Arsenal are winning, Patrick Vieira stays at Highbury - and it may be made public tomorrow. That's the conclusion of several English Sunday papers.

The Observer writes that Real Madrid had hoped a GBP 22.6 million offer would tempt Arsenal to do business. But vice-chairman David Dein has trumped through was a massive payrise from GBP 25,000 to GBP 55,000 p/w. Dein was in any case not inclined to do business with a club who still owes GBP 12 million for Nicolas Anelka.

The Sunday People have Vieira quotes through 'a friend'.

"I want this feud to stop now. I never wanted it to go this far. I am hungry for Arsenal and English football. I want to win the championship," Vieira is said to have said.

Vieira's friend added: "Patrick wants to forget this mess - and he hopes Arsenal fans will forgive him too."

The Sunday Mirror says manager Arsène Wenger insists that Vieira will travel with Arsenal on their pre-season tour to Austria this week, and that the unsettling quotes have been fabricated.

"He has never said those comments which were attributed to him and why should he justify things that he has not said?" Wenger asks rhetorically.

"It just provokes things even more... He is a responsible man and he wants to deal with things quietly."

The only ominous noises comes, predictably, from Real Madrid president Florentino Perez: "... the month of August will be long."