Real Madrid in talks with Flamengo for 17-year-old Reinier

Real Madrid have held talks with teenage Flamengo midfielder Reinier. The 17-year-old Brazil youth international is being followed by a number of top European clubs and has also attracted interest from Barcelona and Manchester City.

Additionally, a Barcelona source revealed that the club have scouted the player on several occasions, but that Flamengo's valuation of Reinier is too high for the Catalan club.

Sources close to the player have told that he is weighing up his options and has not yet made a decision on his future, with his Flamengo manager Jorge Jesus recently hinting that the player is set for a move to on of Europe's top clubs.

Reinier, who was an unused substitute in Flamengo's Club World Cup final defeat to Liverpool last month, has a €30m release clause. A source also told ESPN Brazil that Madrid had already made an offer of €25m, but that Flamengo were holding out for the full release, according to iSports API.

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Under the terms of his contract, Reinier's clause will rise to €35m in June for the summer transfer window and to €70m after that, as per iSports API football data. However, if a deal were to be agreed during the January window, Reinier would not join Zinedine Zidane's first team squad immediately.

Two options under consideration are the teenager joining Real Madrid Castilla for the rest of the 2019-20 season, or remaining on loan at Flamengo for the time being.

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Magic F Jonathan Isaac to miss at least 2 months with knee injury

Magic forward Jonathan Isaac is out indefinitely after an MRI on Thursday revealed a severe sprain and bone contusion in his left knee.

Isaac is averaging 12 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 2.4 blocks and 1.6 steals per game in 29.7 minutes, as per iSports basketball API.

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The team said in a statement that Isaac will be re-evaluated in eight-to-10 weeks.

"While this certainly is disappointing news, there was no damage to his ACL, MCL and PCL ligaments," Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said. "All signs point to a complete recovery and this should not impact his future growth."

Isaac was injured in the first quarter of Orlando's 122-101 victory at Washington on Jan. 1.

The 6-foot-10 Florida State product was in the midst of a breakout season on the defensive end. He's the only player in the NBA this season averaging at least 2 blocks and 1.5 steals per game and held opponents to just 46.7 percent shooting in the paint, eighth-best among 43 players to defends at least 200 such shots, according to iSports API.

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Manchester United's Paul Pogba faces surgery, out for 3-4 weeks

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has been advised to undergo an operation related to an ongoing foot injury that could keep him out an additional three to four weeks, club manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said.

The France international missed his team's 2-0 loss to Arsenal on Wednesday after complaining of what Solskjaer described as "discomfort" in his ankle.

"We've had scans and it's nothing major, it's something that has to be sorted and dealt within a timeframe and he's been advised to do it as soon as possible, so he'll be out for three or four weeks," Solskjaer said after the match. "We've had consultants looking at him as well and club has been looking at it, the scans have been done by us. We've been without him all season, so the boys who've been playing have been fantastic."

Pogba's absence is a further blow for Solskjaer after Scott McTominay was ruled out for more than a month with knee ligament damage. The Scotland international has been on crutches since suffering the injury against Newcastle on Boxing Day.

"Scotty's been magnificent and we just hope that Paul can come back, he'll be back within a month," Solskjaer added. "If Nemanja Matic and Fred play like they did today I'll be happy with them, because they played well, the two of them."

Solskjaer also hinted that the recent rash of injuries coulf force the club could pursue reinforcement options during the transfer window.

"Of course, it's playing on our decision-making when you've got two players out -- Paul out for a month and Scott for two. That will give us less options and we've got loads of games and important games. Still, it's got to be right and that's the point here.

"If [signings are] available and it's possible, we'll do something, definitely. We're looking at one or two."

An operation would see Pogba miss the Carabao Cup semifinal first leg with Manchester City at Old Trafford on Jan. 7 and the trip to Anfield to face Liverpool on Jan. 19, as per iSports API football data.

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Prior to Wednesday's match, Solskjaer said Pogba would be sidelined "for a few weeks" due to feeling some discomfort in his ankle.

Pogba has been plagued this season with the foot injury. He didn't play between Sept. 30 and Dec. 22 and has only made two substitute appearances since then, recorded by iSports API.

Solskjaer said following a 2-0 win over Burnley on Saturday that he expected Pogba to be available at the Emirates for United's New Years' Day game but he was absent from the squad which travelled to London on Tuesday.

Following the victory at Turf Moor, the players were granted a day off on Sunday and Pogba used his to travel to France to attend a charity match. He returned to Carrington on Monday but was not able to take part in training.

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Mavericks' Luka Doncic scores 24 in return from sprained ankle

Mavericks forward Luka Doncic scored 24 points in his return from a sprained right ankle Thursday night, lifting Dallas to a 102-98 win over the San Antonio Spurs.

Doncic, who also had 10 rebounds and eight assists in 33 minutes, missed the past four games and was listed as questionable before he started Thursday's game, as per iSports API basketball livescore data.

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It felt good to be back," Doncic said after the game. "It was like I was running a marathon. I was so tired. It's different when you miss four or five games. It was great being back."

Entering the day, he ranked third in the NBA with 29.3 points and 8.9 assists per game, and he also averages 9.6 rebounds, according to iSports basketball API.

He was a full participant in the Mavericks' practice Tuesday, and the team wanted to monitor how his ankle responded before inserting him in the lineup.

The Mavericks went 2-2 in Doncic's absence.

Doncic injured the ankle when he stepped on the foot of Miami Heat guard Kendrick Nunn while driving to the basket in the opening minutes of the Mavs' double-overtime loss on Dec. 14. The ankle rolled over so far that it touched the hardwood, and the Mavs felt fortunate that X-rays were negative and Doncic was diagnosed with a lateral ankle sprain.

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Martin Ødegaard set to return to Real Madrid in 2020

Martin Ødegaard has been one of the most beautiful surprises in all of world football in 2019, with the Norwegian finally showing off his quality with the ball in LaLiga.

Nearly every single weekend with Real Sociedad, Ødegaard has put on a show with his goals, assists, and individual moments of magic.

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With Real Madrid suffering from injuries and below-par performances in the midfield, AS is now reporting that Los Blancos will cut his two-year loan short and Ødegaard will return to the club in the summer.

The loan contract is officially for one season (the current one), but there is a second year verbally agreed between the clubs.

Due to prior business dealings (Asier Illarramendi, Diego Llorente, Theo Hernandez), the relationship between the two clubs is understood to be ‘magnificent’ and it’s not believed there will be any problem with Madrid recalling the Norway international a year early.

Transfermarkt currently valued the 20-year-old Ødegaard at a whopping €50m.

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Mario Mandzukic leaves Juventus for Qatari side Al Duhail

Mario Mandzukic has joined Qatari side Al Duhail, leaving Juventus after four years at the Serie A club.

Mandzukic reached the World Cup final in 2018, and at club level he previously played for Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich, winning the Champions League with the latter in 2013, according to iSports API football data.

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"The team's management succeeded today in contracting with the Croatian striker Mario Mandzukic of Juventus in a free transfer deal after the end of his contract with his Italian team," Al-Duhail said.

Mandzukic, 33, was linked with Manchester United in the summer, but sources told ESPN the Premier League side backed out of a move due to Juventus' asking price and the forward's wage demands.

The former Croatia international, who did not make a single appearance under new Juventus manager Maurizio Sarri this season, joins former Juve teammate Medhi Benatia at Al Duhail.

The Doha-based club are coached by Rui Faria, former assistant coach to Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho.

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Napoli and AS Roma want Sead Kolasinac to reinforce their squad

Napoli and AS Roma want to sign Arsenal left-back Sead Kolasinac, in January and the summer respectively.

AS Roma also want the Arsenal left-back, but they want a transfer next summer. Aleksandar Kolarov is 34 and out of contract next year, according to iSports API football data, so they need a replacement.

News report that Napoli are keen on signing Sead Kolasinac in the January transfer window. The club are going into their first window under new head coach Gennaro Gattuso, as he tries to make the team his own.

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Napoli are also in terrible form, as they’ve won just one league game in 9(as per iSports API). They’ll be considering anything they can do to turn that around.

Napoli could have an advantage given recent rumours of Arsenal interest in Dries Mertens. If the reports are true, a swap deal with the Serie A club could work for both parties.

For now, Kolasinac is recovering from an injury. Even when he’s back, Arsenal probably won’t consider a January sale unless they have a replacement ready. Kieran Tierney is out until March, so Mikel Arteta needs Kolasinac back as soon as possible.

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