Borussia Dortmund midfielder Felix Nmecha is attracting interest from Manchester United and Chelsea, while Robert Lewandowski is heading out of Barcelona.

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TRENDING RUMORS

– Manchester United and Chelsea are interested in Borussia Dortmund midfielder Felix Nmecha, according to Sky Germany. The 25-year-old has impressed with a regular slot in Dortmund’s midfield this season and the club are hoping to renegotiate his contract, which runs out in 2028. However, Nmecha — who came through Manchester City‘s youth team and whose older brother, Lukas, plays for Leeds United — has previously intimated that he would like to play in the Premier League.

– Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski won’t leave the club in January, but he will move to MLS in the summer, Sky Germany reports. The 37-year-old is also wanted by Saudi Pro League clubs but favours a move to the U.S., and he’s prepared to wait until the end of the season to ensure the right switch. The Poland international has been on the Barça bench in five consecutive matches and his time in La Liga is coming to an end. His contract expires in June.

– Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with West Ham United winger Crysencio Summerville and Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones, according to the Daily Mail. Under-pressure Spurs boss Thomas Frank is still looking for someone to occupy the left-wing position vacated by Son Heung-min, with Summerville touted as a potential target. Meanwhile, Jones is another target for Frank, though his move could be trickier to achieve given his desire to stay at his boyhood club, Liverpool, for his entire career. Jones remains a key player for Arne Slot, though he has been in and out of the Liverpool side this season.

– Aston Villa had been chasing striker Tammy Abraham, but they have turned their attention to wantaway Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta and AC Milan‘s Ruben Loftus-Cheek. The Telegraph reports that Loftus-Cheek, 29, is seen as an ideal short-term replacement for Boubacar Kamara, who Villa fear could miss the rest of the season with a knee injury. Meanwhile, The Athletic reports that Mateta has told Palace officials that he wants to leave the South London club, and Villa see the 28-year-old Frenchman as an easier deal to negotiate than Abraham. Palace, in turn, are evaluating a move for Villa forward Evann Guessand.

– Chelsea are closing in on their first signing under new manager Liam Rosenior, according to The Athletic. Teenage Sheffield Wednesday defender Yisa Alao could move to Stamford Bridge in a £500,000 deal which would rise to £1 million with add-ons. Manchester United have already had a £450,000 bid rejected for the 17-year-old.

DONE DEALS

To follow…

OTHER RUMORS

– Bournemouth have reached an agreement with Lazio over the loan of goalkeeper Christos Mandas. (Talksport)

– Barcelona are focusing their efforts on landing Norwich City’s teenage winger Ajay Tavarez. The 16-year-old can leave the Canaries due to his European passport from his Portuguese roots. (Mundo Deportivo)

– Burnley are looking to bolster their midfield and want to sign out-of-favour West Ham midfielder James Ward-Prowse on loan until the end of the season. (Sky Sports)

– Middlesbrough look to have beaten Birmingham City to the signing of Brighton midfielder Jeremy Sarmiento. (Talksport)

– Norwich City are close to agreeing a loan move for Manchester United’s 18-year-old defender Harry Amass, who spent the first half of the season at Sheffield Wednesday. (The Pinkun)

– Everton and Nottingham Forest have made enquiries about Sunderland striker Wilson Isidor, who has fallen down the pecking order at the Stadium of Light. (Sky Sports)

– Ethan Nwaneri‘s loan move to Marseille is edging closer, with the 18-year-old in France undergoing a medical. His temporary switch comes with no permanent option. (The Athletic)

– The mass exodus from Selhurst Park looks set to continue, with Jesurun Rak-Sakyi the latest player linked with an exit. The 23 year old is a target for Celtic and Stoke City. (Sky Sports)

– James McAtee could leave Nottingham Forest. One unnamed Premier League club, and a number of German clubs are interested in the 23-year-old midfielder. (The Sun)

– Bournemouth are on the verge of replacing Antoine Semenyo with Vasco de Gama forward Rayan in a deal believed to be worth £30.5 million. (Sky Sports)

– Oleksandr Zinchenko was already having a medical at Ajax ahead of a loan move, but already the Dutch giants are hoping to make the move permanent. (Daily Mail)

– Chelsea will recall David Datro Fofana from his loan spell in Turkey before letting him join Leicester City. The 23-year-old had scored eight goals in 15 appearances in Super Lig action. (Standard)

– Manchester City midfielder Oscar Bobb is closing in on a £35m transfer to Fulham, with the two clubs now negotiating on the structure of the deal. (Daily Mail)

– Norwich City have made an audacious bid to sign striker Kasper Høgh from Norwegian side Bodo Glimt. The 25-year-old has scored 17 goals in 28 league games this season. (Talksport)

– Mathys Tel and Randal Kolo Muani could be on the move in January, with both players uncertain about their futures at Tottenham. (Teamtalk)

– Napoli, Juventus and Aston Villa are all monitoring the situation of Fenerbahce forward Youssef En-Nesyri, with all three sides in touch with the Turkish club in the last 24 hours. (Fabrizio Romano)

– West Ham are expecting some ins and outs this month, and have checked in on defender Axel Disasi‘s situation at Chelsea. (Daily Mail)

– Sporting CP have signed Senegalese winger Souleymane Faye from Granada in a deal worth around EURO6m. (Mundo Deportivo)

Pakistan U19 will be aiming to end their group-stage fixtures of the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup on a winning note when they take on Zimbabwe U19 at the Takashinga Sports Club in Harare today (Thursday).

The Asian champions, who are part of Group ‘C’ in the ongoing mega event, defeated Scotland by six wickets on Monday, while they suffered a 37-run defeat against England on Friday.

The Farhan Yousaf-led Pakistan side, who recently won the tri-series in Zimbabwe by beating the hosts by nine wickets in the final, will be expecting their players to replicate those performances in tomorrow’s important encounter.

The first ball of the match will be bowled at 9.30am local time, with the toss scheduled at 9am, according to a PCB statement.

In head-to-head contests, Pakistan U19 and Zimbabwe U19 have faced each other 18 times, with Pakistan winning 15 matches.

Zimbabwe have won once, while two matches ended with no result due to rain.

As per the format of the 16-team, four-group tournament, the top three sides from each group will qualify for the Super Six stage.

The top three teams from Group ‘B’ will join the three qualifiers from Group ‘C’ to form one Super Six group.

Similarly, the top three teams from Group ‘A’ will combine with the three qualifiers from Group ‘D’ in the other group.

Pakistan, who are currently placed second in Group ‘C’, are likely to face B3 at the Harare Sports Club on January 27, before taking on B1 at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on February 1.

The top two teams from each Super Six group will qualify for the semi-finals, scheduled to be played on February 3 and 4.

The final of the tournament will be played at the Harare Sports Club in Harare on February 6.

15-member squad:

Farhan Yousaf (captain), Usman Khan (vice-captain), Abdul Subhan, Ahmed Hussain, Ali Hasan Baloch, Ali Raza, Daniyal Ali Khan, Hamza Zahoor (wk), Huzaifa Ahsan, Momin Qamar, Mohammad Sayyam, Mohammad Shayan (wk), Niqab Shafiq, Sameer Minhas and Umar Zaib

Novak Djokovic sent 141st-ranked qualifier Francesco Maestrelli packing in straight sets to ease into the Australian Open third round on Thursday – with a little help from a fig tree.

The Serbian great is on his latest mission to win a record 25th Grand Slam title and dismissed the Italian 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.

Djokovic faces China’s Shang Juncheng or Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands next in Melbourne.

Djokovic is well known for his sometimes unusual preparations, which include hugging a Brazilian fig tree in Melbourne’s botanical gardens.

“That is my oldest friend here in Melbourne,” said the 38-year-old former world number one, who has won 10 Australian titles, more than anyone in history.

“He has been there to heal my wounds and give me company.

“It’s a beautiful connection, nature is such a powerful ally.

“We have a friendship going over 20 years.”

In sunny, but noticeably cooler temperatures than recent days, the fourth seed appeared determined to get the job done as fast as possible.

Playing in the early afternoon on Rod Laver Arena, rather than his usual evening slot, Djokovic raced into a 5-2 lead.

The Italian doggedly held serve despite facing multiple set points, but it was only delaying the inevitable as Djokovic sealed the opening set in 47 minutes.

Djokovic, who has been tied with Margaret Court on 24 major titles since winning the US Open in 2023, was not quite as devastating as when winning his first-round match by the same scoreline.

But he still had far too much for the outclassed 23-year-old.

Djokovic broke Maestrelli, who was making his Grand Slam debut, to start the second set and cantered into the third round.

Keys draws on champion mindset

Madison Keys said she drew on her experience as defending champion to pull through a danger moment and make the Australian Open third round on Thursday, rattling off five straight games to secure victory.

Keys, who upset Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s final, blew hot and cold against fellow American Ashlyn Krueger before getting over the line 6-1, 7-5.

It set up a clash with former semi-finalist Karolina Pliskova after the Czech ended the dreams of Indonesia’s Janice Tjen in straight sets.

“I think in those tough kind of moments like today, getting down in that second set, just kind of reminding yourself that you have been here before, you figured it out,” Keys said.

“I think when you’re able to do that in a place where you have had success, it just feels like it comes a little bit easier.”

Keys admitted after her laboured first-round win that she was a bundle of nerves and “too timid”.

The 29-year-old threw off the shackles in the first set against the 92nd-ranked Krueger, taking it in just 23 minutes on John Cain Arena before having to rally from 2-5 down in the second.

“I started really well and Ash a little slowly,” said Keys, who began her season with quarter-final exits at Brisbane and Adelaide.

“I fully expected her to raise her level and she did. But it just got away from me a little quickly.

“Then once I got that momentum (back), I just tried to sink my teeth into the set and do whatever I could to get back into it.”

After taking more than an hour to win the first set in her opening round, Keys broke on three occasions against Krueger to storm through it this time.

Hitting well and pushing her opponent around the court, the ninth seed looked ominous and held to love in opening her second set account.

But Krueger, consulting a book at the changeovers, upped her intensity and against the odds broke Keys to lead 3-2 after the champion’s serve imploded, double-faulting three times.

Keys was broken again, to love and once more on a double-fault, to slump 5-2 behind.

However, she gathered herself to reel off five straight games and stay in the title hunt.