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Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has ruthlessly snubbed one of his most influential former Blues teammates when naming his all-time Premier League XI.

Football FanCast ranks Premier League's greatest-ever players

Football FanCast have now ranked the greatest players in Premier League history, and there is certainly no shortage of Chelsea players among them, with former captain John Terry named as the best centre-back to have ever played in the top flight.

Petr Cech also tops the list of goalkeepers, while Didier Drogba is regarded as the ninth-best striker in Premier League history, having maintained a fantastic record in front of goal throughout his time at Stamford Bridge, culminating in the Blues winning the 2012 Champions League final.

As such, it will come as no surprise to learn that Terry, Cech and Drogba all feature in Obi Mikel’s all-time Premier League XI, but the former central midfielder has ruthlessly snubbed one of his former teammates.

As reported by talkSPORT, the Nigerian named N’Golo Kante and Paul Scholes as his two central midfielders, leaving out Frank Lampard, and he even went on to clarify that the ex-England international wouldn’t have featured in a three-man midfield either.

Lampard undoubtedly one of the greatest Premier League midfielders

It is a little strange that the 38-year-old opted to omit his former teammate, given that the Englishman is without doubt one of the best Premier League midfielders of all time, particularly impressing on the front foot.

Club 'ready to accept' potential £52m Chelsea bid for defender wanted by Real Madrid

The Blues and Todd Boehly could make a sizeable saving in the market.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Oct 11, 2025

The Coventry City manager chipped in with a remarkable 211 goals and 149 assists in 648 professional appearances for Chelsea, cementing his place in the Premier League Hall of Fame in the process.

That said, Kante is also a fantastic choice from a more defensive point of view, given what the Frenchman achieved at Leicester City and Stamford Bridge, winning two Premier League titles, the FA Cup, the 2020-21 Champions League and the 2018-19 Europa League.

Lampard played in a golden era of midfielders, sharing the stage with the likes of Scholes and Gerrard, and a number of other former Chelsea stars, who also feature in our list of the best Premier League midfielders of all-time.

ESPNcricinfo’s writers pick their favourite shots of IPL 2024

ESPNcricinfo staff28-May-2024

Rishabh Pant’s no-look whip vs Venkatesh Iyer

By Karthik KrishnaswamyRishabh Pant has played that no-look, no-feet, no-care-in-the-world whip over fine leg numerous times in his career, and he has done it off bowlers far better than Venkatesh Iyer. But every Rishabh Pant thing that Rishabh Pant did during IPL 2024 was an occasion to celebrate, and this shot was particularly heartwarming because it involved a significant amount of knee-flexing, and we all know what Pant’s knees have gone through. This was another sign that Pant was back, properly, reconstructed ligaments and all.MS Dhoni sent Yash Dayal’s full toss over the roof in Bengaluru•BCCI

Dhoni’s 110 m six vs Dayal

By Sidharth MongaRCB’s comeback from one win in eight matches into the playoffs was the story of the tournament. After every kind of miraculous effort, it still came down to a youngster bowling to MS Dhoni in the final over to deny CSK the required net run rate to knock RCB out. Yash Dayal tried a back-of-the-hand slower ball, ended up offering a juicy full toss, and Dhoni monstered it over the Chinnaswamy stands and onto one of the roads. Now it is said that Dhoni aims to hit such a morale-busting six first ball of the last over following which bowlers lose their composure, which is more urban legend than anything. This shot is my favourite of this IPL because it led to another, opposing urban legend: because Dhoni hit the ball out of the ground and lost it, Dayal could execute slower deliveries with the replacement ball that was dry, and redeem himself after having been hit for five sixes in the last over by Rinku Singh last year.Ruturaj Gaikwad hit a six against Mumbai that impressed his former captain•BCCI

Gaikwad wows Dhoni

By Alagappan MuthuMS Dhoni knows sixes. So, when his eyes widened, and he pushed his lips up and out, as he watched the ball sail over the boundary with an appreciative nod, it’s proof that something special has happened. Akash Madhwal was bowling. He had seen the batter charge at him. Making room outside leg stump. So he corrected his course. And dragged his line wide. Ruturaj Gaikwad was mid-move when he realised he was out of position. This was a ball that he wasn’t supposed to reach. It was also a ball that he hit for six over point. Gaikwad is far from the ideal T20 batter but his sense for timing and placement can tempt even the most esteemed jaws to hit the floor.

“However, whether the fans can travel across the border to watch matches is still not clear”

PTI17-Apr-2021Pakistan’s cricket players will get visas to compete in the upcoming T20 World Cup in India this October, the BCCI’s apex council has been told by the board secretary Jay Shah following “government assurances”.Shah spoke to the council in a video conference meeting held on Friday, where it was also decided that the mega-event will be staged across nine venues, with Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium hosting the final. The other venues are Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Dharamsala and Lucknow.”The visa issue of Pakistan cricket team has been sorted. However, whether the fans can travel across the border to watch matches is still not clear,” a council member told PTI.”It will be decided in due course of time. However, we had promised ICC that it will be sorted. The secretary announced during the meeting.”India and Pakistan have not played bilateral cricket for close to a decade now due to diplomatic tensions between the two countries; Pakistan last toured the country for a bilateral series in 2012.

Former USMNT star Brad Friedel has, in an exclusive interview with GOAL, explained why “workaholic” Mauricio Pochettino could walk away from international management after the 2026 World Cup. The Argentine tactician holds the honour of leading the United States into another major tournament on home soil, but inevitable questions are being asked of his future.

• Pochettino contract: When USMNT deal ends

  Ex-Tottenham, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain boss Pochettino stepped into a prominent post on American soil in September 2024. He was charged with the task of ensuring that a so-called ‘Golden Generation’ of talent is ready to fulfil undoubted potential on the grandest of stages.

  That process has not been without the odd challenge, but the USMNT are confident that they can compete with the very best in the business when the global elite descend on their own backyard. Pochettino is only under contract until the World Cup finals come to a close.

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  Stay or go: What will Pochettino do after the World Cup?

  Coaches in international football tend to work on tournament cycles, with clear beginnings and ends to any given era being easy to find, so will Pochettino follow that trend and bow out when his current deal comes to a close – regardless of how the U.S. fare next summer?

  When that question was put to Friedel, the ex-USMNT goalkeeper – speaking in association with – told GOAL: “That’s a great question. I’m quite close with one of his assistant coaches. I think that because he has had to come in and change the culture in the States, if they do well then I could see him staying for another cycle.

  “I know he is a guy that likes to build, he likes to have continuity and stability. But he also likes to know that he has quality. I don’t know what he thinks of the next four years on his paper, of what’s going to happen when – as happens with national teams – a few people age out, and are the wrong people ageing out to be successful for the next four years.

  “It’s a really good question. I would probably say this: If it doesn’t go well, probably ‘no’. If it goes incredibly well and they win it, I don’t think he stays. If it’s somewhere in the middle and it’s good and building, then I think there is probably a chance. That would be my guess.”

• Premier League return? What Pochettino misses

  Pochettino has admitted that he intends to head back to club management at some stage, telling : “The Premier League is the best league in the world. Of course I am missing it. I am so happy in America but also thinking one day to come back to the Premier League. It's the most competitive league.”

  On missing the day-to-day interaction of working at domestic level, with international camps often months apart, Friedel added on Pochettino’s professional drive: “He’s a workaholic, and his whole staff are. I can say from personal experience, not at the senior level but the U19 national team, you do miss the day-to-day because you are scouting and meeting with people and talking a lot more than you are on the pitch.

  “I can see how any manager, especially on the younger side, would miss club management. When the tournament comes around, then you want to be nowhere else except for there because it’s the big stuff. I can see two things. I can see, one, big clubs wanting him. And two, I can understand him wanting the day-to-day because he is a workaholic and very good at his job.”

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  World Cup focus: Pochettino and USMNT looking at draw

  Pochettino’s stock remains high, so there is every chance that a “big” club will come in for him during the summer of 2026. Teams around the world will be assessing their options at that stage, with many opting for a change in the dugout.

  The USMNT will not be worrying themselves about interest from afar just yet, though, as collective focus there is locked on the group stage draw for the 2026 World Cup – which is set to take place at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC on December 5.

And by resting Rohit and Kohli from the white-ball leg, have the selectors deferred a big decision?

Sidharth Monga30-Nov-2023Most big calls deferred but has one been made?
The real focus right now is on the direction the T20I side will take with just six matches to be played from the start of the South Africa series till the World Cup in June. The selectors had avoided the thorniest topic from the 2022 T20 World Cup till now by “resting” Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for T20Is in order for them to focus on the other two formats. To a lesser extent, KL Rahul fell in the same bracket.Related

• Bumrah, Rahul and Shreyas back in India's Test squad

• Kohli and Rohit rested for white-ball games in SA; Suryakumar to lead in T20Is, Rahul in ODIs

You can hardly be faulted if you thought the selectors had moved on from the old guard that anchored the innings before it set sail, but it is not so straightforward. Hardik Pandya is injured with no timeline on his return. Rohit has shown he has thrown away the anchor. And a side needs a captain. If Rohit seems the straightforward choice to you, please put yourselves in the selectors’ shoes and try to justify to emotional fans the retention of Rohit but not of Kohli.However, by asking to be rested, the two stalwarts of Indian batting have left this call for another day. But by not selecting Rahul for the T20I leg of the South Africa tour, the selection committee might just have sent a strong message: there is no place for your methods in this new-age top order, and if you want to bat in the middle order, you might have to show us the willingness to do so with the right intent.Having said all that, don’t rule out one or two or all three of them making the T20 World Cup squad.More room to test youngsters
In an ideal world, India would have been figuring out whether Jitesh Sharma, the explosive wicketkeeper-batter in the IPL and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, is ready for the big time during the Australia series at home. But Rahul Dravid and Suryakumar Yadav can try him against a hopefully first-choice South Africa XI on the bouncier tracks there. It will also be a test for Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rinku Singh, who have emerged as frontrunners for the first XI.T20I bowling looks thin
Blame it on the lack of multi-dimensional players, but India will likely struggle to manage all three of the following in an XI: a designated finisher in Rinku, a swing bowler, a hit-the-deck bowler. As things stand, if India play Ravindra Jadeja at No. 7, they will have to forego Rinku; if they play Rinku as a finisher and Jadeja at No. 8, they will have to sacrifice a seamer.Jasprit Bumrah is back in the Test squad, and could be partnered by Prasidh Krishna if India are looking for a tall, hit-the-deck option for South African conditions•PTI Even given that scarcity, India seem to have further restricted themselves by not picking Mohsin Khan, who has shown he can swing the new ball, hit the deck, and has the temperament to bowl difficult overs. However, it is possible he is not fully fit.As things stand, though, India are heavily reliant on Hardik bowling his overs as the third seamer if they are to deepen their batting order by playing Rinku at No. 7 and Jadeja at 8.End of the road for Axar Patel?
You would hope not. He lost out to Jadeja in the ODI line-up because ODIs resemble Test cricket more than they do T20s. In T20s, though, Axar can claim to be a batter better able to maximise favourable match-ups than Jadeja, who almost needs to be hidden away from spinners. Axar will hope he will get a chance to present his case in the future after being omitted from the T20I squad for the South Africa tour. As of now, it might appear that Jadeja is in pole position and might need to perform badly to miss out on the World Cup.Rahul in the Test middle order?
Rahul has only ever started one first-class match as a designated wicketkeeper. And yet, the BCCI release announcing the squads has him marked as a wicketkeeper in Tests. Now, you wouldn’t expect him to keep and then go straight out to open in Test cricket, especially when he is not used to doing the former at all. But this could be a revival of sorts for Rahul if he can make a middle-order slot his own, for which he might be competing with either Ishan Kishan as wicketkeeper or Shreyas Iyer as a specialist batter.Bumrah the Test bowler is back
When Jasprit Bumrah was diagnosed with a stress reaction of the back, which needed surgery, one feared for his Test career, but his selection in the squad for the Tests is great news for fans of fast bowling as he is too good a bowler to be lost to Test cricket. Surely the medical team is confident Bumrah is ready once again to take on the rigours of Test cricket?Also India have made it a point to include a tall, hit-the-deck fast bowler in the Test squad after that height seemed to have been the difference between the two attacks when India toured South Africa last and lost 2-1. Prasidh Krishna might just be the third quick for India to capitalise on the indentations South African pitches tend to develop as Tests wear on.The ODI squad
Like T20Is were for the last year or so, ODIs are likely to be on the backburner until the T20 World Cup in June. This is where India will experiment with their ideas: Rahul as captain, Sanju Samson as middle-order batter, and the rehabilitation of Yuzvendra Chahal.

Inter have joined Manchester United in the race for Karim Adeyemi, with the Borussia Dortmund winger leaning toward a move away from Germany next summer. His camp has already held early talks with both clubs, signalling a growing market for the 23-year-old. With contract renewal far from likely and tensions rising at BVB, Adeyemi’s future is now one of Europe’s most intriguing storylines.

• Adeyemi’s future drifts away from Dortmund

  Speculation around Adeyemi’s next step has intensified after fresh reports indicated the Dortmund forward is “far from” considering a contract extension. The 23-year-old’s deal runs until 2027, but figures close to the player suggest he is leaning strongly toward a move in the summer, even if BVB have not yet been formally informed of his intentions. United have already held early contact with Adeyemi’s representatives, with super-agent Jorge Mendes, who recently orchestrated moves for Leny Yoro and Manuel Ugarte to Old Trafford, now central to discussions. According to , Inter have also entered the scene, with initial communication taking place as the Serie A giants monitor his situation and map out potential scenarios for 2026.

  The growing interest comes at a time when the forward has faced both on-field struggles and off-field complications, creating a sense of uncertainty around his long-term prospects at BVB. This rising tension naturally widens the lens on what his next career chapter might look like.

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  Adeyemi in a slump amid off-field troubles

  Adeyemi has neither scored nor assisted since late September, a stark contrast to the bright early-season form that once re-established him as a key figure under Niko Kovac. In recent weeks, tensions have bubbled over publicly. During BVB’s 1-0 win against Koln, he threw a water bottle toward the bench after being substituted, leading Kovac to respond sharply: “I think that's unnecessary. It's okay that he can be angry sometimes, but that's unnecessary, he's an adult.”

  The strained dynamic flared up again during the 1-1 draw with Hamburg, where the pair argued after Kovac substituted him in the 66th minute. These moments paint a picture of a player battling for composure as form dips and pressure grows. Off the pitch, the €450,000 fine for illegal possession of weapons added an unexpected layer to his year. Adeyemi addressed the incident publicly, calling it: “A huge mistake… one that I deeply regret, that cost me a lot, and that I remorse deeply.”

  BVB and the German Football Association (DFB) imposed additional community service, with sporting director Lars Ricken stressing the club’s stance: “We took the matter very seriously. However, it should also be taken into account that he had to pay an expensive fine, no one was harmed and the player is still not considered to have a criminal record."

  This combination of sporting frustration and personal turbulence has made Adeyemi’s situation one of the more complex transfer stories heading into the summer window.

• Mendes working on Adeyemi's future

  Behind the scenes, Mendes is believed to be shaping the German international's next move, leveraging his strong network in England and Italy. United’s long-term need for wide players and Inter’s evolving transfer vision for 2026 both position Adeyemi as a strategic target rather than just an opportunistic one. The legal issue, stemming from what Adeyemi described as ordering an online “mystery box” that unexpectedly contained restricted items initially raised questions about club interest. Yet early indications suggest that neither United nor Inter view it as a deal-breaker, especially given the player's transparency and the swift completion of sanctions.

  His community service commitment and willingness to publicly explain the situation have helped stabilise his image in the eyes of potential suitors. This rehabilitated narrative now plays into a broader storyline: a talented winger whose Dortmund chapter appears to be winding down as new doors open.

• AFP
  

  Summer window battle looms

  All signs point toward a decisive summer for Adeyemi. Inter and United are expected to intensify discussions once the season ends, while Die Borussen wait for formal communication before planning their next steps. With no extension in sight, BVB may be forced into a strategic sale rather than risk a depreciating asset over the next two years.

  Adeyemi’s immediate goal will be to break his scoring drought and repair ties with Kovac as Dortmund push through the second half of the season. But with rising transfer noise, increasingly public tension, and strong interest from two European giants, the stage is already set for a major battle for his signature. His next defining chapter appears to be approaching and Europe’s biggest clubs will be watching closely.

West Ham have a new preferred choice to take over from Graham Potter, with the Englishman’s dismissal appearing inevitable after a poor start to 2025/2026.

Graham Potter on the verge of leaving West Ham

Potter’s nine-month tenure in the Hammers dugout has been one to forget so far.

Under his leadership, West Ham have recorded their second-worst win percentage of the Premier League era, behind only Avram Grant, who led them to relegation in 2011.

The mood around East London is already sour, with supporters poised to stage protests against West Ham’s ownership at every Saturday home game this season (The Telegraph), and Potter’s side aren’t exactly helping matters.

Their hugely frustrating opening five Premier League games are best summed up in one word — fragile.

They’ve leaked 13 goals already, more than any other Premier League side, with seven of them coming directly from corner kicks. Rivals are taking serious advantage of West Ham’s set-piece weakness right now, and that is on the manager to fix.

Whether that be Potter, or far more likely a replacement, West Ham are staring relegation in the face if they cannot plug their gaping holes – a fact not lost on critics like Wayne Rooney.

Reports suggest Potter could stay on at West Ham until after the Arsenal game, depending on how they fare at Everton, with ExWHUemployee suggesting that the hierarchy want to give any new boss the best possible chance of a good start at home to Brentford on October 20.

Out of every linked manager, Nuno Espírito Santo has been tipped as the favourite to take over from Potter at West Ham, and there are suggestions that he’s “close” to agreeing a potential deal if the latter does depart (ExWHUemployee).

However, while Nuno is most likely as things stand, insider Claret & Hugh has claimed that they’d actually prefer someone else.

West Ham would prefer Marco Silva over Nuno Espírito Santo

Indeed, that man is Fulham boss Marco Silva, who has done an excellent job at Craven Cottage with very limited resources for years.

The former Everton and Hull City manager had Fulham briefly contending for a European spot last season, with Silva’s side also making a solid start to 2025/2026 — losing just one of their opening five Premier League matches.

The Whites have won three games on the bounce in all competitions, and Silva is yet again doing very solid work in West London despite spending the least money of any Premier League side last summer.

Now, C&H report that Silva is West Ham’s preferred managerial choice over Nuno, but the latter is still in pole position.

Sullivan and Karren Brady aren’t too keen on paying up to £10 million in compensation to take Silva off Fulham’s hands, meaning that Nuno is still the favourite to replace Potter as things stand.

This search for a new manager also comes amid increasing concern from West Ham shareholders over a potential drop to the Championship, so whether they move for Silva or Nuno, the board needs to get this appointment spot-on — especially amid growing unrest among the fanbase.

Sussex seamer sets sights on New Zealand series after months on fringes of England squad

Valkerie Baynes31-Mar-2021For England’s Test hopefuls the start of the County Championship season offers a simple, if slightly vague, formula for realising their dream: make runs, take wickets, get noticed by the national selectors.Ollie Robinson, the Sussex seam bowler, is among a handful of current players to have progressed considerably further along that path. Having spent the best part of five months over the past year in bio-secure international squad bubbles, he has given those in and around the England set-up a clear idea of what he can do. In turn, they have given him clarity on where he should aim next: to make his debut in the two-Test series against New Zealand in June.And, with the start of the LV= Insurance County Championship just a week away, he feels a maiden Test cap is close.”They’ve said to me, ‘look towards the New Zealand series’,” Robinson says. “That is my aim at the moment – start the season well with Sussex and hopefully I can get in that squad and in the XI.”Related

• 'Pitches need to produce good cricket' – Angus Fraser on boosting England's Test fortunes

• Lean Toby Roland-Jones means business again – but don't mention England just yet

• Dan Lawrence resets his sights as Chelmsford beckons after maiden England winter

When the ECB named a 55-man return-to-training group last May in the first major step towards staging a full international season in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, Robinson was there, a deserving inclusion after a seven-wicket display for England Lions against Australia A and a haul of 137 wickets – the most of any seamer – over the previous two Championship seasons.Robinson earned his maiden call-up to the senior squad ahead of the second Test against West Indies in July as England sought to manage the workloads of James Anderson and Mark Wood. He was among five players released when the side for the third Test was named and, a week later, took eight wickets, including three in 14 balls during a second-innings five-for, as Sussex won their opening match of the Bob Willis Trophy against Hampshire.Just over a week after that, Robinson was back in the England squad ahead of the second Test against Pakistan and he subsequently travelled as a reserve on the recent tours of Sri Lanka and India.”I feel a lot better for the experience,” Robinson says. “India was pretty tough and pretty eye-opening in terms of the conditions out there and what to expect as a Test cricketer so that’s probably going to stand me in better stead moving forward.”I have learned a lot skill-wise and off the field as well. Jimmy [Anderson] is 39 now and is probably the fittest he has ever been. Seeing him work every day is what has stuck with me – how well he trains and how hard he works. Making that a habit and not just an England thing, England have drilled that into me, that they want me to work just as hard for Sussex as I did with them. If I want to have a long international career that’s what I want to do for the rest of my career.”A tall bowler, whose disciplined line and length is relentless, Robinson has achieved some outstanding figures, like his career-best 8 for 34 against Middlesex in 2019, part of a 14-wicket return for the match.Bowling in tandem with Craig Overton – the pair shared eight second-innings wickets evenly between them – Robinson helped lead England Lions to a nine-wicket victory over Australia A at the MCG in February 2020. Combined with his three wickets from the first innings, Robinson signalled that he was on track to take the next step should an opportunity arise as it did for Dan Lawrence, who scored a century in that same match and played the first five Tests of his career on the recently completed tours of Sri Lanka and India.While this English summer is hugely important to his ambitions of earning a place in the Ashes squad at the end of the year, Robinson feels somewhat liberated from putting pressure on himself.”It’s massive,” he says. “Performance-wise maybe not as much as in previous years. I feel England can sort of see and know what I do. They have watched me for a few years in terms of fitness and being around the England group.”I just need to get that breakthrough in a Test match or series to cement my place for the plane to Australia really. That is the most important thing for me this year.”Ollie Robinson played a big role in England Lions’ win over Australia A•Getty Images

If he does secure an Ashes berth, Robinson feels he already has good experience of the conditions, having played two seasons of grade cricket before the Lions tour.”I feel like my experiences Down Under are good enough to perform if called upon, even if I didn’t make my debut this summer,” he says. “I think that Lions tour was a really strong tour for everyone involved. Dan Lawrence was on it as well. We’ve both spoken and said if we are selected we almost know we can do well already.”While the Ashes are a big draw, Robinson is prepared to take his chance, wherever it comes. If that means more time sequestered in bio-secure environments, so be it.”I’m hungry to play any series, any game,” Robinson says. “I feel like if the Ashes is the only thing you’re looking at you’re not in the right mindset. You should want to play for England no matter who you’re playing against or what series it is. Bubble life is tough but there are tougher things – it’s not the hardest thing in the world.”In the meantime, Robinson will spearhead the attack at Sussex, who open their campaign on April 8 against Lancashire at Old Trafford after the fixture was moved north because a plague of bug larvae damaged the Hove outfield.LV= Insurance is the new title partner of the County Championship. The season begins on April 8 with champions Essex taking on Worcestershire. For more information visit lv.com/gi/cricket.

Lionel Messi was reportedly left feeling “deceived and betrayed” by Barcelona after seeing his dreams of making an emotional return to Camp Nou as a player cruelly dashed. The Argentine superstar was forced out of Catalunya in 2021, as he headed to Paris Saint-Germain, but saw an agreement lined up two years later that would have allowed professional steps to be retraced.

• Messi reached out to Barcelona after winning 2022 World Cup

  Having seen Messi – alongside his wife Antonela and their three children – endure a tough time in France, with the South American icon struggling to settle when stepping off his career-long comfort zone, Barca explored the option of re-signing a fan favourite.

  Having left as a free agent, he dropped back into that pool when reaching the end of his contract at Parc des Princes in the summer of 2023. Messi had become a World Cup winner by that point and was on course to collect a record-extending eighth Ballon d’Or.

  Shortly after capturing a global title in Qatar, Messi is reported to have reached out to close friend and former team-mate Xavi – who was Barcelona’s head coach at the time. Contact was made on January 6, 2023. A day later, the Liga giants are said to have “got to work”.

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  Messi left stunned as deal never materialised

  With Messi expressing a desire to head back to his spiritual home, the Blaugrana were confident that a deal could be lined up. Both sides of those discussions were said to be “excited” about a possible reunion. Over the course of six months, Barca were able to gain approval for Messi’s return – with the all-time great prepared to take a sizable wage cut.

  According to , the day after Barcelona won the Liga title at the end of the 2022-23 campaign, the Messi family “received a call from the highest levels” at Camp Nou. They were informed that a “transfer couldn’t be done”. That led to “total devastation” in the Messi camp, with the Argentine GOAT left “deceived and betrayed” for the second time – having previously believed that an extension could be agreed at Barca prior to his tearful departure for PSG.

• Messi return to Barcelona as a player ruled out

  Messi is said to have accepted that he “would never play for the club of his life again”. That remains the case in 2025, with the 38-year-old now on the books of MLS side Inter Miami. He has agreed fresh terms there through 2028.

  Barca president Joan Laporta has said of the club’s all-time leading scorer – who has 672 goals to his name – returning in a playing capacity: “Out of respect to Messi, all the club staff and the club members, it's not right for me to speculate on something that would not be realistic, and it's not the moment to do it.”

  Spanish journalist has reiterated that stance, posting on social media: “Leo Messi, under no circumstances is considering a return to Barcelona as a footballer. That chapter is closed. He has a long-term contract in Miami. He goes season by season. If he returns, it would be more for the offices, in the sports area. He is Barcelona's heritage and hopefully he returns someday.”

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  MLS star Messi will move back to Barcelona in retirement

  Messi has admitted as much, telling of his plans to move back to Catalunya once he has finished chasing the American dream: “I really want to go back there, we miss Barcelona a lot. My wife and I, the kids, are constantly talking about Barcelona and the idea of moving back. We have our house there, everything, so that's what we want. I'm really looking forward to going back to the stadium when it's finished because since I left for Paris, I haven't been back to Camp Nou, and then they moved to Montjuic.”

  Messi recently took in a secret visit to Camp Nou, as that iconic venue undergoes a serious redevelopment project. Even Laporta claims to have been unaware that the mercurial No.10 was back in familiar territory, with it still being suggested that a friendly or exhibition game could be lined up that allows Messi to grace the field in Barcelona one last time.

Plus, Alex Carey is a secret agent, and Bazball is a doomsday cult

Alan Gardner14-Jul-2023It was the bucket hats that should have warned us. England’s players rocked up for the start of the summer looking like they had just returned from a music festival, complete with the wide-eyed intensity that comes from having spent all night sitting in a muddy field discussing the healing power of, say, crystals or Test match scoring rates of 4.50 RPO and above.Bazball is many things – including golf and living your best life – but there’s always been a hint of rock’n’roll around its iconoclastic approach. While John Lennon famously declared the Beatles bigger than Jesus, Ben Stokes’ England are coming in more like the Stone Roses shortly after the release of their eponymous debut album. “I am the resurrection,” sang Ian Brown, to which England have simply tagged on “of Test cricket” and continued shuffling around and bopping their heads to the tunes on Brendon McCullum’s boom box.Brown, of course, was most recently in the news for spouting conspiracy theories around the Covid vaccine, which tells you a bit about the dangers for those of a messianic persuasion. And after a psychedelic couple of weeks for the Ashes, some might be beginning to worry about how much of a headache the inevitable post-Baz comedown is going to be for English cricket.Related

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• Why Baz is more of a cricket god than you think

The near-diplomatic incident at Lord’s over Jonny Bairstow’s stumping was another moment for those charting the journey from inspirational sportsters sportsing their hearts out to doomsday cult ready to barricade themselves in for the final firefight. As Stokes and McCullum spoke to their post-match interlocutors with glassy-eyed zeal about the spirit of cricket, the logical thought was: what level of proof is this spirit and did somebody mix it into the dressing-room Kool Aid?Meanwhile, down in the Long Room, some MCC members had started behaving like they’d just got back from whatever the shoes-and-slacks equivalent of a rave is, attempting to twist the melon of any passing Australian – thereby adding to the increasing number of legitimate reasons people have for wanting to knock the old ground down and replace it with a community outreach project.Alex Carey’s role in all this should not be underestimated. Carey is like one of those CIA agents sent undercover in the 1970s to infiltrate the counterculture movement, sowing confusion and discord at every turn (including, allegedly, on trips to the barbers). Perhaps Australia’s wicketkeeper succeeded in flipping his opposite number, with Bairstow wandering blindly out of his crease as a message to the authorities that he is ready to come in. Some might argue that pretty much his entire output during the series has been a cry for help.Either way, what goes up must come down – as anyone who has accidently set fire to their tent at Glastonbury and spent the rest of the night with their head between their ankles knows. And if the Bazball Ashes reduces the English game to rubble in the process, at least it would mean not having to watch the Hundred. Now that’s a suicide pact the Light Roller could sign up to!

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Meanwhile, more signs that woke nonsense has infiltrated Australia’s cricket culture. After defeat to England in the second T20I, at The Oval last week, Australia captain Alyssa Healy shockingly revealed: “We’re allowed to lose games of cricket.” As if that wasn’t enough baggy-green blasphemy for one evening, she added: “It’s the game of cricket. You win some, you lose some.” Rumours that none of the England players were invited to prepare for “broken f***ing arms”, and that some of Healy’s team-mates don’t even drink beer, are yet to be confirmed – but a CA-commissioned review can’t be far away.

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July 5: Bangladesh lose first ODI against Afghanistan by 17 runs (DLS method).July 6: Tamim Iqbal makes tearful retirement announcement. “This is the end for me. I have given my best. I have tried my best. I am retiring from international cricket from this moment.”July 7: Tamim reverses decision after meeting with Bangladesh’s prime minister, Sheikh Hasina. “The honourable prime minister invited me to her residence this afternoon. We had a long discussion after which she instructed me to return to cricket. I am withdrawing my retirement.”July 8: Bangladesh, led by Litton Das, lose second ODI by 142 runs.
Which is certainly an elaborate way to ensure that Afghanistan’s first bilateral ODI series win over Bangladesh doesn’t go against your captaincy record, but fair play to Tamim. That, people, is what they call 4D chess.