Ajax hoping to re-sign Matthijs de Ligt after rough Juventus start

Ajax are reportedly considering a move to re-sign defender Matthijs de Ligt on loan – just six months after he completed a move to Juventus.

De Ligt was the most coveted young player in Europe last summer after captaining his boyhood club to the Eredivisie title and Champions League semi-finals.

He eventually joined the Serie A champions for €75m but has struggled to establish himself under Maurizio Sarri, starting 12 of a possible 18 domestic games, as per iSports football API.

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According to A Bola, former club Ajax are willing to explore the possibility of bringing the 20-year-old back to Amsterdam if his situation does not change.

De Ligt initially broke into the starting line-up following injury to Giorgio Chiellini but has been displaced by Merih Demiral, making just one substitute appearance in their last five games.

However, Sarri recently indicated that the defender remains firmly in his plans.

“I am the first to be convinced that he will become the best defender in the world,” the Bianconeri boss told Sky Italia.

“He had five difficult months playing every three days and having to settle in a new country, a new league with a new language.”

Juventus return to domestic action against Roma on Sunday.

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Former Manchester City and Chelsea star joins Preston North End on permanent deal

Scott Sinclair has officially made his return to England.

Late Wednesday night, Celtic announced the 30-year-old’s move to Preston North End for an undisclosed fee.

Though originally thought to be a six-month loan before joining permanently, Sinclair has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal to Deepdale.



A major contributor in the past, the soon-to-be out-of-contract Celtic star made only seven appearances this season, scoring twice in just 176 total minutes of action.
For Sinclair, Preston will be his 13th different English side that he’s played for, featuring most frequently for Swansea and Aston Villa with stints at Chelsea and Manchester City also under his belt, as per iSports football API.

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The winger joins Preston as they push for promotion to the Premier League. The Lilywhites are currently in 10th place on 39 points, just two points back of the promotion play-off places.

Sinclair was wildly successful after joining from Aston Villa in summer 2016, scoring 62 goals and adding 34 assists in 167 career games at the club, according to iSports API football database.

Sinclair won the PFA Scotland Players’ Player of the Year in his first year at Celtic. and won all 10 possible domestic trophies he could have won with the Hoops.

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Sadio Mane beats Mohamed Salah, Riyad Mahrez for top African player

Sadio Mane was named African Footballer of the Year for 2019 on Tuesday after winning the Champions League with Liverpool and leading Senegal to the Africa Cup of Nations final.

Mane, 27, wins the award for the first time after finishing runner-up to his Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah of Egypt in 2017 and 2018, according to iSports football API data. He was third in 2016.

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He is only the second Senegalese to win the award after El Hadji Diouf, who was the winner in 2001 and after joining Liverpool in 2002.

"Football is my job, I love it. I am really happy and proud to win this award," Mane said.

"I would like to thank all the Senegalese people, they push always me. I must also thank my Senegal coach, Aliou Cisse and Liverpool, all my teammates there."

Mane finished ahead of Riyad Mahrez and Salah in a poll of national team coaches and captains, and was handed his award at the Confederation of African Football's annual gala in Hurgada, Egypt.

It is the second successive year that the top three are all from English clubs and only the third time since the award was introduced that the leading trio all play in the same league.

In 1991, the top three all came from French clubs.

Mahrez, 28, captained Algeria to Africa Cup of Nations success in July and won the Premier League with Manchester City. He was African Footballer of the Year in 2016, as per iSports API data.

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Jokic scores career-high 47 points with no TOs

Nikola Jokic wasn't keeping track of his points as the night wore on. He just knew he was scoring a lot.

Jokic scored a career-high 47 points, Will Barton added a season-best 28 and the Denver Nuggets held off the Atlanta Hawks 123-115 on Monday, as per iSports API.

The Nuggets, coming off a surprising loss at Washington two nights earlier, have won four of six to improve to 25-11, second-best in the Western Conference. Atlanta, worst in the NBA at 8-29, has dropped 11 of 13.

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Trae Young finished with 29 points and Kevin Huerter had 22 for the Hawks.

Jokic's previous career high of 41 points was set Nov. 7, 2017, at home against Brooklyn. His previous season high, 31, came at home nine days ago against Memphis.

According to iSports API basketball data, Jokic is the third center with 45 points and no turnovers in a game, joining Shaquille O'Neal (Nov. 9, 1994 at Hornets) and Moses Malone (April 8, 1987 at Nets). Turnovers were first tracked in 1977-78.

Jokic surpassed his previous career high with a putback that gave Denver a 114-109 lead with 3:14 remaining. Jamal Murray followed with a turnaround jumper in the lane and Barton put back his own miss to put the Nuggets up 118-109 at the 1:57 mark.

That essentially ended all hopes for the Hawks, but it wasn't entirely easy for Denver. The Nuggets lost 125-121 to the Hawks at home in mid-November as Young had 42 points and 11 assists. Denver had dropped nine of 11 in Atlanta, recorded by iSports API.

After John Collins' dunk cut the lead to 91-88 just 22 seconds into the fourth quarter, Nuggets coach Michael Malone called a timeout. Monte Morrisfollowed with a runner and Michael Porter Jr. jammed in a putback to make it 95-88.

The Hawks cut the margin to one before Barton found Morris for an alley-oop and hit a 3-pointer to make it 106-100 with 6:54 remaining. Atlanta pulled within two on Young's 35-footer with 4:24 left, and Malone called another timeout. The move worked as the Hawks made just three field goals the rest of the way.

Huerter's second straight 3 cut the lead to two at the 6:07 mark of the third, and Malone called a timeout. Jokic quickly followed with a jumper, then stole the ball in the lane from Alex Len to set up Murray's two free throws.

Jerami Grant's three-point play made it 36-34 at the 9:37 mark of the second, and the Nuggets didn't trail again. About three minutes later, Grant rebounded a missed Hawks shot and drove for a layup that gave Denver its first double-digit lead.

Murray's layup in the final second put the Nuggets up by nine at halftime.

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Cavaliers rookie Kevin Porter Jr. exits game with knee injury

Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Kevin Porter Jr. exited Sunday's 118-103 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves early with a left knee injury.

Porter entered Sunday averaging 8.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists this season as per iSports API basketball data.

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The 30th overall pick in last year's draft was injured in the third quarter, when his knee buckled awkwardly while he tried to change directions. The slender guard immediately grabbed his leg and had to be helped to Cleveland's locker room.

Porter was on crutches as he left the trainers' room after the game. He was not available for comment.

Cavaliers coach John Beilein said the team hopes to learn more about the injury on Monday.

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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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