling David Beckham is "totally out of the question" – according to the Mail on Sunday, at any rate – but that has not stopped a feverish new round of speculation that the England captain is heading out of Old Trafford.

Both the News of the World and Sunday Express say £35m would tempt United to sell – the Express says Real Madrid have circulated the names of Luis Figo and Ronaldo in their bid to raise the cash – but the Sunday Mirror presents the most intriguing version of events, suggesting that the sportswear giants Nike and adidas are working together to broker a deal that would take adidas client Beckham to Madrid and Nike's Ronaldo to Manchester, neatly uniting each player with the clubs whose shirts carry their respective logos.

If United cash in on both Beckham and Ryan Giggs, the Mirror says in a separate story, then Ferguson could well afford to spend £15m each on Blackburn's Damien Duff and Newcastle's Craig Bellamy, while the People throws in the name of West Ham's Jermain Defoe for good measure.

There seems no end to Middlesbrough's spending spree. Despite having added strikers Malcolm Christie and Michael Ricketts to his squad during the January transfer window, Steve McClaren is now prepared to make a £4m bid for Sunderland's Kevin Phillips, according to the News of the World. The People says Boro have also earmarked £4m for the Sheffield United midfielder Michael Brown.

The Express and Mirror differ over who Fulham want to replace Jean Tigana as manager. Reading's Alan Pardew is number one target according to the former, but the latter says that position is occupied by Charlton's Alan Curbishley.