SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – As speculation ramps up about who will (or won’t) represent the U.S. at the Tokyo Olympics this summer, Justin Thomas left little doubt about his aspirations to represent his country.

Thomas is currently ranked No. 4 in the world, with only world No. 1 Brooks Koepka ahead of him among American players. With the top four Americans at the June 22 cutoff expected to qualify, it puts him in great position to potentially make his Olympic debut in July.

But Koepka expressed ambivalence when discussing the topic this week with reporters in Saudi Arabia, noting that the four majors and the FedExCup would take on more personal significance when crafting a 2020 schedule. There was a similar sentiment from world No. 5 Dustin Johnson, who opted out of the Rio Olympics in 2016 and told reporters this week he’s “not really sure” how the Olympics might fit into his summer itinerary.

Wednesday at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, Thomas made it clear that he’ll be in Tokyo if he maintains his qualifying position through the summer.

“There’s no scenario for me (to skip the Olympics if qualified),” Thomas said. “It’s just different. It’s once in every four years, and you have the opportunity to do it.”

Thomas is already a two-time winner on the PGA Tour this season, and a victory this week on the Stadium Course would be his fourth in his last nine worldwide starts. It’s a torrid run of form that makes him likely to remain inside the American qualifying bubble, but he was hesitant to criticize any players who might potentially bypass a spot in the 60-man competition.

“I feel like it’s a very uncomfortable question to be asked, because there’s no right answer. No matter how you say it, you’re going to be ridiculed for it or say your priorities aren’t in line,” Thomas said. “You can’t really compare it to anything because it’s on its own, I think.”

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – One year after taking social media by storm, Gary Woodland and Amy Bockerstette were reunited Wednesday at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

The two went viral last year when Bockerstette, who has Down syndrome, played the infamous par-3 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale alongside Woodland, who was the tournament’s defending champion. Her par save from a greenside bunker spawned a catch phrase (“I got this”) that led to a charitable foundation, and the two gained further traction when Woodland won the U.S. Open a few months later.

They joined forces again Wednesday on the Stadium Course’s most famous hole, and Woodland was afforded an opportunity to reflect on the course-altering connection the two have formed.

“You’ve seen the people that have been impacted by this, by the video and her attitude, her energy, her love,” Woodland said. “I keep saying it, it’s so contagious and the world needs a lot more of it. And especially with everything that’s going on in the world right now, we need a lot more Amy in it.”

Bockerstette, 21, attends nearby Paradise Valley Community College. According to the Special Olympics, she is the first individual with Down syndrome to receive an athletic scholarship to attend college.

Woodland and Bockerstette remained in contact during the weeks and months after their viral moment, and he cited her as a source of inspiration during his major breakthrough last summer at Pebble Beach. This time when she joined him on the 16th tee, Woodland presented her with a check for $25,000 from the Thunderbirds organization that operates the Waste Management event to help fund the I Got This Foundation, which Bockerstette helped form last fall.

“Everywhere I go, I hear, ‘I got this.’ People come up to me, I mean, I have adults come up to me crying because they have seen the video and they know somebody that has Down syndrome,” Woodland said. “The impact that it’s had on other people has been tremendous. So to be a part of that is amazing.”

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – With the sports world still mourning the tragic death of NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, players at this week’s Waste Management Phoenix Open have various plans to honor the fallen Lakers legend.

Bryant was one of nine people killed in a helicopter crash Sunday, with the news breaking in the midst of the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open. Tributes have poured in since from all walks of life, including Tour players who viewed Bryant’s “Mamba mentality” as a source of competitive inspiration.

Justin Thomas revealed that he’ll honor Bryant’s legacy with stamps on a fresh set of wedges that he’ll put into play this week at TPC Scottsdale, and Wednesday he donned one of Bryant’s Lower Merion High School jerseys while playing the 16th hole during the pro-am.

“I’ve always been a huge fan of his. I’ve always loved watching him play, just loved hearing about his work ethic and stuff that he did on and off the court, and how he always worked harder than everybody else,” Thomas said. “Obviously he’s freakishly talented, but why he was better than everybody else was because he was going to work harder to get there and just kind of will himself to be a winner.”

Reigning U.S. Open champ Gary Woodland plans to write a Bryant tribute on his shoes this week, and he has swapped out his putter cover for one that features the Lakers’ colors of purple and gold. Woodland noted that news of Bryant’s death “shut the world down for a day,” but the biggest impact he felt was tied to the relationship Bryant had with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, who also died in the crash.

“For me personally, looking at him the last couple years, I want to be like him as a father,” Woodland said. “I brought by kid out yesterday. My kid’s two and a half. That’s the first time he’s walked with me on a golf course; he came out during the practice round. Because with Kobe being taken away, you don’t know how much time we have. And I want to be able to share more time with my son now, and when my daughters get older.”

Defending champ Rickie Fowler may join Woodland by adding an homage on his apparel this week in Arizona, but he also believes that Bryant will receive a significant outpouring from fans and players alike.

“I don’t think Kobe needs any help as far as tributes go. I’m sure I’ll add some stuff here and there,” Fowler said. “But yeah, I don’t think Kobe’s going to struggle with support from fans and people around the world. He did his job. He’s pretty accomplished and very well-respected.”

Manchester City have beaten Barcelona to the signing of Brazilian teenager Yan Couto from Coritiba for €15 million, according to ESPN Brasil sources.

Sources have told ESPN that Barca had been interested in signing the 17-year-old right-back, but their offer of €10m was not deemed acceptable.

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Couto and his agent Marcelo Robalinho travelled to Manchester on Wednesday and the deal will be confirmed once he passes his medical. He will then return to Coritba, where he will remain until he turns 18 on June 3.

As well as his domestic performances for Coritiba, Couto caught the eyes of Europe's biggest clubs for his involvement in Brazil's successful under-17 World Cup in 2019.

He only missed two matches throughout the tournament on home soil -- both through suspension -- and he provided the assist for Lazaro Vinicius to score a stoppage-time winner in the final to secure a 2-1 victory over Mexico.

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants a new striker to add to Bruno Fernandes before the close of the January transfer window.

Fernandes is set to undergo a medical on Thursday after arriving in Manchester, but Solskjaer is still hopeful there could be another addition before Friday's deadline.

"We need more goalscorers, more goals, someone who wants to break their nose or toe to score," said Solskjaer. "We need more goals, if we get Bruno over the line we've got a boy who will score and create."

With Nemanja Matic set to be suspended for Wolves' visit to Old Trafford on Saturday after he was sent off during the 1-0 win over Manchester City on Wednesday, Fernandes could make his debut provided there are no late hitches in his move from Sporting Lisbon.

"Let's get the contract signed and medical done, but the boy is fit and ready to play I would presume," said Solskjaer.

Both Solskjaer and Pep Guardiola were able to leave the Etihad Stadium with positives -- United won a Manchester derby for the second time in six weeks while City are into their third successive League Cup final -- but the game was marred by trouble between the two sets of fans.

Seats and flares were thrown toward City fans while after the final whistle video emerged of home fans mocking the Munich Air Disaster with airplane gestures.

The incidents were condemned by both managers, just 24 hours after United fans were filmed attacking the home of executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward with flares.

"I don't like it," said Guardiola. "I didn't like what happened with Ed Woodward at home. You see the squad for United and it is really good. That is not the way to do it.

"You talk about what happened [inside the stadium], I didn't know it but it is not nice."

Solskjaer added: "Football is a game we should all enjoy, spectators, the ones playing. I keep telling the players, go out with a big smile and enjoy yourselves and fans should enjoy the games.

"We want rivalry but keep at a sane level and let's make sure we eradicate that now. We want to make this a nice game."

Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first person in the world to reach 200 million followers on Instagram.

Ronaldo is already the most-liked athlete on Facebook with 122m likes.

The Juventus forward celebrated the achievement with an Instagram montage of his previous posts.

"Wow 200 million!!! Thank you to each and every one of you for sharing this journey with me every day," he wrote on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

Wow 200 million!!! Thank you to each and every one of you for sharing this journey with me every day!!??❤️

A post shared by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano) on Jan 29, 2020 at 9:09am PST

Ronaldo's nearest sporting rivals in the follower stakes are Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Paris Saint-Germain's Neymar who each have 142m and 132m followers respectively.

Other athletes that feature in the top 10 include Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Marcelo, Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez, Ronaldinho, Le Bron James and David Beckham.

MANCHESTER, England -- On a night when Manchester City celebrated a derby defeat and Manchester United were left disappointed with a win at the Etihad Stadium, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer continued his knack of winning a big game just in time and Pep Guardiola carried on his habit of reaching Carabao Cup finals.

United's 1-0 win courtesy of Nemanja Matic's goal saw Solskjaer become just the third manager after Jose Mourinho and Jurgen Klopp to inflict two home defeats on Guardiola as City were condemned to their first defeat in the League Cup for 1,190 days. But it was Guardiola who left the pitch at the final whistle punching the air after guiding his team to a third successive final.

It was a win that didn't feel like a win and a defeat that didn't feel like a defeat.

Solskjaer missed the chance to reach a first final as United manager, but the victory capped a significant day for the Norwegian. It began with news that Bruno Fernandes will join his squad after a fee was agreed with Sporting Lisbon and ended with a second win at the Etihad in the space of six weeks.

The pressure on his position hiked up again after the miserable defeat to Burnley at Old Trafford a week ago, but not for the first time he came up with a good result at the right time. Back-to-back victories over Tottenham and City in December came after draws with Sheffield United and Aston Villa and a Europa League defeat to Astana. The draw with Liverpool in October -- still the only points Klopp's side have dropped in the Premier League this season -- came after a run of five games without a win, which included dire defeats to West Ham and Newcastle, and a draw in 90 minutes against League One Rochdale.

It is encouraging for Solskjaer to keep finding a way to step back from the brink, but he cannot keep putting himself in a position where it is needed. Victory here will mean very little if they cannot beat Wolves at home Saturday.

"We know it's going to be inconsistent this season, but it shows how good we can be," Solskjaer said. "We want to eradicate defeats but everyone watching knows what we're trying to do. We're going to get there, these players will learn."

Guardiola said afterwards he "liked a lot the way they played." United remain very much a work in progress, even once Fernandes is signed.

Despite reaching another final, Guardiola was left to field questions about how his team had failed to score.

By the time United mustered their first shot in the 35th minute, City had already had nine. The key difference, though, was that Matic's went in. Riyad Mahrez once and Sergio Aguero twice forced David de Gea into three good saves inside the first 20 minutes. Raheem Sterling looked to have a clear sight of goal before Harry Maguire snuffed out the danger.

The opening goal had been coming, but almost everyone inside the Etihad Stadium was stunned that it was United who got it.

On a rare raid into City's half, Jesse Lingard was chopped down by Rodri. Bernardo Silva couldn't clear Fred's free kick, but Matic still had plenty to do when the ball skidded out to the corner of the area. Instead of taking a touch, the Serbian swivelled and smashed in a left-footed shot that brushed off the inside of the near post.

Whether it was because it came so against the run of play or because it was Matic's first goal since Boxing Day 2018, it was so surprising that it took a split second for everyone to realise what had happened. Matic was already halfway through his celebration when the United fans at the other end of the stadium erupted, sensing for the first time that a repeat of the famous Paris comeback might be on.

Matic was having an excellent game in the centre of midfield -- vindicating Solskjaer's suggestion in the buildup that he could earn a new contract -- but it ended prematurely. Booked in the second half for slicing down Mahrez, he picked up another yellow card 14 minutes before the end for stepping across Ilkay Gundogan as City raced forward. Solskjaer called the decision "a joke" but stopped short of saying referee Kevin Friend had cost United a place at Wembley.

"I don't want to talk about the referee too much," Solskjaer said. "I want to talk about the players and the attitude they're showing. They've come here twice in six weeks and beaten City twice. You could not do that in 10 years and they've done it in six weeks."

It was even more impressive given that United were without Marcus Rashford, Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay.

Guardiola also took the chance to praise his players -- rounding on critics who have claimed they have been unable to keep pace with Liverpool in the league because they have lost their hunger after so much success.

"Reaching the final shows when people say we are complacent about what we have won, you are not able to do it three years in a row," he said. "It is a good signal for us. It doesn't matter what competition, we try and do it."

A night of mixed emotions ended with everyone finding something to smile about.

It's go time, as the January transfer window is open. Find out when it closes across Europe, view the latest transfers as they happen and keep up to date with the newest gossip below.

Jump to: What do the big clubs need? | Paper Talk

- Man United agree Fernandes deal up to €80m
- Tottenham land €35m Bergwijn from PSV
- Arsenal sign defender Pablo Mari on loan
- Eriksen leaves Tottenham for Inter Milan

TOP STORY: Man United, Chelsea eye striker

The Premier League window only has a day left and both Manchester United and Chelsea are short up front.

After United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's comments (see 08.00), United will be eyeing a pure goal scorer and the Daily Express says that Real Madrid's Luka Jovic and Leicester's Islam Slimani are being tracked for a loan move. The MEN has a different idea and says that Valencia striker Maxi Gomez and Fenerbahce's Vedat Muriqi are keen, while Napoli veteran Dries Mertens is also linked.

However, Mertens is also on the radar of Chelsea, says Sky Sports. The 32-year-old Belgian is out of contract this summer and is also attracting attention from Inter Milan given a January move would only cost £5m.

Olivier Giroud will likely leave Stamford Bridge this window, either to Inter or possibly Tottenham, so Chelsea need a backup almost as much as United do. Stay tuned to find out who they'll get.

LIVE BLOG

12.50 GMT: Hertha Berlin are about to land Krzysztof Piatek and that could be good news for West Ham.

Why, you ask? Because it means that former Chelsea forward Salomon Kalou, who now plays for Hertha, is available.

German publication Kicker reports that the 34-year-old is now on the radar of David Moyes.

12.30 GMT: Chelsea defender/midfielder Ethan Ampadu has been on loan at RB Leipzig this season, but the Bristol Post reports that Bristol City are keen to offer him more playing time.

As an aside: Former RB Leipzig head coach Ralf Rangnick hit out at the club's players after they flew in a celebrity hairdresser from London ahead of their 2-0 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt last weekend.

Nine Leipzig players, including Ampadu, had their hair cut by English hairdresser Sheldon Edwards at their Frankfurt hotel before the game. The barber, whose previous clients include Olivier Giroud, Jadon Sancho and Raheem Sterling, later published images of his work on social media.

12.22 GMT: Update from 10.02, Manchester City have beaten Barcelona to Brazil U17 defender Yan Couto, says ESPN Brasil.

12.04 GMT: AC Milan striker Krzysztof Piatek doesn't want to hang around with Zlatan Ibrahimovic in his way, and the 24-year-old Poland international has reportedly landed in Berlin to complete a medical at Hertha Berlin ahead of a €27m transfer.

11.37 GMT: Neymar hasn't been mentioned for a while on these pages, so surely you all want an update?

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu told Mundo Deportivo TV: "Neymar is the recurring question asked by everyone since last year. However, as I have already said, until we meet to discuss next season, we will not be talking about it. For the coming campaign, nothing has been discussed -- there is nothing to reveal. We are always open to anything. I prefer to not speak about other teams' players."

11.28 GMT: Sheffield United are close to a loan deal for Bayer Leverkusen defender Panagiotis Retsos, according to the Daily Mail.

Retsos, 21, is a very versatile defender and the Greece international could provide plenty of cover for the Blades at the back.

11.15 GMT: Update on Olivier Giroud to Tottenham. The Athletic says that it could happen but only if Chelsea manage to sign a striker before the deadline. If they do, they won't block the Frenchman's move to join up with Jose Mourinho.

11.06 GMT: Barcelona forward Carles Perez has joined Serie A side Roma in a deal worth an initial €13m, the two clubs confirmed on Wednesday.

A further €2m is potentially due in performance-related add-ons. Barca had hoped to include a buy-back option in the deal but, in the end, have had to settle for a first option should Roma agree to sell in the future.

11.01 GMT: Here's an interesting one... Barcelona reportedly want to sell Philippe Coutinho permanently this month, even though he's in the middle of a season-long loan spell at Bayern Munich.

Bayern have a €120m option to buy the Brazilian midfielder in the summer, but reports suggest they won't do that.

Catalunya Radio Barcelona reports that Barca are willing to sell for less if a bid comes in now, given they need to find a replacement for the injured Luis Suarez pretty quickly.

10.46 GMT: Tottenham are also looking for a striker, but they have competition for Real Sociedad's Willian Jose from West Ham, says AS.

Willian Jose is pushing for a move to London and has a €70m buy-out clause in his contract, but Tottenham are negotiating a much lower fee, sources have told ESPN.

10.31 GMT: Portuguese winger Daniel Podence has completed his £16.6m move to Wolves from Olympiakos.

"First of all, thank you for the several support messages I've been getting. I can describe myself as a fast, virtuoso and objective player," he told the club website. "My individual goals are to play as much as possible, help the team with goals and assists and collectively, I'd like to qualify for the Champions League. That is a goal that's within our reach, and I hope we can have a better season than last year."

Wolves also signed 19-year-old France youth international Enzo Loiodice from Dijon on loan.

10.18 GMT: Barcelona are starting to ramp things up and have been linked with Braga winger Francisco Trincao.

The 20-year-old has been dubbed the "new Cristiano Ronaldo," or perhaps that should now be the "new Joao Felix" given the Portuguese youngster is already the holder of that title.

Can you be "a new" anything if you're only a few days older than the player in question? Anyway, Barca are willing to spend €20m on Trincao, says Record.

10.15 GMT: Gonzalo Villar has completed his move from Elche to AS Roma.

The 21-year-old central midfielder has signed for €4m, with performance-related clauses of up to €1m included.

10.02 GMT: Manchester City are trying to hijack Yan Couto's move to Barcelona with late bid, says Mundo Deportivo.

The promising 17-year-old Brazil defender has barely played for his club Coritiba but is already attracting the biggest clubs in the world. Must be some player!

09.55 GMT: Former Real Madrid and QPR midfielder Esteban Granero has rescinded his contract with Espanyol and joined third division side El Marbella. Wow. He's only 32.

09.45 GMT: Genk midfielder Sander Berge was being linked to Liverpool and Man United but now it seems he's set to sign for Sheffield United, says Sky Sports.

The 21-year-old could move for around £27m.

09.37 GMT: US international defender Cameron Carter-Vickers has moved from Tottenham to Luton on loan.

09.28 GMT: Arsenal are reportedly chasing Southampton's Cedric Soares and could land the full-back for £5m, says the Daily Mirror.

They've already landed defender Pablo Mari on loan from Flamengo.

09.13 GMT: Valencia coach Albert Celades remains coy over Rodrigo's future at the club despite news that talks regarding the striker's move to Barcelona have collapsed.

Barcelona reportedly wanted to sign the Spanish striker on loan until the end of the season while Valencia were only willing to sell Rodrigo on a permanent transfer in this transfer window.

When asked if Rodrigo will stay put, Celades told reporters after Wednesday's Copa del Rey win on penalties at Cultural Leonesa. "I don't know how things stand. We will wait and see once the transfer window ends and once it does, we will evaluate it. It seems that way (that Rodrigo will stay). But until the last day, the situation doesn't change."

08.47 GMT: Barcelona have had a €100m offer for forward Richarlison rejected by Everton, according to Sky Sports.

Richarlison has scored 24 goals for Everton since joining them in July 2018 from Watford for £40m. The 22-year-old has established himself as a Brazil international, making three appearances as the Selecao won the Copa America on home soil last summer.

Sky reports that Everton immediately rejected the offer from Barca, who have re-ignited their long-held interest in the player as their hopes of signing Rodrigo from Valencia appear to be diminishing.

08.27 GMT: Lyon have announced the signing Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimaraes from Athletico Paranaense.

The 22-year-old had been linked with Premier League side Arsenal and La Liga club Atletico Madrid, but it was Ligue 1 side Lyon who were always favourites to sign him.

? Bruno Guimaraes à l'OL jusqu'en 2024 !

Communiqué ➡️ https://t.co/4pVgUhqgZL pic.twitter.com/cdQcDJEEuf

— Olympique Lyonnais (@OL) January 30, 2020

08.00 GMT: Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants a new striker to join new arrival Bruno Fernandes at the club before the close of the January transfer window.

Fernandes is set to undergo a medical on Thursday after arriving in Manchester, but Solskjaer is still hopeful there could be another addition before Friday's deadline.

"We need more goalscorers, more goals, someone who wants to break their nose or toe to score," said Solskjaer. "We need more goals, if we get Bruno over the line we've got a boy who will score and create."

With Nemanja Matic set to be suspended for Wolves' visit to Old Trafford on Saturday after he was sent off during the 1-0 win over Manchester City on Wednesday, Fernandes could make his debut provided there are no late hitches in his move from Sporting Lisbon.

"Let's get the contract signed and medical done, but the boy is fit and ready to play I would presume," said Solskjaer.

WHAT DO THE BIG CLUBS NEED

PREMIER LEAGUE

LIVERPOOL: Nobody. The Premier League leaders are 19 points clear and have a policy of rotation in the cups. There's nobody who can improve this side right now, but watch out for a couple of moves next summer.

MAN CITY: Pep Guardiola says that nobody is coming in this month. However, they should really get some defensive cover if they have any designs on success this season. Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar has been linked, but don't expect that to happen. Leroy Sane will most likely depart in the summer but will stay until then.

LEICESTER: The key has been keeping their top players, namely James Maddison and Ben Chilwell, from joining other clubs. That done, there's a need for defensive cover and Vitoria Guimaraes' Edmond Tapsoba, Southampton defender Jannik Vestergaard and Brest's Ibrahima Diallo have been linked.

CHELSEA: A striker is key, especially if Tammy Abraham is injured, although the rumoured £150m spending spree hasn't materialised. A new left-back (Chilwell) and a replacement for Eden Hazard (Jadon Sancho) will have to wait until the summer, but a back-up striker is possible if they can land Napoli striker Dries Mertens.

MAN UNITED: Having landed Bruno Fernandes to bolster the midfield, a backup striker is also required at Old Trafford. A loan option is most likely, with Real Madrid's Luka Jovic, Leicester's Islam Slimani, Valencia's Maxi Gomez and Fenerbahce's Vedat Muriqi reportedly on the list, with Mertens too.

TOTTENHAM: Seeing a theme here? Harry Kane is injured, so Spurs need a backup after already signing forward Steven Bergwijn and letting Christian Eriksen leave for Inter. Giroud is a possibility, though the main target is Real Sociedad's Willian Jose. No, Gareth Bale is not an option. A full-back would also be useful, but Jose Mourinho seems happy to dip into the club's youth team for cover there.

ARSENAL: Defensive cover arrived in the form of former Man City defender Pablo Mari, but the struggling Gunners are still short. Southampton's Cedric Soares could provide cover at full-back on loan, while there won't be anything major spent as the club are saving for their summer overhaul.

SELECTED EUROPEAN CLUBS

ATLETICO MADRID: PSG's Edinson Cavani is the answer to Atletico's scoring woes, though he will cost €15m despite his contract ending in the summer. Negotiations are ongoing, with Inter Miami FC possibly complicating things. Flop Thomas Lemar will likely stay put until the summer, despite links to Arsenal and Tottenham.

BARCELONA: Luis Suarez's injury means Barcelona need an attacking player. They've reportedly had an €85m bid rejected for Everton's Richarlison, saw Ajax rebuff them for Dusan Tadic, and are keen to sell Philippe Coutinho to raise funds. But Chelsea's Willian has been a long-term target, as has Inter's €111m rated Lautaro Martinez. A deal for Valencia's Rodrigo Moreno looks dead this month, but Real Betis forward Loren Moron could be an option at €25m.

INTER MILAN: So many signings, so many former Man United players ... Antonio Conte is keen on adding Giroud to play as backup to Romelu Lukaku but Inter are being linked with almost every misfit under the sun. They beat off competition to land Eriksen from Tottenham for around €20m but need a target up front. Ex-Tottenham striker Fernando Llorente has been linked. A swap deal which included Matteo Politano for Roma's Leonardo Spinazzola fell through, while Matteo Darmain's move seems to have done the same after Victor Moses and Ashley Young arrived.

PAPER TALK (by James Capps)

Spurs and Real hold shock Bale talks

The Daily Mail claims Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid have held talks over a shock move for former Spurs winger Gareth Bale, but the north Londoners are reportedly pessimistic over their chances of landing the Welshman.

Financial reasons are believed to be the major stumbling block in any potential move for the four-time Champions League winner, with Bale's huge £600,000-a-week wage forming the crux of the negotiations.

Spurs know they are unable to get close to matching that salary, and are now trying desperately to put together a package to suit all parties, with Real keen to rid the former Southampton man from their bulging wage bill, while the player himself is keen to secure regular game time ahead of Wales' Euro 2020 campaign in the summer.

Bale was named the PFA's Player of the Year twice during his six years at Spurs before making his €100m move to Real Madrid in 2013, a world-record fee at the time.

Paco packs his bags ahead of Dortmund departure

Borussia Dortmund striker Paco Alcacer looks set to depart Signal Iduna Park in the January transfer window, and Spanish publication Marca claims the former Barcelona man is set for a move back to La Liga with Villarreal.

The 26-year-old asked to leave the Bundesliga side after the arrival of teenage sensation Erling Haaland from FC Salzburg at the turn of the year, and the Norwegian's scintillating start to his career in Germany has accelerated the Spaniard's exit.

Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Valencia were also linked with a move for Alcacer, but after Barcelona failed with a move for Los Che striker Rodrigo, Valencia are no longer in the market for a forward, leaving the door open for Villarreal to make their move.

Can Dortmund get Emre from Juventus?

Serie A leaders Juventus are bracing themselves for a second bid from Borussia Dortmund for wantaway midfielder Emre Can, according to noted transfer guru Gianluca Dimarzio.

After having an initial enquiry rebuffed, Dortmund look set to return with an offer worth around €30 million for the 26-year-old, who has expressed his desire to leave Juventus after struggling to force his way into Maurizio Sarri's first-team plans, with the former Chelsea boss preferring the likes of Blaise Matuidi, Miralem Pjanic and Rodrigo Bentancur in his midfield berths.

Despite his lack of first-team action in Turin, the defending Serie A champions look set to make a huge profit on the German, who joined The Old Lady in 2018 on a free transfer after letting his contract expire at Liverpool.

Tap Ins

- Tottenham defender Danny Rose is set for a loan deal to Newcastle, with the Guardian reporting that Steve Bruce's side will pay Spurs a £2m loan fee for the England defender. Rose has only made three starts since Jose Mourinho took over the London side, and the move up north could have revitalise Rose's chances of making England's squad for Euro 2020.

- The Sun claims West Brom defender Nathan Ferguson is having a medical at Crystal Palace, after the two clubs agreed a deal worth £10m for the 19-year-old. The Eagles turned their attention to the youngster after failing in an attempt to sign Spurs full-back Kyle Walker-Peters, who opted for a move to Southampton rather than a switch to Selhurst Park.

- Sky Italy claims AC Milan left back Ricardo Rodriguez is on the verge of sealing a move to PSV Eindhoven ahead of Friday's transfer deadline. The 27-year-old Switzerland international has made just five Serie A appearances for the Rossoneri this season.

Chris Gayle has announced that he will be part of the fourth edition of the Everest Premier League, Nepal's domestic T20 tournament. The West Indies batsman said he would be playing for Pokhara Rhinos in the tournament, which is scheduled to begin on February 29.

"I will be visiting Nepal for the biggest sporting event, the Everest Premier League," Gayle said in a video message on Twitter. "Come and support my team Pokhara Rhinos and be part of a magnificent cricket fiesta."

Gayle, who returned from a hamstring injury to play for the Chattogram Challengers in the second half of the Bangladesh Premier League, made 144 runs in four games. He was also part of Jozi Stars' disastrous Mzansi Premier League campaign last season, following which he took a "break" from cricket for the rest of 2019, even expressing his unavailability to the West Indies selectors for the ODI series in India. During a recent media interaction in Dhaka, the 40-year-old said that he will continue playing T20s for a while yet.

He was also not part of West Indies' recently concluded home series against Ireland, but the team management and selection panel had earlier said that the door was open to all players including seniors like Gayle to be part of the T20I side. His West Indies team-mate Dwayne Bravo recently made a comeback during the Ireland series, after coming out of international retirement aged 36.

Gayle last played for West Indies in what was expected to be his "farewell" game in the third ODI in Port-of-Spain against India in August. His last T20I was in March 2019 against England in Basseterre.

Lunch Zimbabwe 406 and 179 for 5 (Taylor 67, Masvaure 35, Embuldeniya 2-57) lead Sri Lanka 293 (Mathews 64, Raza 7-113) by 292 runs

Brendan Taylor's tenth Test fifty ensured Zimbabwe pressed home the advantage they had worked so hard to build the previous day as the hosts stretched their lead to 292 on the fourth morning in Harare. But his dismissal just before lunch took the sheen away from an otherwise positive session for Zimbabwe, though they will be heartened by the fact that since then Sean Williams and Sikander Raza have added 28 in just 4.3 overs.

Lasith Embuldeniya was the pick of the bowlers for the visitors with two wickets. He had given Sri Lanka the ideal started to the day when he induced an outside edge against Regis Chakabva early in the session, a well-flighted delivery spinning past the batsman's forward defence. Dhananjaya de Silva completed a sharp catch at slip.

Embuldeniya would repeat the trick later, getting a similarly tossed up delivery to spin sharply past a Timcyen Maruma drive, with Niroshan Dickwella completing a quick stumping as the batsman briefly lost his balance.

He would have had Taylor back in the pavilion as well if Vishwa Fernando had held on to a running catch at long-on when the batsman was on 30.

Taylor was eventually dismissed for 67 when Lahiru Kumara trapped him lbw. Replays showed there might have been an inside edge, but with the DRS not available, Taylor had to walk.

Prior to that Taylor was the only Zimbabwe batsman to give Embuldeniya any trouble, employing his favoured sweep and reverse sweep to make sure the left-arm spinner didn't settle on a line and length. And much like in the first innings, Taylor's entry gave Zimbabwe the impetus they needed to push the scoring rate. His fifty came off just 55 deliveries.

The ease with which he handled the spin forced Dimuth Karunaratne to deploy pace from both ends. This was a more comfortable period for Taylor and Prince Masvaure, where despite the odd close call, the lack of lateral movement for meant missed lines and lengths were there to be punished.

Eventually, a run-out brought an end to that partnership, one which had yielded 47 runs in a little over an hour, as Masvaure failed to see his partner declining the second run.