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David Beckham and Gary Neville have stunned English football by completing the signing of former Liverpool and Sunderland forward Fabio Borini for Salford City. The 34-year-old Italian, who was a free agent after leaving Sampdoria in the summer, has penned a short-term deal until January with the League Two club, marking a remarkable return to English football.

• Salford sign ex-PL star

   Salford City, co-owned by football icons Beckham and Neville, have completed a surprise move for ex-Premier League striker Borini. The Italian has joined the League Two side on a deal until January after training with the team over the past month. His arrival provides vital experience for Karl Robinson’s side, who are currently dealing with a long-term injury to striker Jay Bird.

  Borini, who has represented Chelsea, Liverpool, and Sunderland during his career, returns to England more than six years after his last spell in the country. The 34-year-old forward left Serie B club Sampdoria in the summer and has since been keeping fit by joining training sessions with Salford’s first team. The deal, finalised this week, is seen as a major coup for the League Two outfit as they aim to push higher up the table this season.

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  Borini ready for new 'challenge'

  “It’s been great, I came in to train to keep myself fit in this transition between contracts and Salford, the Gaffer, Alex Bruce, were kind enough to allow me to use the facilities and train here,” Borini said after the announcement. “Experience is one thing that I can bring, but it’s not just about the experience that I have on the pitch, it’s outside of the pitch so leading by example in training, outside training, how to manage a game. I’ve never played League Two football so I need to learn as well from my team mates the main characteristics of this league, but I will bring myself as an open book for my team mates to use me, learn from me or help me, so I’m very open to this challenge.”

  He added: “It’s a challenge that I’m embracing and I chose to embrace because I needed the real football, something that warms my heart for football, not for anything else.” The Italian’s comments underline his passion for the game and his excitement at taking on a new test in the latter stages of his career. Borini’s leadership and top-flight pedigree could prove crucial as Salford look to strengthen both on and off the pitch.

• Borini's nomadic career

  Borini’s career has spanned more than a decade at the highest levels of European football. After coming through Bologna and Chelsea’s youth systems, Borini made his name with Roma before moving to Liverpool, where he scored in the Premier League and netted in the 2014 League Cup final. Spells with Sunderland, AC Milan, and Verona followed, alongside a brief adventure in Turkey with Karagumruk, reflecting a career filled with top-tier experience across multiple countries.

  His signing not only boosts Salford’s forward options but also adds an experienced figure to the dressing room — something manager Robinson has openly valued since his appointment. Salford sit ninth in the League Two standings with six wins in their opening 12 matches.

  Borini’s arrival at Salford continues a pattern of ambitious moves by Beckham and Neville’s ownership group, who remain determined to elevate the club beyond League Two. Since completing a fresh takeover earlier this year, the pair have reportedly committed significant financial backing to strengthen the team’s infrastructure and playing staff. Their goal is to establish Salford as a competitive force capable of challenging for promotion and eventually securing a stable position in the Championship.

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  What comes next?

  Borini is expected to make his debut for Salford City later this month, pending match fitness with registration already cleared by the EFL and the FA. The club’s next fixtures could provide the perfect opportunity for him to ease into League Two football while mentoring younger players around him. For Beckham and Neville, this move signals their continued ambition to blend experience with youth in pursuit of steady, long-term progress at the Peninsula Stadium.

  Salford’s management have already made clear that Borini’s short-term deal could be extended if he adapts well and makes a meaningful impact. Given his experience, the Italian could become an integral part of Robinson’s system as the club aims for a late playoff push.

GOAL US unpacks the main weekend storylines from the Premier League, La Liga and other top competitions in The Euro XI

Thank you, Estevao, for giving us a title race. This needed to happen. Liverpool had to lose. Someone else had to win. Those around them also had to play their part. It has not been a pretty week on Merseyside. The Reds have dropped three in a row. Arsenal and Man City have responded with wins.

But that's kind of what it's all about. You shouldn't be able to walk to the title. This should be hard. The Premier League is on. 

The same goes for La Liga. Barca were good. Madrid were bad. Then the roles reversed. Neither side is particularly convincing, and no one really deserves to be top of the table – which is why Madrid have a two-point lead. The good news? This is now far more compelling. Wins there and losses for Barca all amounted to a fun weekend in Spain, too.

GOAL US presents The Euro XI, with 11 key observations from the weekend.

• AFP
  

  11Crisis time on Merseyside?

  It was always going to be a tricky weekend for Liverpool. The Reds had lost two in a row going into their match at Chelsea. The Blues had their injury issues, but Arne Slot's side had hit a bump. A win would have been a vital reset. A loss, and, well, welcome to crisis.

  After 95 minutes, an agreeable draw seemed on the cards. Everyone goes home happy. 

  But then a lovely bit of play from Chelsea changed things. Enzo Fernande slipped through to Marc Cucurella, who squared to the far post. Estevao – a Brazilian teenager who has shown immense yet little end product – slid in at the back post to send the Bridge into raptures. Chelsea are still imperfect. Liverpool certainly are no longer perfect. 

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  10Can Chelsea now deal with adversity?

  More on those tricky Blues for a second. Chelsea's transfer strategy reads like this: buy everyone. And it does a nice job, at times. When you have a load of good footballers, you have a good chance of winning games. But there are issues here.

  Chief among them? There's not tons of experience. The result is a brittle unit that snaps when the pressure cranks up. That can only be learned over time. It's a game-by-game thing. 95th minute win over Liverpool might just be a perfect example. 

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  9Erling Haaland, evil space demon

  Here are Erling Haaland's stats so far in the Premier League this season: seven games, nine goals, one assist. 

  That's just a bit unfair. 

  Man City, once again, were unconvincing at the weekend. They're still lacking in a bit of fluidity, perhaps even short on attacking ideas. Turns out that in good ol' English style you can just 'oof it up to the big man up front. Haaland scored one. City didn't need another. 1-0 win, title race loading. 

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  8Arsenal keep it calm

  "Arsenal are too emotional to win the league."

  That was the criticism of the Gunners for the last three years (second-place finishes: three). This was a team that didn't quite get over the line, were too frantic in the big moments. In American sporting terms: they often choked.

  And that may yet be the case this year, but Arsenal, so far, have done all of the right things. They have conceded just once from open play this season, and made it all look very easy with a 2-0 win over West Ham on the weekend. Bukayo Saka is healthy. We've got a title race, guys. 

Ten-wicket victory belies anxiety of hosts as England now await in semi-finals

Firdose Moonda21-Feb-2023In a sport where strange things tend to happen – albeit not that many at this World Cup – the strangest would have been if South Africa had found a way to lose to Bangladesh for the first time in more than 10 years and second in as many meetings. But, remember, stranger things have happened.It was less than four months ago that the men’s team, on the cusp of a T20 World Cup semi-final, crashed out in improbable fashion at the hands of Netherlands. It was only a little more than a week ago that the women’s team lost their World Cup opener to Sri Lanka, a team they dismissed for their lowest T20I score – 46 – in Birmingham six months ago. South Africa’s tournament campaign got back on track when they caught New Zealand on a second successive off-day but the manner in which the hosts were outplayed by Australia showed signs of a side who get overawed by big occasions. Strangely, the match against Bangladesh will go down as one of the biggest.On a breezy Tuesday night, 6,623 people packed into Newlands, the second-biggest crowd for a women’s international in this country. Among them was Graeme Smith, now lauded as the person who single-handedly breathed life back into the country’s game thanks to his role in putting together the SA20. Imagine the burden of continuing his summer of success. Also present were groups of people who clearly knew some of the players. A Laura Wolvaardt fan club had taken up residence in one stand, and a Nadine de Klerk one in the other. Imagine the feeling of having your nearest and dearest watching on one of your biggest nights. South African flags were spotted in all parts. Imagine the expectation which hung thick in the air. South Africa played like a team who were feeling it.Right from the start, they handled pressure like a hot potato. Wolvaardt, their best fielder, dropped Shamima Sultana off the ninth ball of the match, on three. She was stationed at backward point, where she had pulled off some stellar stops, but the ball spilled out of her hands. Immediately after that happened, Shabnim Ismail, who was bowling, scowled; in the field shoulders dropped, and all around tension simmered. “It can be difficult when you miss one,” Wolvaardt said. “You just have to stay positive.”At first, they didn’t. Tazmin Brits put the simplest of catches down on the midwicket boundary, to let Shobhana Mostery off the hook on 25. Between that, Marizanne Kapp and de Klerk collided on the boundary to ultimately save a four that they could have kept to a single if one of them had collected cleanly. Happily, no-one was hurt but worryingly, they were clearly rattled.Kapp’s kick to deep midwicket in her final over cost two runs. Her wild throw to the non-striker’s end in the next over conceded another one. In the same over another careless throw ricocheted off Farghana Hoque’s bat and allowed the batters to take two. At one point Sinalo Jafta ran to square leg to field a Hoque missed flick, Brits had to back up behind the stumps and a single became two. Off the next ball, another wild throw allowed two more. Nonkululeko Mlaba let a ball go through her fingers at short fine leg and allowed a run. Between the 17th and 20th over, South Africa gave six runs that they shouldn’t have. It was only six, but then they lost to Sri Lanka by three.A unique celebration after Tazmin Brits completes her half-century•ICC/Getty ImagesDespite a strangling bowling performance, an obviously disappointed team left the field in bit-parts. Ismail covered her face with her pullover as Kapp and Khaka appeared in deep conversation. “It was our worst fielding performance of the competition,” Wolvaardt conceded, as the team body language remained riddled with a tension that carried over into the chase.Brits sent Wolvaardt back at the end of the first over, when a single was probably on but she decided she didn’t want it. Then at the end of the second over, Brits offered mid-off a simple chance and was fortunate that Bangladesh, too, were struck by a bout of butterflies. Not content with surviving twice, Wolvaardt chanced her third life, when she hit Marufa Akter to short cover and ran even though Brits unmoved. Wolvaardt was at Brits’ end when the throw came in to Marufa, who anxiously flung to the keeper, by which time Wolvaardt had made her ground. There was no run off that ball, the middle of a series of nine dots, and the pressure built.Wolvaardt broke it in the fifth over with a charge against Nahida Akter and a six over long-on. South Africa finished the powerplay on 26 without loss, with less than 90 to get, but Wolvaardt was worried. “When I looked at our score after the powerplay I thought it was not that good and this is a crunch match for us,” she said.There was a crack of light in the door to the semi-finals but it took a shift in mindset to open it completely. “We were making it look a lot harder than it was and losing our shapes a bit but we realised we can’t leave it for the last over,” Wolvaardt added.After the 10-over drinks break, the next over went for eight runs and the one after that for nine, and the next two for 17 runs combined. Eventually they walked through with increasing confidence as Bangladesh began to fray, Wolvaardt and Brits reached their highest scores of the tournament and put on South Africa’s fourth-highest opening stand in T20Is.Brits even had time for a light-hearted moment when she celebrated her half-century by placing both hands on her helmet and standing on one leg, like a tree. Wolvaardt said she had “no idea” what the symbolic meaning of that gesture was. When Wolvaardt hit the winning runs, Mlaba and Masabata Klaas got a dance going which involved holding their hands behind their backs like a bunny rabbit’s tail and in the stands, the 6,623 people partied with the gusto of a full house.Related

• Tahlia McGrath blitz seals small chase to put Australia in semi-finals

• Nat Sciver-Brunt, Wyatt, Jones break Women's T20 World Cup record in win over Pakistan

• Wolvaardt and Brits haul South Africa into semi-final after bowlers' show

• Nat Sciver-Brunt: England wanted to 'show everyone what we're about'

But this is only part of the job. The team that chased 114 now has to face the side who, an hour before them, beat their opposition by 114 runs and made it look simple. If the growing gap between cricket’s haves and have-nots could be measured, 114 on Tuesday night tells the story. England are unbeaten from the group stage and eyeing up a final against one of Australia or India. South Africa still need to own their home World Cup but still believe the semi-finals is the place where it will happen.”We’re going to have to play a very good game of cricket,” Wolvaardt said. “England are a very explosive batting side. They play a very attacking brand of cricket. We are going to have to have some good discussions about how we use that against them and we are going to have to put a lot of runs on the board against them, especially in the powerplay.”It’s not lost on Wolvaardt that South Africa have lost their last three semi-finals, all to England. The last one, at the 2022 50-over World Cup, came after South Africa beat England in the group stage and Wolvaardt called it a “mental lapse” which must be avoided this time. “We have to stay mentally strong,” she said.South African teams have often said that. Imagine how strangely exciting it would be if they’re able to do it.

England went to lunch on 83 for 2

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jul-2025

Jasprit Bumrah in action•Getty Images

Nitish Kumar Reddy removed both England openers in his first over but the hosts escaped the first session only two wickets down after choosing to bat first at Lord’s. Reddy struck twice in four balls after Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley scraped through the first hour unscathed. Ollie Pope and Joe Root then led England’s recovery with an unbroken stand of 39 before lunch.Duckett was repeatedly struck on his body in a probing first spell from Jasprit Bumrah, who replaced Prasidh Krishna in India’s only change from the side that won at Edgbaston last week. But England reached the drinks break at 39 for 0, despite a frenetic start from Crawley which featured four boundaries – one via the outside edge – and several plays-and-misses.Reddy’s double-strike opened up both ends for India. His first wicket was a freebie, a long-hop down the leg side which Duckett under-edged through to Rishabh Pant on the pull, but his second was a beauty. He angled the ball into Crawley, then found late movement away off the seam to take the outside edge, as India sensed an opportunity.Pope was dropped between those two wickets, edging his first ball – a full outswinger – to gully, where Shubman Gill could not hold onto a tough, low chance, diving to his right. But after his early life, he grew in confidence alongside Root, and they saw off Bumrah’s third spell to reach the lunch interval at 83 for 2.Ben Stokes’ decision to bat first on winning the toss – for the third time in a row – was met with cheers at Lord’s, after bowling first had backfired at Edgbaston. Gill admitted he was “a bit confused” about what he would have done but said that he would have leaned towards bowling in the belief that the only assistance from the pitch would come early on the first day.

There are nerves in the air at Leeds United at the moment as the brand new Premier League season gets closer and closer by the day.

The newly promoted Whites have been very active in the transfer window so far, as seen in seven fresh faces joining Daniel Farke’s ranks this summer to date, but the German is still hesitant about his side’s top-flight acumen heading into the anxious opening run of matches.

In particular, the German is concerned about the options he has at his disposal up top, with both Mateo Joseph and Patrick Bamford out of his first-team plans.

Whilst adding in more depth up top looks to be crucial, Leeds wouldn’t say no to additions elsewhere, as a fresh midfielder is now also eyed up.

Leeds pushing for move for £100k p/w star

Before exploring further as to who Leeds could add to the midfield department, it’s clear that the Whites want more Premier League-capable striker options, and fast.

Beto, who Leeds were linked with earlier in the transfer window, has reportedly come back onto their shopping list as he weighs up moving away from Everton, with the Whites’ interest in Fulham ace Rodrigo Muniz also long-standing.

Away from the plethora of names filtering through in the centre-forward areas, Leeds have also been credited with interest in free agent midfielder Josh Brownhill, as per a new report by GIVEMESPORT.

The report further reveals that Everton is also trying to push through a deal for the ex-Clarets captain, but a tricky stumbling block has emerged for both parties.

The hurdle both sides will have to try and overcome is the spending power of MLS side Toronto FC, who are willing to offer the Manchester-born star a £100k-per-week deal to leave England behind for Canada.

It remains to be seen what Brownhill’s short-term future looks like, but if he does decide to relocate from Lancashire to Elland Road, over pastures new in Canada, he could be just what Leeds need in terms of an attacking outlet centrally, away from the more defensively sound members of the squad from the middle of the park.

Why Brownhill's addition could be perfect for Stach

Indeed, out of all the midfielders at Farke’s disposal, new £17.4m recruit Anton Stach is the most content with just sitting back and doing his defensive dirty work.

So much so, Stach can even line up as a centre-back if needed – as seen in his 16 career appearances from this part of the pitch – alongside the fact that the Whites number 18 singled out his “aggressive” nature as one key attribute to his game when speaking just after his move to Leeds had been confirmed.

The German’s aggressive approach on the pitch is certainly more evident when looking at the table above, with Stach greatly trumping Brownhill when it comes to tackles made, ball recoveries made, and total duels won per match last season in their respective leagues.

Having such a lively, fierce anchor in the side means Brownhill will be able to focus even more on his explosive attacking game at Elland Road, with the 29-year-old’s stunning output of 18 goals and six assists last season for Burnley clinching automatic promotion out of the Championship, alongside Farke’s title-winners.

With six goals and six assists already next to his name in the Premier League, too, both Brownhill and Stach could be components of a new-look midfield that just work alongside each other, as the EFL “superstar” – as he was once dubbed by former manager Lee Johnson – attempts to become a top-flight regular wearing Leeds white.

Of course, the £100k-per-week salary at Toronto might prove to be too tempting to turn down.

But, with steady teammates such as Stach next to him, Brownhill could shine as a gung-ho midfield presence up a division, as Leeds attempt to make survival less of a chore with entertaining displays.

Aston Villa in pole position to sign £35m Brazilian ahead of Man City and Leeds

The Villans desperately need to get moving this summer.

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By
Emilio Galantini

Aug 2, 2025

Glasgow Rangers supporters have been getting excited about the prospect of watching Djeidi Gassama week-in-week-out at Ibrox in the 2025/26 campaign.

The 21-year-old winger announced himself as a Gers star in the making with two goals in his first two games against Panathinaikos in the club’s Champions League qualifiers.

Gassama stepped up to the occasion in both matches to score off the bench and was rewarded with his full debut against Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday.

Unfortunately, though, the summer signing from Sheffield Wednesday was unable to make it three goals in as many games at Fir Park in the 1-1 draw.

Why Djeidi Gassama struggled against Motherwell

The 21-year-old forward thrived off the bench against Panathinaikos because the Greek side needed to get back into the match and were committing men forward, providing him with space to exploit on the left flank.

Motherwell, however, were more than willing to sit deep and soak up pressure, which meant that he did not have as much space to work with in the game.

Gassama failed to score and only created one chance in 83 minutes on the pitch, but it was not all his fault. Having right-footed Max Aarons at left-back meant that the Frenchman did not have any overlapping threat to create space for him.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

This is why Rangers need to sign a natural left-back in order to unlock Gassama’s full potential, and Monaco full-back Kassoum Ouattara could be the ideal addition.

Why Rangers should sign Kassoum Ouattara

The Light Blues have reportedly already made contact with the Ligue 1 side to discuss a potential deal for the 20-year-old starlet, who could come in as the dream partner for Gassama down the left flank.

Having a naturally left-footed player who wants to attack down the flank would help Russell Martin’s side to break down teams sat in a low block because it would cause the opposition’s full-back to decide between going with the run on the outside or staying close to the winger.

Of course, it cannot just be any left-footed left-back, though, because they have to offer enough of a threat going forward to be considered a threat by the opposition in order to open space for Gassama.

Ouattara only played 12 times in Ligue 1 for Monaco in the 2024/25 campaign, but the French youth international showcased his creative skills in his limited minutes on the pitch.

As you can see in the table above, the Rangers transfer target has the potential to be an exceptional attacking threat down the left wing with overlapping runs, as he is an efficient and effective crosser who can create high-quality chances for his teammates.

The left-back, who has been described as a “very offensive” full-back by writer Kai Watson, would be able to draw attention away from Gassama and, therefore, create more space for the winger to work with.

This could help to unlock the former Owls star’s full potential at Ibrox, as he would not be overrun by opposition defenders because of the lack of support from Aarons when teams sit in deep.

It is now down to Rangers to get a deal done for Ouattara in the coming weeks, because the talented and attack-minded full-back could be a dream addition to bomb down the left flank in support of Gassama this season.

England have it all to do after Shubman Gill’s historic double-hundred gave India a mammoth 587

Matt Roller03-Jul-2025

Shubman Gill walks off to applause from the Edgbaston faithful•Getty Images

India’s new-ball bowlers picked off England’s top three with the same ease with which Shubman Gill ticked off records during his maiden Test double-hundred to take control of the second Test. This was a near-perfect day for India’s captain: Gill cruised to 269 before offering his first genuine chance, then snaffled a blinder at third slip to prompt England’s slump to 25 for 3.Gill made clear at the toss that he supported India’s decision to reinforce their lower-order batting after two collapses at Headingley, and it has paid off so far. He added 203 for the sixth wicket with Ravindra Jadeja, then 144 more for the seventh wicket with Washington Sundar, turning 211 for 5 into the highest total that England have conceded in the Stokes-McCullum era.Related

• England's bid for smarter choices may start now

• Jadeja breaks BCCI guidelines but don't expect any sanctions

• Gill walks Kohli's path in flawless display of batting

• Stats – All the records Gill broke during his historic 269

Gill personified class and composure. He milked Shoaib Bashir for singles with the ease of a father teaching his son a lesson in the back garden, caressed back-to-back boundaries off Brydon Carse through wide mid-on and cover, and treated Harry Brook’s medium pace with utter disdain as he swept landmarks aside.He started England’s innings off the field after his 387-ball epic, and then took a spectacular catch four balls after walking back on. Akash Deep, India’s replacement for Jasprit Bumrah, cramped Ben Duckett for room from around the wicket and induced a thick outside edge; Gill flung himself acrobatically to his left and clung onto the chance, sending last week’s fourth-innings centurion crashing back to earth.Akash Deep struck again with his next ball, a full outswinger that Ollie Pope optimistically tried to whip leg side. His outside edge flew to KL Rahul at second slip, who parried the chance up to himself and grabbed it at the second attempt; Pope said after his first-innings century in Leeds that he was determined to avoid a familiar tail-off as the series wears on but has now failed twice since.India were rampant and soon had a third when Mohammed Siraj, who bowled a faultless opening spell, had Zak Crawley edging to first slip. It was a textbook Crawley dismissal, pushing with hard hands – and no foot movement – at a ball which left him, which left Brook and Joe Root to pick up the pieces: after 151 overs in the field, England were still 362 short of the follow-on mark.While Root was watchful, Brook sensed an opportunity to take the pressure off himself – and to get rid of some close catchers. After surviving an umpire’s call lbw shout – with Sharfuddoula consistent across both innings – Brook charged Siraj, flat-batting him through extra cover before launching him for six down the ground. He made it through to stumps, the deficit still 510.But a 52-run stand could not take the shine off Gill’s day. It is increasingly hard to fathom that he averaged barely 35 in Tests before this tour: he has led by example in his first series as captain and already looks ensconced in his new role at No. 4. Chief among his records were the highest score by an India men’s captain, and the highest score by any India batter in England.He was brilliantly supported by India’s two spin-bowling allrounders. Jadeja was the aggressor at the start of the day, slapping Ben Stokes through the off side for back-to-back boundaries. The pair exchanged words about Jadeja’s habit of taking two strides down the pitch before deciding whether to attempt a run or not, and both were warned off the danger area by umpires.1:39

Aaron: English bowlers were way off their mark

Jadeja fell shortly before lunch, gloving Josh Tongue’s short ball down the leg side for 89, and Washington struggled early against the bumper barrage. But he decided to take Tongue on after lunch, pulling him over long leg for six, and otherwise held up one end while Gill dominated the scoring.Stokes opted to preserve Chris Woakes’ body, and his own: neither man bowled an over after their initial bursts which started the day, with Bashir relied upon to hold up an end as Tongue, Brydon Carse and Brook rotated from the other. It took Root, curiously under-bowled, to break the partnership, ripping an offbreak past Washington’s outside edge and into middle stump.Gill fell shortly after tea, mistiming a pull straight to square leg: it was the first genuine chance he had offered, after a half-hearted lbw shout on the first evening and an outside edge past second slip in Woakes’ early burst on the second day. Bashir was handed the final two wickets on a platter: Akash Deep holed out to long-on and Siraj walked past a carrom ball to be stumped.India’s selection plan is halfway to working: Gill explained that Washington’s selection ahead of Kuldeep Yadav owed to the extra batting he provided, and he played a major role in helping India add a national-record 372 runs for the last five wickets. The second half relies upon them taking 20 England wickets with the resources available: after three early strikes, so far, so good.

Will he or won't he? Lionel Messi has a massive decision to make and, just eight months before the start of the 2026 World Cup, we still don't know whether he'll lead Argentina's title defence. "At my age, it's only logical to think I might not," the 38-year-old told TyC Sports just last month. But, let's face it, there's never really anything logical about Messi's career.

He's football's miracle-man, blessed with a heavenly gift for making a mockery of the laws of physiology and physics. Truth be told, what he achieved with Argentina at the last World Cup in Qatar shouldn't have been possible either. He was 35 at the time and still running rings around the likes of Josko Gvardiol. 

However, if Messi does decide to walk away from the international arena before next summer's tournament in North America, how would Argentina cope? After all, it would be an "enormous loss", as coach Lionel Scaloni recently admitted, because "there will be no heir to Messi". The man is irreplaceable, both as a player and a leader. Scaloni, though, has already been preparing for a future without his talismanic No.10 and there's already a strong support structure in place. 

For starters, under Scaloni, the fundamental game plan has never changed thus far, whether Messi plays or not, while the coach also says that Argentina are already in possession of players capable of limiting the damage caused by their skipper's inevitable retirement. Nico Paz is undoubtedly one such player…

• 'A player for the future of Real Madrid'

  As is obvious to anyone that watches Paz play, he's a pure street-footballer, a product of the piazzas he played on as a kid in Tenerife, where he was born and raised. His father Pablo was a centre-back, though, and good enough to earn 14 caps for Argentina – one of which arrived at the 1998 World Cup for a squad containing stars such as Gabriel Batistuta, Javier Zanetti, Diego Simeone, Juan Sebastian Veron and Hernan Crespo.

  It was perhaps inevitable, then, that the young Paz would start out playing in defence. However, after Real Madrid signed him from Tenerife before he'd even turned 12, they quickly realised that Paz's street-honed skills were far more suited to an attacking role. Consequently, by the time Paz made his professional debut, in a routine Champions League win over Braga on November 8, 2023, he was impressing for Real Madrid Castilla both as a right winger and a centre-forward.

  Then-Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti was often criticised for not trusting more in the club's youth sector but, credit where it's due, the Italian repeatedly invited Paz to train with the senior squad – a move that got the Toni Kroos seal of approval. "This boy should train with us every day because he is very good," the German playmaker enthused.

  Ancelotti was also willing to bring Paz off the bench midway through the second half of another Champions League clash at the tail end of November – only this time against Napoli, and with the game tied at two goals apiece. It proved an inspired decision. 

  With just six minutes of normal time remaining, Paz cut inside onto his favoured left foot and deceived Alex Meret with a low strike from more than 20 yards out. Joselu may have added another goal for Madrid in the dying seconds but Paz was the talk of the Santiago Bernabeu after the game.

  "He is a player for the future of Real Madrid," an understandably chuffed Ancelotti proclaimed after the 4-2 win. "He has all the quality that a Real Madrid player needs to have."

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• The key move to Como

  However, a mini-injury crisis had contributed to Paz making four appearances in total during the first half of the 2023-24 season, so when several key men returned to action, the youngster went back to playing predominantly for Madrid's reserve team in the third tier of Spanish football.

  As a result, Paz and his representatives pushed for a transfer in the summer of 2024. Madrid agreed to let him go, too, but on the condition that a buy-back clause be included in the deal – which Paz was pleased about, given it meant he wouldn't have to give up on his dream of becoming a regular at the Santiago Bernabeu.

  The only point of contention, then, was where he would go. Como were particularly keen. The Serie A side had done their homework on Paz and director Carlalberto Ludi was certain that they could help him realise his great potential by making him the "centrepiece" of their project.

  The problem was that several other sides wanted the winger too. "There was a lot of interest," Ludi told . "We weren't in the front row, but we were the most determined to sign him."

  Crucially, Como also had an ace up their sleeve in Cesc Fabregas and the World Cup winner's contribution was, as Ludi said, "decisive" in terms of getting the €6 million (£5.2m/$7m) deal done.

• The Cesc Fabregas factor

  Paz was on holiday with his family in Greece when his father received a message from Como coach Fabregas. The attacker admitted, "It was a really special moment for me." Crucial to his development, too.

  "Having a legend as a coach is incredible," Paz told his club's media channel. "He's a person that puts you at ease and who teaches you a lot, both about life and about football."

  It clearly wasn't just a case of Cesc speaking the same language as Paz. The former Arsenal and Barcelona ace clearly viewed the game in the same way. As one of the finest midfielders of his generation, Fabregas understood that desire to be on the ball all the time. 

  "The best thing is that he gives me the confidence to play my football," Paz told . "He keeps me calm and wants to have me playing in between the lines – and that's something really important for me.

  "I also remember him as a player: he had so much quality, and had an amazing final ball. He knew when to arrive in the penalty area to score goals, and that's something I have to improve, to get into the box more. That final pass of his is something that I study a lot."

  As a former prodigious talent himself, Fabregas also knew the potential pitfalls of restricting Paz in any way in these formative years.

  "He's a special player and he must be free to express himself,” the Spaniard said after Paz scored his first goal for Como in a 1-1 draw with Parma on October 19, 2024. "We must not make him robotic."

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• 'The best moment of my career'

  There's certainly nothing rigidly mechanical about Paz, who boasts a certain balletic quality to his movements, and particularly the Zinedine Zidane-like pirouettes that have become such a pleasingly regular sight in Serie A.

  The way in which his tall and slender frame glides past opponents before dissecting defences with pin-point passes has also evoked memories of Kaka, while his left foot has provoked comparisons with Martin Odegaard.

  Paz, though, says he spent – and still spends – hours watching clips of Messi in action to learn as much as possible from the player he considers the greatest of all time.

  It, thus, won't come as a surprise to learn that he barely managed to utter a word to his idol when he was called up to the Argentina senior squad for the first time last October.

  "I get nervous when I see him," Paz confessed to . "So, I didn't speak much at all because I was so embarrassed!"

  Still, while Paz might not have been able to talk to Messi, he proved more than capable of passing to him, as the debutant teed up the No.10 for his hat-trick goal in the 6-0 rout of Bolivia at the iconic Monumental Stadium.

  "It was the best moment of my career so far," Paz told Como's official website. "Providing an assist for the best player in history – and on my debut – was surreal. Considering Leo's age, I never thought I'd have the chance to play with him, but it happened, and was one of the best things that could ever have happened to me in my life." Being singled out for special praise from the great man himself probably ranks as a close second for Paz.

  "Nico has a lot of quality," Messi said at the time. "He has a great head on his shoulders, he understands the game perfectly and I hope he continues like this. He played, he enjoyed it and I think he'll feel comfortable in this team because he likes having the ball." It was then pointed out to Messi that Paz was only one month old when he made his debut for Barca's senior side. "I knew about this!" he said, laughing.

  The question now, of course, is whether we could see Paz and Messi combining at next summer's World Cup in spite of the 17-year age gap and, funnily enough, the only real doubt is over whether Messi will decide to take up his place in Scaloni's squad, because Paz looks like a shoo-in.

Amidst increasing pressure surrounding Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim, the Red Devils have been told by a former Premier League star that former England boss Gareth Southgate is the ideal man to take over at Old Trafford and bring a good feeling back to the club. Southgate had previously been linked with the role before Amorim took over, a decision which has not quite gone to plan thus far.

• Southgate could be perfect man for United – Joe Cole

  According to former Chelsea and England star Joe Cole, Southgate could be the “perfect” man to take over at Old Trafford if Amorim were to lose his job over the coming months. Cole cited building a new culture and understanding the club and its demands as key aspects in which the former England manager may have excelled more than Amorim.

  This comes in a context where the Red Devils have yet to win consecutive Premier League games under Amorim, a disappointing defeat to struggling Brentford undoing the good work from a 2-1 win over Chelsea last time out.

  Amidst speculation that Amorim may find himself and his job under pressure if things do not improve soon, Southgate has reportedly been added to a three-man shortlist to replace the Portuguese if the United job becomes available once again.

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  Could Southgate turn Man United's club culture for the better?

  Southgate was not short of criticism during his time as England manager, arguably the only job in English football which comes under more scrutiny than that of the Manchester United boss. On one level, therefore, he should have little issue dealing with the pressure.

  Southgate was also credited with bringing back a positive culture to the England dressing room, destroying the ‘cliques’ which had been present under previous managers and forming a fearless, young side which was capable not only of going far into tournaments, but of winning high-pressure penalty shoot-outs.

  Arguably the biggest issue surrounding United in recent years has been the culture. Bad eggs within the dressing room, public fallouts between managers and players, multiple star names seeing their careers go off the rails and, most recently, Amorim’s infamous ‘bomb squad’. The likes of Cole believe that Southgate could be the right man to turn these problems around. Some United fans disagree, though, and have expressed their thoughts on social media.

• Cole believes Southgate could succeed at Old Trafford

  Cole said: “He [Amorim] was the bright young spark, people were talking about him like he was the messiah coming into Manchester United and would sort everything out. That’s how high his stock was when he left Lisbon.

  “So, he’s clearly a good manager as well, but the mix and the blend of the whole situation, I think it needs a culture change. I thought Gareth Southgate was the perfect man for the job at the state it was in terms of building culture, understanding the club, understanding the league, understanding the players, working with Jim Ratcliffe and people like that, and they went with Amorim, and it doesn’t look like it’s working.”

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  Pressure on Amorim will increase unless results improve

  Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Man United board have clearly put a lot of faith in Amorim, even putting the Portuguese’s judgement first in allowing talented players such as Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho to leave. Kobbie Mainoo could be next.

  It would therefore be a major turn of events if Amorim were to lose his job soon. With his continued insistence on using a formation which does not suit his players, though, frustrations within the club could soon reach boiling point.

  Should the Red Devils find themselves in the bottom half of the table as we approach the winter period, serious questions will need to be asked. Until then, we may be left continuing to wonder how long Amorim will play Bruno Fernandes in the midfield pivot before he realises the Portuguese is simply not suited to the deeper-lying role.

  Southgate and Manchester United may appear an unlikely match but if things continue as they are, the opinion of Cole may become less of a controversial one. It will be intriguing to see which path Amorim’s Red Devils take next.

There’s no place for Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi in the 16-man squad for the three T20Is

Mohammad Isam21-May-2025Sahibzada Farhan has been rewarded for his sterling form in the ongoing PSL 2025 with a recall to the Pakistan T20I side for the three-match series against Bangladesh later this month. Farhan is among eight changes to the side that toured New Zealand in March.Also returning to the side are Hasan Ali and Saim Ayub.Ayub was out of the national side since picking up an injury in South Africa in January during the Test series. He missed all the cricket between that series and the PSL, including the Champions Trophy, and makes his comeback despite average returns for Peshawar Zalmi – 174 runs in ten innings at an average of 17.40 and strike rate of 125.17.Hasan was in the team last in May 2024, and has now forced his way back with 15 wickets in the PSL for Karachi Kings, which places his joint-second with Abrar Ahmed and Jason Holder, and only behind Abbas Afridi, who has 17 wickets. Abbas, meanwhile, is one of the players to have been dropped.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Farhan pretty much forced the selectors to recall him after last playing a T20I in December last year. Playing for Islamabad United, he is currently the PSL’s top scorer with 394 runs at a strike rate of 154.50, and has hit a century and two half-centuries.Also back are Fakhar Zaman, Hussain Talat and Faheem Ashraf, apart from Mohammad Wasim and Naseem Shah, giving the side an experienced and solid appearance.However, there is no place for Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi. Babar and Rizwan were dropped from the T20I series in New Zealand earlier this year, when Salman Agha was unveiled as the new T20I captain. Afridi played the T20Is on that tour, but has now been left out.

Pakistan squad changes

IN – Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub
OUT – Abdul Samad, Jahandad Khan, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Omair Bin Yousuf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Usman Khan

Pakistan’s three-match series against Bangladesh is also going to be Mike Hesson’s first assignment as the Pakistan white-ball head coach after he joined them earlier this month.The three T20Is will be played on May 28 and 30, and June 1.

Pakistan squad for T20I series against Bangladesh

Salman Agha (capt), Shadab Khan (vice-capt), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Wasim, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub