Newcastle United are confident of sealing negotiations for Eddie Howe's first summer signing this week, according to a new transfer update from The Telegraph.

Newcastle transfer news

The Magpies continue to be linked with a whole host of players ahead of next season, with veteran goalkeeper Asmir Begovic one of those to have been most recently backed to complete a move to St James' Park – he will be a free agent once his spell at Queens Park Rangers ends this summer.

Juventus centre-back Dean Huijsen is a highly-rated young defender who could have a big future in the game, and Newcastle are believed to see him as a strong alternative to Tosin Adarabioyo, who they now look set to miss out on. The 19-year-old spent last season on loan at Roma, making 13 appearances in Serie A and growing in experience.

It could be that Howe needs to replace certain outgoing figures in the summer transfer window, with Miguel Almiron one such player who falls into that bracket. Brentford winger Bryan Mbeumo has emerged as a reported target to come in for him, although Liverpool are also among the clubs interested in snapping him up.

Similarly, there is no guarantee that Bruno Guimaraes will definitely still be a Newcastle player once the 2024/25 campaign gets underway, with the Brazilian having the potential to leave a huge void in midfield. Nottingham Forest ace Morgan Gibbs-White has been backed as a replacement for him, following a strong season that saw him score five goals and register 10 assists in the Premier League.

Newcastle could sign £30k-a-week ace this week

According to The Telegraph, Newcastle will look to seal the signing of Bournemouth defender Llloyd Kelly this week, having seemingly failed to snap up Adarabioyo. They "will attempt to get a deal" over the line in the coming days and there is "confidence" it will happen, with the Englishman able to come in on a free transfer after his Cherries deal ends.

It is no hidden secret that the £30,000-a-week centre-back has been a primary target for the Magpies for some time now and the Adarabioyo news appears to have sped up the process, ahead of the Fulham man's possible move to Chelsea.

While not exactly a world-class player who is going to take Newcastle up a significant level, Kelly could prove to be really astute business by Newcastle, especially as Howe knows him from their Bournemouth days together. Another of his former managers, Gary O'Neil, has also hailed his defensive expertise in the past up against Mohamed Salah.

"I thought Lloyd was incredible. I think he had a 12-week ankle injury followed by a six-week calf injury. Didn't have much time in between, and then came back today having not trained much, to play left back against one of the best wingers in the world. I thought he showed everything, the potential he has to be a top defender. I thought it was a very, very impressive performance against a top attacker."

Newcastle eyeing move to sign "fantastic" Premier League record-holder for Howe

He’s an experienced player.

ByTom Cunningham Jun 2, 2024

Kelly could fill in at centre-back and left-back, adding to the depth within Howe's squad, and even if the move ends up not working out, the fact that he won't cost a fee takes out the risk element compared to spending big on a defender.

USMNT star Malik Tillman admits that he has to “do more” on the back of his €35 million (£31m/$41m) transfer to Bayer Leverkusen. The 23-year-old midfielder has opened his goal account for new employers, with his best position being explained, but acknowledges the need to deliver end product after being acquired by Bundesliga giants to provide a creative spark.

Title-winning spell enjoyed in the NetherlandsTillman, who was born in Nuremberg and graduated out of Bayern Munich’s academy system, finds himself back in Germany after a couple of productive Eredivisie title-winning campaigns with PSV in the Netherlands.AdvertisementGettyTillman provides useful goal threatHis goal threat was highlighted there, posting a personal-best return of 16 efforts last season, but saw his start to life in Leverkusen hampered by Gold Cup duty with the United States and an untimely calf injury.Tillman eager to be involved all over the pitchTillman was back on target for Leverkusen in their 1-1 draw with Borussia Monchengladbach, as he lined up against international team-mate Gio Reyna, and told of making an impact from the No.6 role: “I actually want to participate in the game as much as possible, so I was a bit deeper, simply more involved in the whole build-up play. But I also want to be a goal threat, and the further forward I am, the easier it is to be a goal threat.”ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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GettyBack in Germany: How Tillman has adjusted

Tillman added on settling into life at Leverkusen and his hopes for the immediate future: “Actually, the adjustment isn't too difficult, I'd say. Sure, it's different. The pace of the game is different, the tackling is tough, but I think I'm ready for it; I can keep up.

“I'm not yet satisfied with what I've shown so far. I know I can do more, I know I have to do more. That, too, will come with time.”

RB Leipzig's sporting director has hinted that Xavi Simons wants to join Chelsea but insists there is "no agreement" yet.

• Simons wants Chelsea move
• RB Leipzig man running out of time
• Club chief says there's no deal yet

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Despite Simons reportedly being keen on Chelsea, and vice versa, the attacking midfielder played in Leipzig's 6-0 drubbing by Bayern Munich on Friday. For the time being, the Dutch international is set to stay at the Bundesliga outfit, but anything can happen – something Leipzig sporting director Marcel Schafer alluded to.

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  WHAT RB LEIPZIG'S SPORTING DIRECTOR SAID

  He told : "As of today (Friday), Xavi will stay with us. We’ve always said that we make all decisions based on sporting and financial considerations, and that’s why Xavi is our player and why he played today. The transfer market is still open. You never know what’ll happen. I can’t guarantee that 100%. Everyone knows about his ambitions. He’s also told us that. There have certainly been a few exchanges in recent weeks. As we saw today, Xavi was in the starting line-up. So, there has been no agreement yet. And that’s why it will remain that way for now."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Simons' Chelsea switch is reportedly contingent on the Blues being able to sell forward Christopher Nkunku this summer, but an exit for the Frenchman is proving difficult. The former Paris Saint-Germain man would be a quality addition for Enzo Maresca's team, although fitting him in may be a challenge, but there is no guarantee a transfer will happen.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Time is running out for Chelsea to sign Simons before the transfer window shuts on September 1. The 22-year-old will hope to be in place at the Blues before their next Premier League fixture at home to London neighbours Fulham next Saturday.

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RCB, who are playing after a six-day break, will need to win their next two games to stay alive in the competition

Srinidhi Ramanujam07-Mar-2025Who’s playing
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) vs UP Warriorz (UPW)
Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow, 7.30pm IST
What to expect: RCB hope to stay aliveThe spotlight is on RCB. Placed fourth, the defending champions will have to win both their remaining games, starting with this contest against bottom-placed UP Warriorz, and then wait for other results to go their way to qualify for the playoffs. Losing even one out of the next two games will put them out of contention. Warriorz, meanwhile, were knocked out by Gujarat Giants on Friday and will look to finish the season on a high.Four straight defeats after two successive wins have left RCB with more questions than answers. The batting has looked overly dependent on Ellyse Perry, with Smriti Mandhana in the middle of a lean patch. The rest of the line-up has been inconsistent. While Renuka Singh, Kim Garth and Georgia Wareham have taken the bulk of responsibility with the ball and have 25 wickets combined, RCB have been found wanting with their fourth and fifth bowling options. Will a six-day break help them bounce back?Warriorz have struggled in all departments, and the constant shuffling of their batting order hasn’t helped. Chinelle Henry, despite being explosive at the death, has not gotten a promotion to address the middle-order woes. Deepti Sharma has also had an underwhelming outing as captain and bowler, picking up five wickets in seven games at an economy rate of 8.11. Sophie Ecclestone has been the only bowler who has looked threatening.The last time these two sides met, the match witnessed a drama-filled Super Over finish with Warriorz coming on top.Smriti Mandhana has been a disappointment this season•BCCIForm guideRoyal Challengers Bengaluru LLL
UP Warriorz LLLTeam newsRCB are likely to go with the experience of Sneh Rana and Ekta Bisht in the spin department.Royal Challengers Bengaluru (probable): 1 Smriti Mandhana (capt), 2 Danni Wyatt-Hodge, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Raghvi Bisht, 5 Richa Ghosh (wk), 6 Kanika Ahuja, 7 Georgia Wareham, 8 Sneh Rana, 9 Kim Garth, 10 Ekta Bisht, 11 Renuka SinghGouher Sultana played two matches in Lucknow but bowled only one over and went for 16 runs. It remains to be seen whether Warriorz bring back Rajeshwari Gayakwad, who has played only one match so far in this edition.UP Warriorz (probable): 1 Grace Harris, 2 Georgia Voll, 3 Kiran Navgire, 4 Vrinda Dinesh, 5 Deepti Sharma (capt), 6 Shweta Sehrawat, 7 Uma Chetry (wk), 8 Chinelle Henry, 9 Sophie Ecclestone, 10 Gouher Sultana/Rajeshwari Gayakwad, 11 Kranti GoudSophie Ecclestone has been the key player for UP Warriorz•BCCIIn the spotlight: Ellyse Perry and Sophie EcclestoneEllyse Perry has been the in-form batter for RCB this season. She has four-half centuries, the most by a player in this WPL, and has accumulated 295 runs in six matches at a strike rate of 149.74. With Mandhana and Danni Wyatt-Hodge struggling for form at the top, the focus will be on Perry. Lucknow has already witnessed three half-centuries in the first two matches, all coming from top-order batters. Perry has to do it again, with RCB’s season on the line.Sophie Ecclestone stunned the Chinnaswamy Stadium with her all-round heroics when RCB hosted Warriorz two weeks ago. She is the only bowler at Warriorz to have bowled her full quota of four overs in all seven matches. That has fetched her six wickets at an economy rate of 6.96.Key stats Warriorz have lost 33 wickets in the middle overs (from 7 to 16), the most by a team in WPL 2025. Perry has struck at 143.42 against Warriorz, her highest strike rate against a team in the WPL. Henry has the highest strike rate in this WPL – at 211.76.

Scotland pulled off the first upset of the Women’s World Cup Qualifiers by denying Hayley Matthews, who single-handedly kept West Indies in the game despite leaving the field twice with severe cramps, and beating the side by 11 runs.Matthews became only the fourth player to take four wickets and score a century in an ODI but West Indies’ over-reliance on her cost them. She took four of the first five Scotland wickets and forced herself to return to the crease twice – once off a stretcher to keep batting when West Indies were nine wickets down – but it was not enough. Scotland were the side that rallied around Sarah Bryce’s 55 (off 56 balls) and her 82-run fifth wicket stand with Megan McColl and then their spinners. Offpinners Katherine Fraser and Darcy Carter and legspinner Abtaha Maqsood took six wickets between them to defend 244 and get their first points on the board.Temperatures were close to 40 degrees Celcius with humidity at around 60% and conditions took their toll across both games in Lahore. West Indies used cooling collars made of ice packs during drinks breaks, Scotland took shelter under umbrellas and Ireland’s Gaby Lewis received treatment on field three times for cramps during her 96 minutes of batting against hosts Pakistan.Related

• Pakistan squad for Qualifiers: Shawaal Zulfiqar back after long injury layoff

• Six teams, two World Cup spots on offer, many intrigues

• World Cup qualifiers 'a different kind of pressure', says Orla Prendergast

West Indies chose to bowl first on a green top at the LCCA Ground but Scotland were up to the task. Abbi Aitken-Drummond and Carter put on 48 inside 12 overs, in an innings laced with three boundaries each. Matthews brought herself on in the 12th over and had Aitken-Drummond and Kathryn Bryce caught behind in successive overs and Carter dismissed in her third and suddenly, Scotland were 69 for 3. When Chinelle Henry’s direct hit ran out Ailsa Lister West Indies finally looked like they had another player on the field and could run through Scotland.Sarah Bryce held the innings together but when she edged to slip, Scotland went into freefall. They lost 6 for 62 and were bowled out in 45 overs, as both Aaliyah Alleynne and Karishma Ramharack took two wickets each.The chase started poorly when Qiana Joseph gifted a caught-and-bowled to Carter. Zaida James was in at No.3 in the second over. She batted slowly but carefully and shared a 113-run stand with Matthews, which put West Indies well on track. They were 120 for 2 in the 27th over when James tried to hit Chloe Abel over fine leg but found the fielder at 45 and then chaos ensued.West Indies lost Shemaine Campbell, Stafanie Taylor and Henry in the space of 23 deliveries and of those, Taylor’s run-out was key but the required run-rate still manageable. West Indies needed 53 runs off 72 balls and Matthews was still batting, but only just.When Shabika Gajnabi was caught behind, Mathews was on 95 and hobbling. Cherry-Ann Fraser was out in the next over and it was clear Matthews was forcing herself to keep going but couldn’t. She left the field. Afy Fletcher lasted six balls and was dismissed for duck so Matthews came back on and hit four off the next ball she faced. She was on 99 and running out of partners. She fell to the ground wailing and then was stretchered off the field.Ramharack gave Fraser another caught and bowled to leave West Indies nine down when Matthews rolled herself off the stretcher and returned to bat. She brought a century and kept West Indies in the hunt but Alleynne couldn’t stay with her. She was out lbw in the 47th over, with West Indies 11 runs short. They have a day’s break before playing Ireland on Friday.File photo: Diana Baig picked up four wickets•Getty Images

In the day’s other match, hosts Pakistan had their bowlers, led by senior seamer Diana Baig, to thank for securing them a 38 run win over Ireland. Pakistan trudged through their innings to score 217 and Ireland were bossing the chase on 96 for 1 in side 24 overs. Left-arm spinner Nashra Sandhu took three wickets in four overs to leave Ireland’s middle-order exposed before Baig took care of the tail. She finished with figures of 4 for 35 in her first appearance for the team since their opening match of last year’s T20 World Cup and got Pakistan’s campaign off to a winning start.Ireland will have the same amount of recovery time – physically and emotionally – after believing they had done enough against Pakistan. Jane Maguire removed Gull Feroza early and Sidra Amin found run-scoring tough which meant the dot ball mounted up. Muneeba Ali tried to keep the scoreboard moving but Pakistan were 79 for 1 after 20 overs and going nowhere. Sidra was on 29 off 61 balls. Muneeba fell trying to get things going and was replaced by Aliya Riaz.Aliya showed more initiative and was scoring at a run-a-ball when Amin finally got to 50 off 110 balls and was then dismissed at the end of the 36th over. Pakistan were 153 for 3 after 36 overs and a score over 200 looked some distance away. Natalia Pervaiz came in ahead of captain Fatima Sana but was runmout for 12, by which time Aliya was also dismissed. Pakistan did not have the batters for a last ten-over push and lost 6 wickets for 42 runs from Aliya’s dismissal. They were bowled out with an over to spare for 217.That total didn’t look enough despite Baig’s new-ball breakthrough. She had Sarah Forbes given out lbw in the ninth over but a 69-run second wicket stand between Lewis and Amy Hunter started to take the game away. Ireland were 96 for 1 when Sandhu trapped Lewis on the back pad and dragged Pakistan into the game. Both Hunter and Delany played on, leaving Ireland 119 for 4 and Pakistan had the opportunity to burst through.Sadia Iqbal got rid of Leah Paul before Baig was brought back and removed Christina Coulter Reilly, Louise Little and Arelen Kelley in three overs. Cara Murray’s run-out confirmed Pakistan’s win. They will take on Scotland on Friday.

As doubts over Amadou Onana's future continue, Everton have reportedly already submitted their first bid to sign a potential replacement for the Belgian ahead of the summer transfer window.

Everton transfer news

The Toffees could finally be in for some positive news off the pitch, with talks underway to extend Dominic Calvert-Lewin's contract and links beginning to appear with potential incomings, despite the fact that they remain without a takeover. Funding such moves won't be easy this summer, given their lack of investment as things stand, but that's where the potential departure of Onana should help.

The Toffees are reportedly more willing to sacrifice the midfielder in order to raise funds this summer than star defender Jarrad Branthwaite, with the likes of Bayern Munich and Manchester United both linked with moves for Onana this summer in a move that could be worth as much as £50m.

Though adding some crucial funds, losing Onana will still leave a gaping hole in Sean Dyche's squad and one that the Toffees must fill this summer. Starting next season with a depleted midfield would instantly leave Everton at a disadvantage, but the arrival of one target would help ease that concern.

Everton in talks for PL "phenomenon" who could be Branthwaite 2.0

He’s enjoyed an excellent start to life in the Premier League.

ByEthan Lamb May 31, 2024

According to Correio de Manha via Goodison News, Everton have submitted a £26m bid to sign Florentino Luis from Benfica this summer, but the Portuguese club are reportedly now looking for an additional £8.5m to round things up to a hefty £34.5m. Given Everton's financial position, it remains to be seen whether they'll be able to afford such a deal.

If they can, then Luis would certainly be worth the negotiations, especially if those at Goodison Park need to replace Onana in the coming months. Still just 24 years old, Luis is a Champions League player who is more than ready to step into the Premier League this summer.

"Superb" Luis can replace Onana

Everton are rarely without their critics in the transfer market, but in this instance, they would be breaking the trend to pull off some smart business by replacing Onana with Luis this summer. The Benfica man has earned praise from the likes of Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig, who described his work rate as "superb", sharing numbers that show all the signs that he is capable of replacing Onana.

Everton would still be making a profit by selling Onana for £50m and welcoming Luis for £34m this summer, and profit should be the keyword for the Toffees as they look to avoid further FFP sanctions.

Progressive Carries

11

21

Progressive Passes

142

107

Tackles Won

45

38

Ball Recoveries

123

160

When the transfer window opens, the Benfica man will certainly be one to watch, as will Onana in a transfer saga that will undoubtedly have several moving parts.

Piyush Chawla said Dhoni would have trained to keep for Noor during the pre-season camp

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Mar-20251:45

“He’s still got it” – Hayden lauds Dhoni’s reflexes behind the stumps

MS Dhoni might be 43 but he’s still at his best, especially behind the stumps. That’s what Matthew Hayden felt after watching him complete a lightning-quick stumping of Suryakumar Yadav when Noor Ahmad beat his outside edge during the IPL 2025 match against Mumbai Indians at Chepauk.”He [Dhoni] was on fire,” Hayden, the former Australia batter and Dhoni’s team-mate at Chennai Super Kings (CSK) till 2010, said on ESPNcricinfo’s T20 Time Out. “I mean Noor Ahmad was firing down the leg side and it was just a movement across the ball. You know, they’re difficult when you when you’re sitting there sort of partially obscured by the batsman. Then the stumping was just superb, just such quick timing, great hands, good vision. He’s still got it.”Suryakumar was dismissed for 29, and with his wicket, CSK got back into the game, breaking a 51-run stand and restricting MI to 155 for 9.Related

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Noor Ahmad's wristspin is art in fast forward

While CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad said at the post-match presentation that he hardly sees Dhoni doing keeping practice, Piyush Chawla, who has bowled for India and CSK several times with Dhoni behind the stumps, said he would have probably trained to keep for Noor during pre-season camp.”It does happen, it is a challenge if you have not kept against somebody,” he said. “But I’m sure in the camp, he must have kept a lot of balls because if he’s keeping for somebody new, he especially takes that person to the stumps and says, you bowl a few balls.MS Dhoni stumps Suryakumar Yadav•BCCI

“[It has] not [happened] with me because I have bowled against him so many times and bowled to him in the nets also. But whenever somebody new comes, especially a wristspinner, he just makes sure he’s keeping 10-12 balls so that he gets used to the wrist position.”Former India fast bowler Varun Aaron believes Dhoni has changed the way wicketkeepers react to stumping chances.”Traditionally keepers tend to receive the ball,” Aaron said. “He’s just removed that receive completely. It’s just that stumps are here, [he gathers it close to the stumps] and it’s just from there to there [takes his hands forward to finish the stumping].”Hayden gave the example of Sunrisers Hyderabad wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen missing a stumping of Rajasthan Royals’ Sanju Samson in the afternoon game on Sunday.”Klaasen sort of missed, right? I think everyone commented on it at the time that if that was Dhoni, it would have been gone.”

A summer of real change could be afoot at Tottenham following Ange Postecoglou's full managerial debut season, and they appear prepared to trim the fat by any means necessary.

Spurs consider fire-sale as Postecoglou pleads for change

Reports in the last week have indicated that Spurs are thinking about selling over a dozen members of their squad, with the Lilywhites set to consider offers for them as Postecoglou pleads for serious change.

Tottenham now ready £50 million bid for Harry Kane replacement

The Lilywhites are seeking a new striker.

By
Emilio Galantini

May 7, 2024

The Spurs head coach has previously stated that they may need over three transfer windows before reaching the required level to compete for English football's highest honours, with Postecoglou delivering a frank assessment of his current squad recently.

"We've got a lot of work to do still on the squad and I don't think we're anywhere near where we want to be. It probably will take a little bit more than three windows to get there, for sure," said Postecoglou on Tottenham's transfer plans.

"Just in terms of the robustness, adaptability, and compatibility of the squad, I think there's still a fair bit of change we need to do."I certainly don't think we're one or two players away from getting to where I want us to be, nowhere near it. Some of that will be natural evolution. Some of it hopefully means we continue to get the improvement we've had this year from some of our players. If that happens over the next 12 months, then we'll be in a great position.

Tottenham's best-performing players in the league – 2023/2024	Average match rating per 90 (via WhoScored)
Son Heung-min	7.30
James Maddison	7.15
Manor Solomon	7.05
Pedro Porro	7.03
Cristian Romero	7.01

"But you've got to remember, a lot of our group are in their first year of the Premier League. A good chunk of them have been ever-presents, we need them to keep improving at the rate they are. We've still got a lot of work to do with the squad."

Player sales will be crucial, both in terms of garnering transfer funds and trimming Postecoglou's squad. Many of those who are out of favour, like Joe Rodon, Sergio Reguilon, Tanguy Ndombele, Japhet Tanganga and Djed Spence, are also out on loan but are set to return this summer – so Spurs chiefs may well be hoping to gather offers for them.

There is also midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. The Denmark international, who has actually featured in the vast majority of games, is set to leave on a free deal next year when his contract expires as things stand but reports claim Hojbjerg could be sold by Spurs before then.

Tottenham now ready to sell Hojbjerg for just £13 million

According to Spanish news outlet Mundo Deportivo, Atletico Madrid and Diego Simeone hold an interest in the £110,000-per-week ace.

The La Liga side, if they were to formalise that interest, could be boosted by Spurs' new price stance. Indeed, it is believed Tottenham are ready to sell Hojbjerg for around €15 million (£13m) given his contract situation, and it's a valuation which falls in line with what Atletico could afford.

Called "sensational" at times by members of the media, Hojbjerg's four-year stay in north London could well be coming to an end soon if clubs only have to fork out £13 million, which would see Spurs make a slight loss on the £15 million they paid Southampton for the player back in 2020.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have enjoyed a long-running rivalry after dominating world football for two decades. Both superstars are now entering the twilight of their careers, with former Manchester United assistant Rene Meulensteen claiming the 40-year-old Portugal international is now in better physical condition than Inter Miami's World Cup winner.

• Ronaldo & Messi still going strong

  Ronaldo and Messi are still going strong despite their advancing years. The Portuguese superstar celebrated his 40th birthday in February but is still banging in the goals for club and country. Ronaldo has now scored 943 career goals and is edging closer to his dream target of 1,000 before he hangs up his boots. Meanwhile, Messi's latest goal for Inter Miami against the Seattle Sounders means the World Cup winner now has 20 in 21 MLS matches this season for Javier Mascherano's side.

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• Getty Images
  

  Differences between Ronaldo and Messi revealed

  Meulensteen has now shared his thoughts on the differences between the two superstars. Speaking to football betting site BetVictor, Meulensteen said: “It takes its toll, obviously. They're different players, different physical specimens as well. Cristiano Ronaldo is an athlete, 187 cm or something, and more than anything, as everybody knows, he has looked after himself unbelievably well. I'm not saying that Lionel Messi hasn't, I'm sure he has, but they're just physically different kinds of players. 

  "Messi has always wanted the ball to feet, and then his magic started with a lot of turns and twists and explosive runs. But I think it's just possibly nothing else other than a genetic difference between them. They're both exceptional players that have brought absolute beauty to the game. 

  "We are so fortunate to have grown up to have those two players going toe to toe with each other because that competition has brought the best out of them. 100% that rivalry, but also that mutual respect that they have for each other. But Cristiano, physically, he's in such a good state. I can't see anything else than just some genetic difference, and obviously maybe Messi starts to feel it a little bit more. You know, the day-to-day routines of training and recovery and all this and that."

• Messi to play at World Cup 2026?

  The longevity of both players means the duo may well feature at World Cup 2026. Meulensteen certainly expects Messi to feature in North America, Canada and Mexico as Argentina aim to defend the title they won in Qatar in 2022. He added: "At some point, more things start to ache. It takes longer to recover. I would still expect to see Messi at the World Cup."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Ronaldo chasing first silverware with Al-Nassr

  Before then, both players will aim to add to their extensive trophy cabinets. Messi has already tasted silverware with Inter Miami after lifting the Leagues Cup in 2023 and the Supporters Shield in 2024 but Ronaldo is yet to taste glory with Al-Nassr. Yet he has vowed to "make history" with the club after signing a new two-year contract over the summer.