Novak Djokovic had a rather cheeky reaction to comparisons made between him and football superstar Lionel Messi following a gruelling five-hour quarter-final victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime at Wimbledon late last night.

The five-set thriller lasted over five hours and now sees Djokovic take on defending champion Jannik Sinner in an eagerly anticipated semi-final on Friday afternoon.

Despite facing the adversity of a leg injury, the 39-year-old fought on as he continues his push towards claiming a 25th Grand Slam title. On the brink of another record, and still playing at the highest level, it’s hard to ignore the parallels between Djokovic and a certain magician in football.

Djokovic got the job done on Centre Court, but it didn’t come easily. For all five hours and 15 minutes, the two went back and forth, putting on a great spectacle for the packed-out crowd.

Meanwhile, at the same time, Lionel Messi was making his own headlines with an enthralling game over in America during the FIFA World Cup. The Inter Miami man helped guide Argentina to a comeback victory against Egypt, providing a goal and an assist along the way.

Messi now has another chance at making history, with Argentina looking to go back-to-back after they won the tournament back in 2022 in Qatar. They face Switzerland in the quarter-finals at the Kansas City Stadium, and could meet England in the semis if both are victorious in their respective quarters.

Novak Djokovic’s Response to Lionel Messi Comparison

The journalist started by saying: “Unbelievable how Messi is 39 years old and still scoring goals. And you win after 5 hours and 15 minutes.” To which Djokovic responded by saying: “I’d like to play 90 minutes like him, but…” (laughter).

The elusive 25th Grand Slam title has evaded Djokovic for a while now, having been tied with Margaret Court since the 2023 US Open. Could this be the year that it finally happens?

Picking up the victory over third-ranked Auger-Aliassime is already a statement, but there is no tougher test than Sinner. It’s a rematch of last year’s semi-final, where the Italian picked up the win, and ultimately went onto claim the trophy.

Marko Djurica via Reuters

However, Djokovic did get one over Sinner at the Australian Open earlier this year. It’s another blockbuster clash, and it’s clear the 39-year-old is still more than good enough to compete at this level.

Following the quarter-final victory, the Serb said: “I won that match with a racket and a lot of heart. What can I say? These are the kind of moments I still play tennis for. I wish it was the final, so I don’t need to worry about how the body will feel tomorrow, but I’m happy that I won.”

Tottenham are now said to be going after attackers as they look to continue their huge spending this summer. Spurs have already racked up a huge spending total this season, and a record total at that. Roberto De zerbi has been handed more than £230million to improve his squad, and there will be more money spent before the summer is out.

There will be some sales along the way, and Luka Vuskovic was the first to go, while Cristian Romero is likely to follow at some point this summer. But Tottenham’s spending will far outweigh their incomings, and especially after they add to their business with attacking recruits, which is the next step after the signings of Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes.

Tottenham handed Kroupi blow

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Tottenham’s next priority in the summer window is to sign a winger, with De Zerbi wanting another dangerous wideman and potentially another forward. A number of potential targets have been linked, including Manchester City’s winger Savinho and AFC Bournemouth’s forward Junior Kroupi.

Kroupi has scored 13 goals in 33 league appearances for Bournemouth, and he is now attracting attention from a number of clubs.

Spurs are said to be one of those interested, but according to journalist Alasdair Gold, Bournemouth are not likely to play ball.

“Junior Kroupi we know is a player of huge interest to a lot of clubs, not just Tottenham,” Gold said on his YouTube show. “He is a terrific talent but the feeling coming out of Bournemouth is that he is not for a sale and they’ve been making similar noises about Alex Scott. Spurs are admirers of him. I would love them to go for Alex Scott and he may pick them being a Tottenham fan.”

Kroupi a ‘generational talent’

AFC Bournemouth defender Marcus Tavernier described Kroupi as a ‘generational talent’ earlier this year. He said: “I’ve said before, Junior is a generational talent.

“The club has done an amazing job to pick Kroupi up. That boy has an unbelievable future ahead of him and today he showed why he’s such a good talent in the world of football.”

Kroupi has also been linked with a move to PSG, and there have been reports that he prefers a move back to his home country, France, but much will come down to who can convince Bournemouth to sell. An £80million price has been floated, but if the Cherries do not want to sell, it’s likely any interested club will have to pay over the odds.

Manchester United have been given fresh hope of landing one of their dream transfer targets this summer, The Red Devils have a few needs this summer as they look to build on the momentum from last season, with Michael Carrick having led them to a top three finish.

But there is no need more glaring than the one at the heart of United’s midfield, with Casemiro’s departure leaving a big hole. Ederson is to be brought in from Atalanta, at least if he passes a new medical, and Carrick wants another midfielder.

Real Madrid superstar Aurelien Tchouameni is said to be the dream target, and there is a fresh claim on that front.

Tchouameni could now leave Real Madrid

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According to a report from Spanish outlet Bernabeu Digital, Real Madrid are willing to sell Tchouameni this summer if the money is right and the player wants to leave. Real Madrid have been heavily linked with Chelsea star Enzo Fernandez this summer, but they now say they will not pursue him. Instead, their attention is said to be on Manchester City and Spain star Rodri, who is again having a fine World Cup campaign. The 30-year-old is in the final year of his contract at City, and the Citizens have just signed Elliot Anderson for £116million, meaning they have cover in that holding midfield spot.

The report claims Real Madrid will leave it down to Tchouameni to decide whether he wants to leave or not, but they will pursue a top new holding midfielder regardless, with José Mourinho wanting to strengthen the position.

Several reports suggest United see Tchouameni as their ideal target, and that they are ready to push for a move if they get a green light from Los Blancos.

Ferdinand backs Tchouameni switch

United legend Rio Ferdinand has been praising Tchouameni for years, saying back in 2022: “Listen, Tchouameni is a young kid, he’s going to make mistakes but he’s a superb talent, he produces moments out of nowhere, incredible player. Replacing Pogba in a France XI is not an easy task, but so far, Tchouaméni has been superb. Tchouameni showed why he plays for Real Madrid. He has the patience, talent, control, he has everything you need.”

Backing the midfielder to join United this summer, Ferdinand added: “Do you know what? I know I’ve been sitting here saying that Jose is going to be the man to reintegrate Tchouameni and Valverde together and keep them at Real Madrid.

“But I’ve got to say, if Tchouameni has a half a sniff of getting out of that club, Man Utd have to be the first team at the door knocking and make sure he can’t even talk to anybody else. Get him signed, sealed, delivered.”