Media round-up 01/08/2012: featuring Adebayor, Dzeko and Kolo Toure

The Daily Mail report that Emmanuel Adebayor has been told he won't get a pay off by City to leave the club and finally join Spurs, in what is fast becoming the most tedious transfer saga of the summer. Adebayor, understandably, has concerns about making ends meet if he accepts Tottenham's paltry salary offer of £6m a year.

City coach Attilio Lombardo believes Edin Dzeko could have a future at the club despite speculation linking the striker with a move elsewhere. "Dzeko is a big player, and I think Manchester City want big players," Lombardo told Sky Sports News, although it is unclear whether he was talking literally or metaphorically.

Lombardo, meanwhile, announced that he was content with City's 2-1 friendly defeat at Boundary Park last night. "Under Andy Welsh, the margin would've been much greater", he didn't say.

"Kolo Toure ready to stay at City", screams the headline in today's Daily Telegraph, whilst ESPN interpret the same interview as "Toure admits City future doubts" in an article that appeared on their website at 7.30am. Less than two hours later the same website ran a story under the headline "Toure: I love playing for City", so who knows what to believe.

Today's Mario Balotelli watch has the Belfast Telegraph reporting that the Italian locked himself in an airport toilet to hide from a "mob" of fans. One onlooker said: "All of a sudden Mario was surrounded but he gave everyone the slip by escaping to the bathroom. No wonder Premier League defenders have such a hard time keeping tabs on him", he chortled.