Micah Richards contracted swine flu while on holiday last weekend. The Manchester City defender is understood to be the first English professional footballer to be affected by the virus.

Richards, 21, is thought to have been with friends in Ayia Napa, Cyprus, when he was struck down by the H1N1 strain. He returned to England immediately and was placed in quarantine for some days. After causing initial alarm among his family and City’s medical staff, he is recovering well.

Richards had been granted an extended leave of absence by the club because of his involvement in the European Under-21 Championship with England last month. “He felt unwell for three or four days but he has shaken it off and is fit, healthy and well,” City said last night. Lincoln Richards, his father, told The Times that his son was “fine and recovering well”.

Last week, two players with Queen of the South, of the Irn-Bru Scottish League first division, had mild forms of the virus diagnosed.

City are due to fly to South Africa on Wednesday for the start of their pre-season tour, but while Richards will not travel with the rest of the squad, he will join them at some point.

The news came as City formally ended their pursuit of Samuel Eto’o last night after running out of patience with the Barcelona striker, leaving the club frustrated in their search for a global superstar for the second time in six months.

City had a £25 million bid for Eto’o accepted over a fortnight ago, but having grown tired of waiting for the player to decide whether or not to join them, Mark Hughes, the manager, ordered the club to pull the plug and return to the drawing board.

“Samuel Eto’o is undoubtedly a fine footballer, but the circumstances surrounding him were such that the deal could not be completed,” Garry Cook, the City chief executive, said. City were prepared to make Eto’o, 28, one of the highest-paid players in the world on £200,000 a week, but while the three-times African Footballer of the Year had become locked in a dispute with Barcelona over how much of the transfer fee he should receive, he is thought to have got cold feet about a club that could not offer Champions League football.

City are particularly aggrieved that the deal could not be done because Eto’o is believed to have given them plenty of encouragement in the months leading up to their formal bid.

Having also failed in a world-record £103 million bid to sign Kaká, the Brazil forward, from AC Milan in January, Sheikh Mansour’s wait for a marquee signing goes on, although the disappointment of the club’s billionaire owner may be partially offset by the impending arrival of Carlos Tévez. City are expected to complete the £25.5 million signing of the former Manchester United forward on Tuesday, in time for the player to fly to South Africa for the pre-season tour.

The pursuit of Tévez has not been without complications, but he will become City’s third high-profile signing of the summer after Gareth Barry, the England midfield player, and Roque Santa Cruz, the Paraguay striker.

Kroenke ups stake in Arsenal

Stan Kroenke has edged closer to the 30 per cent barrier at which he would be required to make an offer for Arsenal. The American, the club’s largest stakeholder, increased his holding by 0.28 per cent to 28.58 per cent after he purchased 160 shares at £8,500 per share. Should he launch a takeover bid, he has to offer the highest price he paid for shares in the preceding year. At present, that is £10,500, the price he paid Clive Carr in May. It comes after Alisher Usmanov, the second-largest shareholder with 25 per cent, failed in his plan to raise money for the club with a new share issue.