Brazil superstar Neymar is closing in on a return to former club Santos, sources have told ESPN.

Neymar currently remains on the books of Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal, but the team's manager Jorge Jesus said earlier in January that the Brazilian attacker can "no longer play at the level we are used to," and as a result wasn't registered to play in the Saudi Pro League, leaving Neymar eligible to play only in the Asian Champions League.

As a consequence, Neymar has been looking for his next playing opportunity, and appears to have found it with the club at which he began his professional career.

Sources tell ESPN that the player's contract with Al Hilal is heading towards being terminated, but the final details still need to be agreed. The two sides are expected to meet early this week with the hope of reaching a conclusion. If that occurs, Neymar is set to sign a six-month contract with Santos, with an option for it to be extended by an additional year.

If the deal with Santos is completed, Neymar is set to travel to Brazil some time this week, and could feature for Santos as soon as Feb. 5.

By terminating his contract with Al Hilal, which ran through this summer, Neymar would leave about $65 million on the table. Sources have told ESPN he could make up at least some of the shortfall by having himself and his father, Neymar Santos Sr., become part of an investment fund that includes shares in Santos.

However, ESPN Brazil is reporting that Neymar is still determined to recoup the money he feels Al Hilal owes him and that any deal involving shares in Santos would be extremely difficult to pull off in the short term.

So, while the framework for a return to Santos is in place in principle, there are still sticking points that could derail it.

If the final details of a return to Santos are indeed completed, it will conclude a transfer saga that at one point included the possibility of Neymar heading to MLS side Chicago Fire FC. However, Neymar's preference was to head back to Brazil to regain his form and possibility reclaim his place with the national team, and a reunion with his boyhood club looks set to take place.

Neymar, 32, endured a difficult spell with Al Hilal after joining the Saudi Arabian club from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2023 for a fee of $97.6 million.

The former Barcelona star suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while on international duty shortly after joining Al Hilal. He made his return to the field last October, but a subsequent hamstring injury kept him from making more of a contribution. All told he made just seven league and cup appearances with just one goal scored in an AFC Champions League group stage match against Nassaji Mazandaran on Oct. 3, 2023.

Despite his struggles in Saudi Arabia, Neymar remains one of the biggest names in the sport thanks to his exploits alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez while with Barcelona from 2013-17. In that time, he was part of sides that won a UEFA Champions League crown, two LaLiga titles, and three Copa del Reys.

He later moved to PSG in 2017 and won five Ligue 1 titles, three Coupe de Frances and two Coupe de la Ligues.

Neymar began his professional career with Santos in 2009, leading them to a Copa Libertadores triumph in 2011 in which he scored in the second leg of the final, a 2-1 win over Peñarol.

At international level, Neymar has appeared 128 times for Brazil, scoring a Selecao record 79 goals. He was part of the Brazil side that won the gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics, which Brazil hosted.

Information from Julien Laurens and ESPN Brazil was used in this story.

SEATTLE -- The Seattle Seahawks on Sunday hired former New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak to the same position.

The son of former NFL quarterback and head coach Gary Kubiak, Klint Kubiak, 37, has two previous OC stints on his resume, having held that role with the Minnesota Vikings in 2021 and the Saints this past season.

Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald conducted a meticulous search, taking nearly three weeks to replace Ryan Grubb, who was fired after one season. They had second, in-person interviews with at least two other candidates -- Detroit Lions offensive line coach Hank Fraley and Vikings assistant OC/assistant quarterbacks coach Grant Udinski.

The Seahawks are banking on Kubiak's strong reputation and philosophical alignment with Macdonald more than his recent resume.

The Saints' offense in 2024 ranked 24th in scoring (19.4 points per game) and 21st in yards (320.1) as injuries sidelined several key players, with quarterback Derek Carr (seven games), wide receivers Chris Olave (nine) and Rashid Shaheed (11), center Erik McCoy (10) and tight end Taysom Hill (nine) all missing extended action.

The Vikings' offense in 2021 ranked 14th in scoring (23.4 ppg) and 12th in yards (362.8).

Grubb was fired in large part because the Seahawks did not run the ball as often or as well as Macdonald preferred. Neither the '21 Vikings (17th) nor the '24 Saints (14th) had top-10 rushing offenses, though Minnesota was 11th in designed rush rate under Kubiak while New Orleans was 14th.

Kubiak also called plays for the Denver Broncos in the second half of the 2022 season after head coach Nathaniel Hackett relinquished those duties.

Kubiak moved on after one season in each of his previous OC stints in the wake of head-coaching changes. He landed in Denver in 2022 as the Broncos' passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach, then spent 2023 with the San Francisco 49ers as their pass game coordinator.

In picking Kubiak, Macdonald didn't stick to his roots and pluck from the Harbaugh tree, but he did hire someone from another well-known coaching family.

As a player, Gary Kubiak backed up John Elway in Denver. He then coached the Broncos to a victory in Super Bowl 50 before serving as the Houston Texans' head coach. Klint Kubiak's younger brother Klay was recently promoted by Kyle Shanahan to offensive coordinator in San Francisco, meaning the two siblings will now match wits in the NFC West.

Unlike Klay, Klint Kubiak will be calling plays in Seattle. He takes over an offense that finished 21st in scoring (20.0) and 14th in yards (332.2) last season while relying too much on quarterback Geno Smith in the absence of a consistent run game. In firing Grubb, Macdonald cited a lack of alignment on how they wanted the offense to operate, with much of the disconnect centered around the run game.

In addition to Kubiak, Fraley and Udinski, the Seahawks reportedly interviewed former NFL quarterback and OC Byron Leftwich as well as former Chicago Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown. Their list of interviews included more names than was reported, sources told ESPN.

With their coordinator in place, the next big question for the Seahawks' offense is the future of Smith. The 34-year-old quarterback is seeking an extension as he enters the final year of his contract, and it's not a given that the two sides will be able to agree to one.

PHILADELPHIA -- Saquon Barkley dashed 60 yards for a touchdown on Philadelphia's first play and finished with 118 yards and three scores, Jalen Hurts rushed for three TDs and the Eagles soared into the Super Bowl with a 55-23 win over the Washington Commanders on Sunday.

Hurts and the Eagles are in the Super Bowl for the second time in three seasons, and this time Barkley is along for the ride. Philadelphia will play either the Buffalo Bills or former Eagles coach Andy Reid's Kansas City Chiefs.

Hurts, wearing a brace on his left knee, also threw for 246 yards and a touchdown pass, and the Eagles had a towel-waving crowd in a frenzy for the NFC Championship Game at Lincoln Financial Field.

A.J. Brown caught six passes for 96 yards and a touchdown, and the Eagles scored a season high in points to usher the franchise into its fifth Super Bowl.

The Commanders played a role in getting the NFC title game to Philly with two straight road wins -- including last week's stunner at the No. 1 seed Detroit Lions that set the stage for the second-seeded Eagles to host.

Jayden Daniels threw for 255 yards with one touchdown and one interception, falling short in his bid to become the first rookie quarterback to lead his team to the Super Bowl. The Commanders were doomed by four turnovers, including a lost fumble by Austin Ekeler in the third quarter with Washington down 34-23.

The Eagles won their only Super Bowl in the 2017 season and Nick Foles, the quarterback in that game against the New England Patriots, was the honorary captain Sunday.

The stadium cut to other stars from that game in attendance on the big screen and now, two years after coach Nick Sirianni's Eagles lost to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, the franchise has a chance at winning its second one.

Much as he has all season, Barkley led the way for the Eagles.

After the Commanders opened the game with an 18-play drive and a field goal that quieted a raucous crowd, Barkley whipped the fans that included actor Bradley Cooper into a frenzy on the Eagles' first offensive play from scrimmage. Only the ninth running back to rush for 2,000 yards in a season, Barkley took the pitch from Hurts and cut left, spun around a pair of defenders and took off on the touchdown run.

The Eagles recovered a fumble on the next drive and Barkley added a 4-yard run -- making him 2-for-2 on carries and touchdowns -- for a 14-3 lead.

Including the playoffs, Barkley extended an NFL record Sunday with his seventh rushing touchdown of 60-plus yards in a season.

Daniels, who led the Commanders to six consecutive victories, made his share of big plays, including a 36-yard touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin that pulled Washington to a 14-12 deficit.

Hurts, who hurt the knee when he was sacked last week by the Los Angeles Rams, had his best game yet in a postseason where the Eagles played all three games at home. He closed the first half with a tush push 1-yard touchdown and threw a 4-yard scoring pass to Brown to send the Eagles into halftime with a 27-15 lead.

Hurts secured the Super Bowl berth with a tush push touchdown in the fourth quarter -- after a humorous moment when an official said he'd award the Eagles a TD if Washington didn't stop jumping offside -- and his ninth career postseason rushing score gave Philadelphia a 41-23 lead.

Small amounts of green confetti started to fly from the upper deck at that point at the countdown was officially on for the Super Bowl.

The Commanders' desperate gasp at another late comeback win ended with a thud when Nolan Smith sacked Daniels on fourth down in the fourth quarter. Will Shipley gave Barkley a needed breather in the blowout and punched in a 2-yard touchdown run for a 55-23 lead. The "E-A-G-L-E-S! Eagles!" chants began in earnest and it's sure to ring loud in New Orleans.

Welcome to the AFC Championship Game, where it's a matchup of contrasts: the established powerhouse facing a resilient challenger looking to finally break through with a win against its longtime nemesis.

Seeking an unprecedented Super Bowl three-peat, the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs are riding an eight-game playoff win streak. Meanwhile the No. 2-seeded Buffalo Bills haven't been to the Super Bowl in more than three decades, and in three of their past four postseason appearances, they were knocked out by the Chiefs.

The Chiefs have had the Bills' number in the playoffs over the past four years, including an epic 2021 AFC divisional-round playoff game in which the Bills were 13 seconds -- no, that's not a Taylor Swift Easter egg -- away from advancing to the AFC championship after Josh Allen's 19-yard touchdown strike to Gabe Davis gave them a three-point lead. But of course, Patrick Mahomes responded, orchestrating a three-play field goal drive to tie it, and one overtime possession later, the Chiefs raucously celebrated an improbable 42-36 win.

Buffalo faced Kansas City again in last year's divisional round, losing 27-24 after Tyler Bass missed a potential game-tying field goal with 1:43 to go. Will this time around be any different?

Follow along for live updates and key insights from the AFC Championship Game below.

Jannik Sinner says the possibility of a doping ban ruling him out of upcoming Grand Slam tournaments did not provide extra motivation to win the Australian Open.

The 23-year-old Italian says he could not have won back-to-back Melbourne titles if he did not have a "clear mind" that he had done nothing wrong.

Sinner was cleared of any wrongdoing by an independent panel after testing positive for banned substance clostebol in April.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) appealed against the decision and is seeking a ban of between one and two years.

The world number one will have his case heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) from 16-17 April, just over a month before the French Open begins.

Sinner beat German second seed Alexander Zverev in straight sets on Sunday but said the uncertainty around his future did "not really" drive him to win again at Melbourne Park.

"I keep playing like this because I have a clear mind on what happened," Sinner said.

"If I know if I would be guilty, I would not play like this, and that's it.

"I just came off an amazing run again here. I want to enjoy this moment."

In October 2020, former girlfriend Sharypova accused Zverev of violence and emotional abuse during their relationship. Zverev denied the allegations and said they were "unfounded".

Sharypova did not press charges, and a 15-month investigation by the men's ATP Tour found there was "insufficient evidence" to substantiate claims made by Sharypova and so Zverev did not face disciplinary action.

In November 2023, Zverev was given a penalty order and fined by a German court after being accused of physically abusing his ex-girlfriend Patea.

Zverev denied the claims and lodged an objection against the order, which resulted in a public trial.

The trial was discontinued in June 2024 after a settlement was agreed between the defendant and the complainant.

At the time, the court told BBC Sport: "The decision is not a verdict and it is not a decision about guilt or innocence."

The image of Sinner vomiting into a wheelie bin by the side of the court is not one many would expect to mark the start of a new reign of dominance in men's tennis.

But that image, as he battled illness at the China Open in October 2023, has become synonymous with the moment Sinner evolved into a serial title winner.

He would go on to win that match. And that tournament. And most matches he has contested in the 15 months since.

From the start of that tournament in Beijing, Sinner's record is 98 wins and just nine defeats - and three of those losses were against four-time Grand Slam champion and rival Carlos Alcaraz.

Sinner replaced Novak Djokovic as world number one in June 2024 and since then has won a record-equalling 47 of his first 50 matches as the top ranked men's player, matching Bjorn Borg and Jimmy Connors.

He also has a 30-2 record at Slams since winning his first Melbourne title 12 months ago.

Cash said: "Sinner and Alcaraz are so far ahead of everybody else.

"Until other young guys come through it is a two-horse race. We saw that for a while with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, then [came] Andy Murray, Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka.

"Things can change really quickly, but as of now it's a one-horse or two-horse race for the Grand Slams."

Wales prop WillGriff John is a major doubt for at least their Six Nations opener against France in Paris on Friday.

The 32-year-old failed a Head Injury Assessment after leaving the field in the first half of Sale Sharks' 32-23 home English Premiership defeat by Bath on Sunday.

John is one of three tight-head props in Warren Gatland's squad alongside Cardiff's Keiron Assiratti and Henry Thomas of Scarlets.

But the number three jersey is problematic for Wales with with Bath's Archie Griffin unavailable following shoulder surgery and Leon Brown having recently retired.

John has not played for Wales since 2021 and, against Bath, was making just his second start for Sale this season with four further replacement appearances.

Assiratti was second choice to Griffin during Wales' autumn internationals and Thomas was an unused squad member as Wales completed 2024 without a win.

Glasgow strengthened their grip on second place in the United Rugby Championship table by grinding out victory over a resolute Connacht at Scotstoun.

The Irish side crossed the whitewash first through David Hawkshaw, but Warriors hit back with tries from Sebastian Cancelliere and Ben Ashfar to lead 17-5 at the break.

Hawkshaw and Cancelliere exchanged further scores in the second half and although Piers O'Conor crossed late on for the visitors, Glasgow held firm to secure the victory.

Franco Smith's side now lead third-placed Bulls by seven points having played two games more than the South African outfit.

With both teams shorn of a raft of internationals before the Six Nations kicking off next weekend, a lack of cohesion was evident for large spells of what was a scrappy contest in difficult conditions.

Having first joined the club back in 2010, Duncan Weir was leading the Glasgow side as captain for the first time and the fly-half banged over a penalty to get Warriors up and running.

Connacht were dominating the exchanges in the opening quarter however, and got their reward when Hawkshaw charged down Ollie Smith's attempted clearance kick before gathering to score.

Henco Venter got Glasgow back on the front foot with a powerful burst and when the ball was whipped wide Cancelliere darted through a gap to go over for Glasgow's first try.

The game was bobbing along without much happening until a majestic show-and-go from prop Fin Richardson saw him slip through the Connacht defence, before offloading to Alex Samuel who sent Ashfar sprinting free to the try line.

Glasgow led by 12 at the break but it was Connacht who struck early in the second half, some neat handling sending Hawkshaw away for his second try of the match.

Having played into a strong breeze in the first half, the Irish side now had the wind at their backs and had an opportunity to reduce the deficit to two points, only for JJ Hanrahan's penalty attempt to come back off the upright.

Warriors gave themselves some breathing space with their third try. Strong carries from Smith and Jack Mann took Glasgow to the brink of the Connacht line before Cancelliere found himself in the right place at the right time again to dot down.

The visitors were not done yet and O'Conor raced over two minutes from time to set up a nervy finish, but Glasgow managed the final moments well to see it out for the win.

British and Irish Lions prop Tadhg Furlong has been ruled out of Ireland's Six Nations opener against England on Saturday by injury.

Furlong, 32, suffered a recurrence of a calf injury at Ireland's training camp in Portugal on Saturday and has returned to Dublin for further assessment.

Connacht's Jack Aungier has been called up to the Six Nations holders' squad as a replacement.

The experienced tighthead prop missed all four November internationals for Ireland with a hamstring issue and only returned for Leinster in their win over La Rochelle three weeks' ago before missing the province's last European game against Bath.

Furlong's absence means Finlay Bealham is likely to start against England at the Aviva Stadium but Ireland's usual third-choice in the position, Tom O'Toole, is suspended for the first two games of the championship.

Hooker Dan Sheehan and wing James Lowe linked up with the Ireland squad on Sunday after returning from injury to play in Leinster's United Rugby Championship win over the Stormers on Saturday.

Sheehan was making his first appearance of the season after sustaining a knee injury in Ireland's summer tour of South Africa while Lowe has been ruled out since sustaining a calf injury in Ireland's final November international against Australia.

The duo's Leinster colleague Jack Boyle also joined up with the squad on Sunday with Connacht scrum-half Caolin Blade also set to arrive in Portugal on Monday.