From the Back Pages, July 10: Germany went easy on Brazil in second half of 7-1 World Cup pasting claims Mats Hummels

MANCHESTER UNITED will battle Paris St-Germain for Real Madrid and Argentina winger Angel Di Maria, Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez deal is set to be completed once Luis Suarez swaps Liverpool for Barcelona, and Chelsea have beaten Tottenham to the ‘next Luka Modric’ in Croatian prodigy Mario Pasalic. (The Express)

Liverpool are on the verge of completing a £30million double swoop for Belgium World Cup star Divock Origi and Benfica winger Lazar Markovic. (Daily Mail)

Brazil’s gold standard has slipped so dramatically we may have to reclassify Selecao as a B-grade provider of talent. (The Telegraph)

England had a very good first day of the series against India. Given the circumstances, it was perhaps a wicket away from excellent, having been put in the field by MS Dhoni. A cultured, unbeaten century from the India opener Murali Vijay, brisk at the outset although considerably less so later, was his fourth in a six-year career and first outside his homeland although such is the state of the pitch, it may as well have been Bangalore, Hyderabad and Mohali where he made the others, all against Australia. (The Guardian)

Chris Froome’s defence of his Tour de France crown is over after just five days following a third crash in the space of two stages. (The Independent)

Sir Dave Brailsford insists he was right to leave Sir Bradley Wiggins out of Team Sky’s Tour de France line-up after Chris Froome, the defending champion, abandoned the race in the wake of three crashes in 24 hours. Froome said he was “devastated” at having to withdraw. (The Times)