Britain's Katie Boulter beat Anna Kalinskaya in the first round of the Gippsland Trophy as players began their Australian Open preparations.

The 24-year-old will play world number 48 Coco Gauff next in Melbourne.

American Gauff, who reached the fourth round of the Australian Open in 2020, battled past Switzerland's Jil Teichmann 6-3 6-7 (6-8) 7-6 (7-5).

Gauff squandered a 4-2 lead in the second set and a 4-1 advantage in the third before eventually winning in two hours and 47 minutes.

British number one Johanna Konta, who had a first-round bye, will play America's Bernarda Pera.

US Open champion Naomi Osaka and world number two Simona Halep are also in the main draw.

In the Yarra Valley Classic, Britain's Francesca Jones lost 6-1 6-3 to French Open semi-finalist Nadia Podoroska of Argentina.

Venus Williams breezed past Arantxa Rus 6-1 6-3 to set up a second-round meeting with two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova.

World number one Ashleigh Barty will return to action on Tuesday against Ana Bogdan.

Australia's Barty, who chose not to travel in 2020 because of the pandemic, is joined in the main draw by Serena Williams and Sofia Kenin.

In the men's Murray River Open, British number two Cameron Norrie was edged out 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 by American Tommy Paul.

Compatriot Dan Evans will play Pedro Sousa of Portugal in the same event on Tuesday.

The final day of the winter transfer window is here and speculation is heating up about potential deals. Check out the latest gossip and news below, and see all official deals here.

Deadline Feb. 1: Bundesliga (noon ET) | Serie A (2 p.m. ET) | Premier League (6 p.m. ET) | La Liga (6 p.m. ET) | Ligue 1 (6 p.m. ET)

TOP STORIES: Liverpool set to sign Davies, PSG eye Alli loan, Arsenal chase left-back

Liverpool are set to ease their defensive problems by agreeing a £2m deal for Preston North End defender Ben Davies, sources have told ESPN's Mark Ogden.

Davies, 25, will undergo a medical in Liverpool on Monday before completing the transfer, which also includes Anfield youngster Sepp van den Berg, 19, moving to the EFL Championship club on loan until the end of the season.

The Daily Mail reports that Liverpool have also been working on a move for Marseille centre-back Duje Caleta Car. The Croatia international almost signed for West Ham in the summer but now it seems that Marseille don't have time to get a replacement, so a move to Liverpool looks unlikely.

Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli is facing an anxious wait over his proposed move to Paris Saint-Germain with club chairman Daniel Levy reluctant to let the midfielder leave, sources have told ESPN's James Olley.

Sources said that Alli is keen on the move and manager Jose Mourinho is willing to let him go but Levy is proving to be the major stumbling block. Tottenham also need to sign a replacement and Inter Milan's Christian Eriksen has been linked with a return to the club. Having joined only a year ago, the 28-year-old was told he can leave the club, but now looks like he will stay.

Arsenal are chasing a backup left-back to Kieran Tierney with Southampton's Ryan Bertrand, Marseille defender Jordan Amavi and Crystal Palace's Patrick van Aanholt under consideration. The Gunners could also let Ainsley Maitland-Niles leave on loan, with Leicester City, Newcastle and Southampton all keen according to The Athletic.

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LIVE BLOG

08.11 GMT: Chelsea teenager Billy Gilmour in talks over loan move to Southampton, says The Daily Mail.

The 19-year-old has been left out of all new manager Thomas Tuchel's squads so far and he needs to move in order to play for Scotland at Euro 2020.

08.05 GMT: Joshua King and Shane Long are set to swap clubs, reports The Athletic.

Bournemouth's King is a free agent in the summer and is looking for a new club, which Southampton can evidently get him by allowing Long to move in the other direction.

The report states: "The proposal is for Norway forward King, who has scored 48 goals in 161 Premier League appearances and 17 in 51 for his country, to join Southampton on a permanent basis for a small fee and Republic of Ireland striker Long to head the other way on loan with an option to buy."

07.58 GMT: ICYMI - Manchester United have loaned winger Facundo Pellistri to Alaves for the remainder of the season. Pellistri, 19, moves to La Liga to gain first-team experience having made several appearances for United's under-23 side since joining last summer.

07.30 GMT: Newcastle United are pushing to try and sign Arsenal's Joe Willock on loan, The Daily Mail reports.

Willock hasn't quite been able to break into the Gunners' first team so far this season, and with the Magpies needing reinforcements in their battle against the drop, the 21-year-old could serve as a breath of fresh air.

07.22 GMT: Sky Germany is reporting that Hertha Berlin are making a late push to try and sign Milot Rashica on loan from Werder Bremen. If they do manage to get a deal over the finish line then there would be an obligation to buy attached to it, which could come into effect as soon as the end of the season.

07.10 GMT: RMC Sport is reporting that Barcelona defender Jean-Clair Todibo is set to make another loan move away from the club, this time to Nice.

Todibo is currently out on loan with Portuguese side Benfica but is struggling for time in the starting XI, and barring a problem with his impending medical, he'll be heading back over to France with Nice.

07.00 GMT: Celtic are set to sign Everton defender Jonjoe Kenny on loan until the end of the season, The Daily Mail reports. The Scottish giants have failed to make much of an impact in the league and as they prepare to hand their crown over to Rangers, the plan seems to be that they'll give it their best shot until it becomes official - and Kenny looks to be part of those efforts.

DEADLINE DAY PREVIEW

Any U.S. players being linked in Europe?

Chris Richards: The Bayern Munich and United States defender is set to join Hoffenheim on a six-month loan move, a source has told ESPN's Tom Hamilton. The move will allow Richards to play under former Bayern reserve team boss Sebastian Hoeness again, who is now in charge of Hoffenheim.

Bryan Reynolds: Roma are set to sign the FC Dallas right-back, sources have told ESPN's Tom Hamilton. The 19-year-old has drawn interest from Juventus and Club Brugge, but Roma are now in pole position. Roma have agreed to a deal that would bring Reynolds to Italy originally on loan, but have an obligation to sign the player for €7m plus add-ons, sources say.

Aaron Long: The New York Red Bulls and USMNT centre-back was linked with a loan move to Championship side Reading a few days ago, but sources told ESPN's Jeff Carlisle that he's now on the radar of Liverpool. Long, 28, was named MLS Defender of the Year in 2018 and could be a cheap option for Jurgen Klopp, though a loan move to an unnamed Championship club has been rejected.

Chris Gloster: The PSV Eindhoven and USMNT youth international left-back has drawn interest from Newcastle United, a source told ESPN's Jeff Carlisle. But any move to the Premier League side would be subject to Gloster obtaining a U.K. work permit, and it seems like that won't happen; instead, he could join Danish club SonderjyskE (who have U.S. owners) or stay at PSV.

DeAndre Yedlin: The United States right-back is set for a move to Galatasaray from Newcastle United, sources have told ESPN's Tom Hamilton. Yedlin, 27, is to travel to Turkey for his medical after both clubs agreed to a fee to sign him.

Paul Arriola: Swansea City are interested in adding the D.C. United winger to their squad on loan, sources have told ESPN. The Championship side have already snapped up Jordan Morris on a loan deal from the Seattle Sounders and have returned to America with interest in another U.S. star. Sources said there is a "50-50" chance of the deal happening before Monday's deadline, with Swansea and D.C. United in discussions.

What do the big teams still need?

PREMIER LEAGUE

MAN UNITED

INS: Amad Diallo (£19m, Atalanta)
OUTS: Ethan Laird (loan, MK Dons), Timothy Fosu-Mensah (£1.75m, Bayer Leverkusen), Jesse Lingard (loan, West Ham), Tahith Chong (loan, Club Brugge), James Garner (loan, Nottingham Forest), Facundo Pellistri (loan, Alaves)

After the arrival of 18-year-old Amad Diallo, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer still thinks he is two or three players short, but new arrivals -- likely to include a centre-back and a forward -- will have to wait until the summer. Marcos Rojo and Sergio Romero have been given permission to talk to other teams and could leave before the deadline. Facundo Pellistri has gone on on loan to Alaves as he has been restricted to U23 games since signing in the summer, Jesse Lingard has gone on loan to West Ham, but the club have rebuffed enquiries for Donny van de Beek. Sources told ESPN that Manchester United are prepared to wait for West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, while Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho will remain a target. -- Rob Dawson

LIVERPOOL

INS: None
OUTS: Liam Millar (loan, Charlton), Adam Lewis (loan, Plymouth)

A centre-back has been mooted all window long, with Alaba and Upamecano in the conversation, and now an injury to Joel Matip will see one arrive. Lille centre-back Sven Botman has been on the radar of a string of clubs in England, including Liverpool, sources told ESPN, while Ajax's Perr Schuurs has also been considered. But Klopp had to get creative with a lack of funds available and worked out a £2m deal for Preston North End defender Ben Davies, sources have told ESPN.

Brighton midfielder Bissouma is being closely followed by Liverpool, sources told ESPN, with manager Klopp tracking him as a potential replacement for Wijnaldum, who is out of contract in the summer. Derby County wonderkid Kaide Gordon, 16, has also been linked. -- Mark Ogden

MAN CITY

INS: Filip Stevanovic (£7m, Partizan Belgrade)
OUTS: Morgan Rogers (loan, Lincoln), Mix Diskerud (undisclosed, Denizlispor), Daniel Arzani (loan, AGF)

Manchester City are resigned to losing centre-back Garcia to Barcelona, either before the deadline for €3m or in the summer for free. Pep Guardiola has done his best to convince the 20-year-old to sign a new contract at the Etihad Stadium, but Garcia has been clear in his desire to return to Spain and it will happen eventually. Guardiola says he is not expecting any new arrivals this month, but there will be focus on bringing in an established centre-forward in the summer -- whatever happens with Sergio Aguero's contract, which expires in 2021. -- Rob Dawson

TOTTENHAM

INS: None
OUTS: Jubril Okedina (loan, Cambridge United), Jack Clarke (loan, Stoke), Maurizio Pochettino (undisclosed, Watford)

Jose Mourinho stated on Wednesday that he does not expect Tottenham to do any business before Monday's deadline. Sources have told ESPN that Dele Alli is keen on a loan move to Paris Saint-Germain, but chairman Daniel Levy is wavering over allowing a player previously so influential at the club to leave. Levy plays his hand late in the window so nothing can definitively be ruled out, but Mourinho is content with his squad and the club's longer-term targets -- including a centre-back and a new right-back -- will likely be put on hold until the summer. Harry Winks has been linked with a move to Valencia, though the England midfielder is expected to stay in north London. Mourinho's sparing use of Real Madrid loanee Gareth Bale has also taken several Tottenham players by surprise, sources told ESPN. -- James Olley

CHELSEA

INS: None
OUTS: Charlie Brown (undisclosed, MK Dons), Lucas Piazon (free, Braga), Danny Drinkwater (loan, Kasimpasa), Fikayo Tomori (loan, AC Milan), Baba Rahman (loan, PAOK)

New manager Thomas Tuchel will have his own plans, and Chelsea had been keen to sign Rice before the sacking of Frank Lampard, but sources said the 42-year-old was driving the Blues' pursuit of the England international while senior figures at the club had reservations about paying a high fee -- the Hammers demanded £80m last summer -- for a former academy graduate. Chelsea have also been been monitoring the progress of Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, sources told ESPN's Julien Laurens, while the club want to keep veteran striker Olivier Giroud until the end of the season despite interest from Inter and Juventus. Young midfielder Billy Gilmour could depart on loan as he searches for game time. -- Mark Ogden

ARSENAL

INS: Mat Ryan (loan, Brighton), Martin Odegaard (loan, Real Madrid)
OUTS: William Saliba (loan, Nice), Sead Kolasinac (loan, Schalke), Matt Macey (free, Hibernian), Sokratis (released), Mesut Ozil (free, Fenerbahce)

Arsenal remain hopeful of adding a left-back before Monday's deadline. They have not yet made contact with Southampton over reported interest in Ryan Bertrand and have only minimal funds available; Marseille defender Jordan Amavi has been considered, but no formal offer has materalised as of yet, and they have also been linked with Crystal Palace's Patrick van Aanholt. Ainsley Maitland-Niles could leave on loan, but only if another full-back arrives.

The majority of their business has already been done with Martin Odegaard and Mat Ryan arriving on loan while Mesut Ozil, Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Sead Kolasinac have left the Gunners to help reduce their wage bill. Manager Mikel Arteta will continue an overhaul of the squad in the summer with a centre-back among his priorities once Shkodran Mustafi and Calum Chambers depart while they are expected to try to sign goalkeeper David Raya from Brentford having failed with a bid last summer.

The long-term pursuit of Houssem Aouar is set to be complicated by the Lyon midfielder's desire to wait for interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona to materialise this summer before deciding his next move, while Emile Smith Rowe has made a strong impression after breaking into the Arsenal first team, but talk of a new contract is premature, sources told ESPN. -- James Olley

EUROPE

BARCELONA

INS: None
OUTS: Carles Alena (loan, Getafe)

There is no money for moves, so the club have to turn to youth. There's a vague possibility they might spend €3m on Man City defender Garcia if they can raise it, but with no president or board in place, it's impossible to make a decision. One source at the club told ESPN they hoped to be able to move on Neto and Junior Firpo, the latter of whom is of interest to AC Milan and West Ham United, and that they would also listen to reasonable offers for Philippe Coutinho and Antoine Griezmann. But no club has any money to sign the duo. Moves for Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay, or even an unlikely swoop for Aguero, will have to wait until the summer, as will the future of Messi. But a lot will change in five months. -- Sam Marsden

REAL MADRID

INS: None
OUTS: Takefusa Kubo (loan, Getafe), Luka Jovic (loan, Eintracht Frankfurt), Martin Odegaard (loan, Arsenal)

With no money to spend at the Bernabeu, there will be no additions even though Karim Benzema and Mariano Diaz are the only two strikers in the squad. Long term, sources told ESPN, the club is looking to land Kylian Mbappe and Eduardo Camavinga, but they would cost a lot and Madrid have bigger issues right now. A free transfer for Bayern star David Alaba looks likely in the summer, but the future of captain and legend Sergio Ramos is unresolved, with PSG and Man City keen to get him for free too. Luka Modric should sign a new contract, but it seems Lucas Vazquez won't, while centre-back Eder Militao has been linked with a move but should stay this month. Sources told ESPN that Odegaard felt let down by Madrid, as he was not given a chance in the first team before being allowed to join Arsenal on loan. -- Alex Kirkland

ATLETICO MADRID

INS: Moussa Dembele (loan, Lyon)
OUTS: Manu Sanchez (loan, Osasuna), Ivan Saponjic (loan, Cadiz), Diego Costa (released)

Having won the past transfer window with the free transfer of Luis Suarez from Barcelona, Atletico needed to bring in a replacement for Diego Costa and did so with the loan of Moussa Dembele from Lyon. Vitolo could depart, while Lucas Torreira has been a peripheral figure since moving on loan from Arsenal in the summer and Monaco have been interested. The club really wants to renew manager Diego Simeone's contract until 2024. -- Alex Kirkland

BAYERN MUNICH

INS: None
OUTS: None

Nothing much will happen in January, but Alaba will leave in the summer after failing to agree on a new contract. A replacement could come in the form of RB Leipzig's Upamecano, and they are also tracking Gladbach's Florian Neuhaus to take over from Javi Martinez, who will also depart when his deal ends. A new contract for young star Jamal Musiala is on the agenda, while Bayern remain interested in signing Frenkie de Jong, but sources told ESPN the chances of the Dutch midfielder leaving Barcelona are minimal, despite the Catalan club's financial woes. Young U.S. right-back Chris Richards could move to Hoffenheim on loan. -- Stephan Uersfeld

DORTMUND

INS: None
OUTS: None

Keeping their top stars including Sancho, Haaland and Gio Reyna was the priority, and that has been achieved. They have been linked with Sassuolo midfielder Manuel Locatelli and Borussia Monchengladbach's Florian Neuhaus, though the latter's €40m release clause is too expensive for Dortmund right now. Mo Dahoud could depart if they get a suitable offer, while sources told ESPN that 16-year-old Julian Rijkhoff will sign from Ajax and be added to the club's U17 side. -- Stephan Uersfeld

PSG

INS: None
OUTS: Jese (Released), Marcin Bulka (loan, Chateauroux)

New manager Mauricio Pochettino wants to sign Alli from Tottenham on loan, and has also been linked with another former player in Eriksen, but the priority for PSG is to get Kylian Mbappe and Neymar to sign new contracts. The club's sporting director Leonardo has said they are interested in signing Messi as his contract with Barcelona comes to an end this summer, while sources told ESPN they have approached Bayern's Alaba and are reportedly keen on Real Madrid's Ramos -- both on free transfers. Wingers Julian Draxler and Angel Di Maria should stay until summer, despite links abroad, with Di Maria opening talks over a new contract. -- Julien Laurens

JUVENTUS

INS: Marley Ake (€8m, Marseille), Nicolo Rovella (€18m, Genoa)
OUTS: Stefano Gori (loan, AC Pisa), Franco Tongya (€8m, Marseille), Manolo Portanova (€10m, Genoa), Elia Petrelli (€8m, Genoa), Nicolo Rovella (loan, Genoa).

Juventus' focus has been on signing players for the future. Sassuolo forward Gianluca Scamacca could arrive for around €25m, while highly rated midfielder Nicolo Rovella arrives from Genoa, but will return to the club on loan. Juve's biggest concern is to bring down the age of the squad with Gianluigi Buffon, Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Cristiano Ronaldo needing to eventually be replaced. Sami Khedira could depart for Hertha Berlin too.

Paulo Dybala and Federico Bernardeschi were among the players offered to Manchester United as Juventus looked for ways to put together a deal to sign Paul Pogba early in the window, sources told ESPN's Rob Dawson. But there now seems to be an acceptance that Pogba will stay until the summer. -- Andrew Cesare Richardson

INTER MILAN

INS: None
OUTS: Radja Nainggolan (loan, Cagliari), Sebastiano Esposito (loan, Venezia), Giacomo Pozzer (loan, Lucchese), Axel Bakayoko (Free, Red Star)

Inter are expected to be quiet as they continue their push for a first Serie A title since their Treble-winning season of 2009-10, but could sneak through a loan swap deal for Dzeko and Sanchez with Roma. Eriksen had been considered a potential outgoing, with director Beppe Marotta admitting in December he was transfer listed, but his last-gasp winner in the Coppa Italia on Tuesday could give him a reprieve; manager Antonio Conte noted after Tuesday's match that the club has been working on a new position for the Denmark international. Inter's priority remains to get striker Lautaro Martinez to sign a new deal, and they have already met with his agent. -- Andrew Cesare Richardson

AC MILAN

INS: Mario Mandzukic (Free), Fikayo Tomori (loan, Chelsea), Soualiho Meite (loan, Torino)
OUTS: Andrea Conti (loan, Parma), Leo Duarte (loan, Istanbul Basaksehir), Lorenzo Colombo (loan, Cremonese), Mateo Musacchio (undisclosed, Lazio)

AC Milan have been busy in January, bringing in three players. They would have likely signed Mohamed Simakan from Strasbourg for around €15m had he not been injured, but instead they picked up Tomori on loan from Chelsea. Defender Mateo Musacchio joined Lazio, and Milan have sounded out Barcelona about a move for out-of-favour left-back Junior Firpo, sources have told ESPN's Moises Llorens. New contracts (see above) for a key trio are also on the agenda. -- Andrew Cesare Richardson

The final day of the winter transfer window is here and speculation is heating up about potential deals. Check out the latest gossip and news below, and see all official deals here.

Deadline Feb. 1: Bundesliga (noon ET) | Serie A (2 p.m. ET) | Premier League (6 p.m. ET) | La Liga (6 p.m. ET) | Ligue 1 (6 p.m. ET)

TOP STORIES: Liverpool set to sign Davies, PSG eye Alli loan, Arsenal chase left-back

Liverpool are set to ease their defensive problems by agreeing a £2m deal for Preston North End defender Ben Davies, sources have told ESPN's Mark Ogden.

Davies, 25, will undergo a medical in Liverpool on Monday before completing the transfer, which also includes Anfield youngster Sepp van den Berg, 19, moving to the EFL Championship club on loan until the end of the season.

The Daily Mail reports that Liverpool have also been working on a move for Marseille centre-back Duje Caleta Car. The Croatia international almost signed for West Ham in the summer but now it seems that Marseille don't have time to get a replacement, so a move to Liverpool looks unlikely.

Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli is facing an anxious wait over his proposed move to Paris Saint-Germain with club chairman Daniel Levy reluctant to let the midfielder leave, sources have told ESPN's James Olley.

Sources said that Alli is keen on the move and manager Jose Mourinho is willing to let him go but Levy is proving to be the major stumbling block. Tottenham also need to sign a replacement and Inter Milan's Christian Eriksen has been linked with a return to the club. Having joined only a year ago, the 28-year-old was told he can leave the club, but now looks like he will stay.

Arsenal are chasing a backup left-back to Kieran Tierney with Southampton's Ryan Bertrand, Marseille defender Jordan Amavi and Crystal Palace's Patrick van Aanholt under consideration. The Gunners could also let Ainsley Maitland-Niles leave on loan, with Leicester City, Newcastle and Southampton all keen according to The Athletic.

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- Stream LIVE games and replays on ESPN+ (U.S. only)

LIVE BLOG

08.11 GMT: Chelsea teenager Billy Gilmour in talks over loan move to Southampton, says The Daily Mail.

The 19-year-old has been left out of all new manager Thomas Tuchel's squads so far and he needs to move in order to play for Scotland at Euro 2020.

08.05 GMT: Joshua King and Shane Long are set to swap clubs, reports The Athletic.

Bournemouth's King is a free agent in the summer and is looking for a new club, which Southampton can evidently get him by allowing Long to move in the other direction.

The report states: "The proposal is for Norway forward King, who has scored 48 goals in 161 Premier League appearances and 17 in 51 for his country, to join Southampton on a permanent basis for a small fee and Republic of Ireland striker Long to head the other way on loan with an option to buy."

07.58 GMT: ICYMI - Manchester United have loaned winger Facundo Pellistri to Alaves for the remainder of the season. Pellistri, 19, moves to La Liga to gain first-team experience having made several appearances for United's under-23 side since joining last summer.

07.30 GMT: Newcastle United are pushing to try and sign Arsenal's Joe Willock on loan, The Daily Mail reports.

Willock hasn't quite been able to break into the Gunners' first team so far this season, and with the Magpies needing reinforcements in their battle against the drop, the 21-year-old could serve as a breath of fresh air.

07.22 GMT: Sky Germany is reporting that Hertha Berlin are making a late push to try and sign Milot Rashica on loan from Werder Bremen. If they do manage to get a deal over the finish line then there would be an obligation to buy attached to it, which could come into effect as soon as the end of the season.

07.10 GMT: RMC Sport is reporting that Barcelona defender Jean-Clair Todibo is set to make another loan move away from the club, this time to Nice.

Todibo is currently out on loan with Portuguese side Benfica but is struggling for time in the starting XI, and barring a problem with his impending medical, he'll be heading back over to France with Nice.

07.00 GMT: Celtic are set to sign Everton defender Jonjoe Kenny on loan until the end of the season, The Daily Mail reports. The Scottish giants have failed to make much of an impact in the league and as they prepare to hand their crown over to Rangers, the plan seems to be that they'll give it their best shot until it becomes official - and Kenny looks to be part of those efforts.

DEADLINE DAY PREVIEW

Any U.S. players being linked in Europe?

Chris Richards: The Bayern Munich and United States defender is set to join Hoffenheim on a six-month loan move, a source has told ESPN's Tom Hamilton. The move will allow Richards to play under former Bayern reserve team boss Sebastian Hoeness again, who is now in charge of Hoffenheim.

Bryan Reynolds: Roma are set to sign the FC Dallas right-back, sources have told ESPN's Tom Hamilton. The 19-year-old has drawn interest from Juventus and Club Brugge, but Roma are now in pole position. Roma have agreed to a deal that would bring Reynolds to Italy originally on loan, but have an obligation to sign the player for €7m plus add-ons, sources say.

Aaron Long: The New York Red Bulls and USMNT centre-back was linked with a loan move to Championship side Reading a few days ago, but sources told ESPN's Jeff Carlisle that he's now on the radar of Liverpool. Long, 28, was named MLS Defender of the Year in 2018 and could be a cheap option for Jurgen Klopp, though a loan move to an unnamed Championship club has been rejected.

Chris Gloster: The PSV Eindhoven and USMNT youth international left-back has drawn interest from Newcastle United, a source told ESPN's Jeff Carlisle. But any move to the Premier League side would be subject to Gloster obtaining a U.K. work permit, and it seems like that won't happen; instead, he could join Danish club SonderjyskE (who have U.S. owners) or stay at PSV.

DeAndre Yedlin: The United States right-back is set for a move to Galatasaray from Newcastle United, sources have told ESPN's Tom Hamilton. Yedlin, 27, is to travel to Turkey for his medical after both clubs agreed to a fee to sign him.

Paul Arriola: Swansea City are interested in adding the D.C. United winger to their squad on loan, sources have told ESPN. The Championship side have already snapped up Jordan Morris on a loan deal from the Seattle Sounders and have returned to America with interest in another U.S. star. Sources said there is a "50-50" chance of the deal happening before Monday's deadline, with Swansea and D.C. United in discussions.

What do the big teams still need?

PREMIER LEAGUE

MAN UNITED

INS: Amad Diallo (£19m, Atalanta)
OUTS: Ethan Laird (loan, MK Dons), Timothy Fosu-Mensah (£1.75m, Bayer Leverkusen), Jesse Lingard (loan, West Ham), Tahith Chong (loan, Club Brugge), James Garner (loan, Nottingham Forest), Facundo Pellistri (loan, Alaves)

After the arrival of 18-year-old Amad Diallo, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer still thinks he is two or three players short, but new arrivals -- likely to include a centre-back and a forward -- will have to wait until the summer. Marcos Rojo and Sergio Romero have been given permission to talk to other teams and could leave before the deadline. Facundo Pellistri has gone on on loan to Alaves as he has been restricted to U23 games since signing in the summer, Jesse Lingard has gone on loan to West Ham, but the club have rebuffed enquiries for Donny van de Beek. Sources told ESPN that Manchester United are prepared to wait for West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, while Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho will remain a target. -- Rob Dawson

LIVERPOOL

INS: None
OUTS: Liam Millar (loan, Charlton), Adam Lewis (loan, Plymouth)

A centre-back has been mooted all window long, with Alaba and Upamecano in the conversation, and now an injury to Joel Matip will see one arrive. Lille centre-back Sven Botman has been on the radar of a string of clubs in England, including Liverpool, sources told ESPN, while Ajax's Perr Schuurs has also been considered. But Klopp had to get creative with a lack of funds available and worked out a £2m deal for Preston North End defender Ben Davies, sources have told ESPN.

Brighton midfielder Bissouma is being closely followed by Liverpool, sources told ESPN, with manager Klopp tracking him as a potential replacement for Wijnaldum, who is out of contract in the summer. Derby County wonderkid Kaide Gordon, 16, has also been linked. -- Mark Ogden

MAN CITY

INS: Filip Stevanovic (£7m, Partizan Belgrade)
OUTS: Morgan Rogers (loan, Lincoln), Mix Diskerud (undisclosed, Denizlispor), Daniel Arzani (loan, AGF)

Manchester City are resigned to losing centre-back Garcia to Barcelona, either before the deadline for €3m or in the summer for free. Pep Guardiola has done his best to convince the 20-year-old to sign a new contract at the Etihad Stadium, but Garcia has been clear in his desire to return to Spain and it will happen eventually. Guardiola says he is not expecting any new arrivals this month, but there will be focus on bringing in an established centre-forward in the summer -- whatever happens with Sergio Aguero's contract, which expires in 2021. -- Rob Dawson

TOTTENHAM

INS: None
OUTS: Jubril Okedina (loan, Cambridge United), Jack Clarke (loan, Stoke), Maurizio Pochettino (undisclosed, Watford)

Jose Mourinho stated on Wednesday that he does not expect Tottenham to do any business before Monday's deadline. Sources have told ESPN that Dele Alli is keen on a loan move to Paris Saint-Germain, but chairman Daniel Levy is wavering over allowing a player previously so influential at the club to leave. Levy plays his hand late in the window so nothing can definitively be ruled out, but Mourinho is content with his squad and the club's longer-term targets -- including a centre-back and a new right-back -- will likely be put on hold until the summer. Harry Winks has been linked with a move to Valencia, though the England midfielder is expected to stay in north London. Mourinho's sparing use of Real Madrid loanee Gareth Bale has also taken several Tottenham players by surprise, sources told ESPN. -- James Olley

CHELSEA

INS: None
OUTS: Charlie Brown (undisclosed, MK Dons), Lucas Piazon (free, Braga), Danny Drinkwater (loan, Kasimpasa), Fikayo Tomori (loan, AC Milan), Baba Rahman (loan, PAOK)

New manager Thomas Tuchel will have his own plans, and Chelsea had been keen to sign Rice before the sacking of Frank Lampard, but sources said the 42-year-old was driving the Blues' pursuit of the England international while senior figures at the club had reservations about paying a high fee -- the Hammers demanded £80m last summer -- for a former academy graduate. Chelsea have also been been monitoring the progress of Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, sources told ESPN's Julien Laurens, while the club want to keep veteran striker Olivier Giroud until the end of the season despite interest from Inter and Juventus. Young midfielder Billy Gilmour could depart on loan as he searches for game time. -- Mark Ogden

ARSENAL

INS: Mat Ryan (loan, Brighton), Martin Odegaard (loan, Real Madrid)
OUTS: William Saliba (loan, Nice), Sead Kolasinac (loan, Schalke), Matt Macey (free, Hibernian), Sokratis (released), Mesut Ozil (free, Fenerbahce)

Arsenal remain hopeful of adding a left-back before Monday's deadline. They have not yet made contact with Southampton over reported interest in Ryan Bertrand and have only minimal funds available; Marseille defender Jordan Amavi has been considered, but no formal offer has materalised as of yet, and they have also been linked with Crystal Palace's Patrick van Aanholt. Ainsley Maitland-Niles could leave on loan, but only if another full-back arrives.

The majority of their business has already been done with Martin Odegaard and Mat Ryan arriving on loan while Mesut Ozil, Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Sead Kolasinac have left the Gunners to help reduce their wage bill. Manager Mikel Arteta will continue an overhaul of the squad in the summer with a centre-back among his priorities once Shkodran Mustafi and Calum Chambers depart while they are expected to try to sign goalkeeper David Raya from Brentford having failed with a bid last summer.

The long-term pursuit of Houssem Aouar is set to be complicated by the Lyon midfielder's desire to wait for interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona to materialise this summer before deciding his next move, while Emile Smith Rowe has made a strong impression after breaking into the Arsenal first team, but talk of a new contract is premature, sources told ESPN. -- James Olley

EUROPE

BARCELONA

INS: None
OUTS: Carles Alena (loan, Getafe)

There is no money for moves, so the club have to turn to youth. There's a vague possibility they might spend €3m on Man City defender Garcia if they can raise it, but with no president or board in place, it's impossible to make a decision. One source at the club told ESPN they hoped to be able to move on Neto and Junior Firpo, the latter of whom is of interest to AC Milan and West Ham United, and that they would also listen to reasonable offers for Philippe Coutinho and Antoine Griezmann. But no club has any money to sign the duo. Moves for Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay, or even an unlikely swoop for Aguero, will have to wait until the summer, as will the future of Messi. But a lot will change in five months. -- Sam Marsden

REAL MADRID

INS: None
OUTS: Takefusa Kubo (loan, Getafe), Luka Jovic (loan, Eintracht Frankfurt), Martin Odegaard (loan, Arsenal)

With no money to spend at the Bernabeu, there will be no additions even though Karim Benzema and Mariano Diaz are the only two strikers in the squad. Long term, sources told ESPN, the club is looking to land Kylian Mbappe and Eduardo Camavinga, but they would cost a lot and Madrid have bigger issues right now. A free transfer for Bayern star David Alaba looks likely in the summer, but the future of captain and legend Sergio Ramos is unresolved, with PSG and Man City keen to get him for free too. Luka Modric should sign a new contract, but it seems Lucas Vazquez won't, while centre-back Eder Militao has been linked with a move but should stay this month. Sources told ESPN that Odegaard felt let down by Madrid, as he was not given a chance in the first team before being allowed to join Arsenal on loan. -- Alex Kirkland

ATLETICO MADRID

INS: Moussa Dembele (loan, Lyon)
OUTS: Manu Sanchez (loan, Osasuna), Ivan Saponjic (loan, Cadiz), Diego Costa (released)

Having won the past transfer window with the free transfer of Luis Suarez from Barcelona, Atletico needed to bring in a replacement for Diego Costa and did so with the loan of Moussa Dembele from Lyon. Vitolo could depart, while Lucas Torreira has been a peripheral figure since moving on loan from Arsenal in the summer and Monaco have been interested. The club really wants to renew manager Diego Simeone's contract until 2024. -- Alex Kirkland

BAYERN MUNICH

INS: None
OUTS: None

Nothing much will happen in January, but Alaba will leave in the summer after failing to agree on a new contract. A replacement could come in the form of RB Leipzig's Upamecano, and they are also tracking Gladbach's Florian Neuhaus to take over from Javi Martinez, who will also depart when his deal ends. A new contract for young star Jamal Musiala is on the agenda, while Bayern remain interested in signing Frenkie de Jong, but sources told ESPN the chances of the Dutch midfielder leaving Barcelona are minimal, despite the Catalan club's financial woes. Young U.S. right-back Chris Richards could move to Hoffenheim on loan. -- Stephan Uersfeld

DORTMUND

INS: None
OUTS: None

Keeping their top stars including Sancho, Haaland and Gio Reyna was the priority, and that has been achieved. They have been linked with Sassuolo midfielder Manuel Locatelli and Borussia Monchengladbach's Florian Neuhaus, though the latter's €40m release clause is too expensive for Dortmund right now. Mo Dahoud could depart if they get a suitable offer, while sources told ESPN that 16-year-old Julian Rijkhoff will sign from Ajax and be added to the club's U17 side. -- Stephan Uersfeld

PSG

INS: None
OUTS: Jese (Released), Marcin Bulka (loan, Chateauroux)

New manager Mauricio Pochettino wants to sign Alli from Tottenham on loan, and has also been linked with another former player in Eriksen, but the priority for PSG is to get Kylian Mbappe and Neymar to sign new contracts. The club's sporting director Leonardo has said they are interested in signing Messi as his contract with Barcelona comes to an end this summer, while sources told ESPN they have approached Bayern's Alaba and are reportedly keen on Real Madrid's Ramos -- both on free transfers. Wingers Julian Draxler and Angel Di Maria should stay until summer, despite links abroad, with Di Maria opening talks over a new contract. -- Julien Laurens

JUVENTUS

INS: Marley Ake (€8m, Marseille), Nicolo Rovella (€18m, Genoa)
OUTS: Stefano Gori (loan, AC Pisa), Franco Tongya (€8m, Marseille), Manolo Portanova (€10m, Genoa), Elia Petrelli (€8m, Genoa), Nicolo Rovella (loan, Genoa).

Juventus' focus has been on signing players for the future. Sassuolo forward Gianluca Scamacca could arrive for around €25m, while highly rated midfielder Nicolo Rovella arrives from Genoa, but will return to the club on loan. Juve's biggest concern is to bring down the age of the squad with Gianluigi Buffon, Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Cristiano Ronaldo needing to eventually be replaced. Sami Khedira could depart for Hertha Berlin too.

Paulo Dybala and Federico Bernardeschi were among the players offered to Manchester United as Juventus looked for ways to put together a deal to sign Paul Pogba early in the window, sources told ESPN's Rob Dawson. But there now seems to be an acceptance that Pogba will stay until the summer. -- Andrew Cesare Richardson

INTER MILAN

INS: None
OUTS: Radja Nainggolan (loan, Cagliari), Sebastiano Esposito (loan, Venezia), Giacomo Pozzer (loan, Lucchese), Axel Bakayoko (Free, Red Star)

Inter are expected to be quiet as they continue their push for a first Serie A title since their Treble-winning season of 2009-10, but could sneak through a loan swap deal for Dzeko and Sanchez with Roma. Eriksen had been considered a potential outgoing, with director Beppe Marotta admitting in December he was transfer listed, but his last-gasp winner in the Coppa Italia on Tuesday could give him a reprieve; manager Antonio Conte noted after Tuesday's match that the club has been working on a new position for the Denmark international. Inter's priority remains to get striker Lautaro Martinez to sign a new deal, and they have already met with his agent. -- Andrew Cesare Richardson

AC MILAN

INS: Mario Mandzukic (Free), Fikayo Tomori (loan, Chelsea), Soualiho Meite (loan, Torino)
OUTS: Andrea Conti (loan, Parma), Leo Duarte (loan, Istanbul Basaksehir), Lorenzo Colombo (loan, Cremonese), Mateo Musacchio (undisclosed, Lazio)

AC Milan have been busy in January, bringing in three players. They would have likely signed Mohamed Simakan from Strasbourg for around €15m had he not been injured, but instead they picked up Tomori on loan from Chelsea. Defender Mateo Musacchio joined Lazio, and Milan have sounded out Barcelona about a move for out-of-favour left-back Junior Firpo, sources have told ESPN's Moises Llorens. New contracts (see above) for a key trio are also on the agenda. -- Andrew Cesare Richardson

United States youth international Bryan Reynolds is set to join Serie A side AS Roma from FC Dallas, sources have told ESPN.

Roma have agreed a deal that would bring Reynolds to Italy originally on loan, but has an obligation to sign the player for €7 million plus add-ons, sources say. Reynolds, 19, departed Dallas for Rome on Saturday and will undergo his medical on arrival.

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Once Reynolds has passed his medical, he will sign a four-and-a-half year deal with the Italian club.

The deal was set to be completed earlier in January, but was held up after Reynolds tested positive for COVID-19. The right-back has since tested negative and will join fellow Americans DeAndre Yedlin and Jordan Morris in swapping clubs this transfer window.

Reynolds was receiving plenty of interest this January. Club Brugge, Juventus, Roma and an unnamed other European side all tabled offers for the teenager, sources told ESPN.

Juventus were at one stage winning the race and had planned to loan Reynolds to another Serie A side for six months as they had already signed their two permitted non-EU players this term, but Roma came back in with an improved offer. He will join Paulo Fonseca's team with Roma sitting fourth in Serie A.

Reynolds is yet to make his USMNT debut but has regularly featured for the U.S. at youth levels. He was named to the U.S. Under-23s training squad earlier in January but withdrew for personal reasons.

An offer from an English Championship club to take United States defender Aaron Long on loan has been turned down by the New York Red Bulls, a source with knowledge of the situation told ESPN.

The offer involved taking on all of Long's salary and included an option to buy in the US$2-3 million range. The Red Bulls didn't respond immediately to a request for comment, though as of last Thursday a league source told ESPN that the Red Bulls had yet to receive an official offer.

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Long is currently in Orlando with the U.S. national team, who are set to play a friendly against Trinidad & Tobago on Sunday. The Oak Hills, Calif. native has made 18 appearances for the U.S. while scoring three goals.

The decline of the offer comes amid several reports regarding Long's future. ESPN reported on Friday that Liverpool was among the teams monitoring the U.S. central defender, while Soccer By Ives stated that there were three English Premier League clubs looking to bring Long on board. The Washington Post earlier reported that English Championship side Reading was interested in bringing Long in on loan, while MLSSoccer.com said there was "interest from clubs in England and France." The source confirmed that the French team that is interested is Lorient.

Long, 28, has drawn interest from a variety of teams over the years. Back in 2019 multiple bids from Premier League teams were rejected. These included a bid from West Ham United. A bid from Ligue 1 side Amiens was also turned down.

Long signed a new contract to play for the Red Bulls in 2019 and the deal has one more year to run plus a team option for the 2022 season.

Long was drafted by the Portland Timbers in 2014, but was released in midseason having had loan stints in the USL Championship with Sacramento Republic and the Orange County Blues. He soon latched on with the Seattle Sounders and spent 2015 playing for their reserve team. In 2016 Long went on trial with the Red Bulls and was signed to their reserve team, New York Red Bulls II, and spent the entire 2016 season in the USL.

In 2017, Long made a breakthrough into the Red Bulls first team, and has been a mainstay ever since, making 120 league, cup and playoff appearances, scoring nine goals. He was named MLS Defender of the Year in 2018, a season in which the Red Bulls claimed the Supporters Shield, which goes to the team with the highest regular season points total.

Jesus Ferreira is one of those players who seems to be perpetually in search of a position.

His attacking talent, in terms of his touch and finishing ability, is undeniable. Yet last year with FC Dallas, he spent time playing in just about every attacking role you could think of -- center-forward, winger in a front three, attacking midfield -- and he couldn't make any one of them his own.

On Sunday, United States manager Gregg Berhalter may have revealed Ferreira's most effective role, that of a false nine. The Dallas forward certainly had a night to remember against Trinidad & Tobago. Yes, the Soca Warriors were massively shorthanded, and hadn't played an official match in over a year -- it showed as the U.S. was three goals in front inside of 23 minutes. But Ferreira took advantage with two goals and three assists in what ended up being a 7-0 win.

More importantly, Ferreira's movement, whether it was dropping deep to receive the ball, or making runs in behind the defense, added another dimension to the U.S. attack. He was clearly in sync with wide players Paul Arriola and Jonathan Lewis, who added two goals apiece.

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"When you have wingers that can threaten the back-line, you can afford to drop a striker and still get that verticality and still be able to stretch the opponent," Berhalter said. "We saw that tonight again. We're really pleased with [Ferreira's] performance. What we talked to him about today was arriving in the penalty box, and he certainly did that. To me it was a complete performance and he deserved the Man of the Match."

Granted, it wasn't the first time Ferreira had played in that role. Berhalter used him in similar fashion, and to good effect, a year ago in a 1-0 friendly win against Costa Rica. But not much went right for Ferreira during the rest of 2020. With Designated Player Franco Jara and Ricardo Pepi hogging the minutes, and with a bout of COVID-19 sidelining him for a spell, Ferreira simply looked lost at times. In 979 minutes with FCD he managed just a goal and one assist in 2020. He blew that away in 63 minutes of work on Sunday.

"Obviously, 2020 was a tough year for me only scoring one goal in the league," he said. "I was kind of upset, but I didn't take that as a slowing down year. I took it as, 'You have to do better.'

"We have to make sure that 2020 is a way better year than the past two years. And so just today was a right step forward."

Maintaining the faith of a national team manager can be an important component in riding out a difficult stretch. All players look for ways to manufacture confidence and the right message in the right moment can help a performer create some self-belief when it otherwise might be missing. Ferreira said that was the case with Berhalter.

"Me and Gregg, we had a lot of conversations to what was going on and stuff," he said. "It makes me happy that he's stuck by me, and now I can show him what I can do best."

Replicating that form at club level doesn't figure to get much easier in 2021. Jara and Pepi are still there to contend with. Different teams beget different personnel with different tactics. But Olympic qualifying also beckons, and U.S. under-23 manager Jason Kreis has long been an admirer of Ferreira. A successful qualification effort could provide yet another boost for Ferreira, and lead to a more settled place in his career.

Sunday saw more of the style Berhalter has tried to impart take shape. Outside backs Aaron Herrera and in particular Sam Vines contributed consistently to the attack. And with Jackson Yueill pinging diagonal passes to the wings, and with the U.S. making continual use of overlapping runs, there was space to be had out wide.

Such was the gulf between the two sides that it was tough to pick out winners and losers, but some players clearly benefited more than most. One of those was Vines, especially since his left-back position is one that seems perpetually thin, and he's another player for whom Olympic qualifying could benefit.

Arriola continues to make progress in his comeback from an ACL injury that sidelined him for most of 2020. Lewis showed the kind of damage he can do in a starting role. Goalkeeper Matt Turner barely touched the ball, but did save a penalty from Alvin Jones -- a nemesis from the night back in 2017 when T&T knocked the U.S. out of World Cup qualifying -- to preserve the clean sheet.

The 2021 campaign will be action-packed, with the Nations League finals, the Olympics, Gold Cup and World Cup qualifying on the schedule. Those will prove to be much sterner tests than what the U.S. saw on Sunday night, but the year is off to precisely the kind of start that Berhalter wanted.

Justin Langer believes rumblings within the Australian dressing room about its uncompromising environment are a "wake up call" he cannot ignore, ahead of key meetings among administrators who have the ultimate say about how long he remains as coach of the national team.

The CA Board are due to meet on Friday for the first time since the end of the series loss to India, while any concerns from within the team about Langer's approach as a coach may well be addressed when the new Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) chief executive Todd Greenberg has his first formal sit-down with the governing body's interim chief executive Nick Hockley later this month.

A shocked Langer had fronted some of the concerns in reply to a piece published in the Sydney Morning Herald on Friday, seemingly adamant the anxieties raised are without basis. But the fact that a way was found for sensitive internal issues to be raised publicly underlines that numerous players have either not been comfortable enough to front Langer about them directly, fearing selection or other consequences, or do not feel that any feedback already presented thus far has had the desired effect.

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo on Monday, Langer acknowledged that any issues could be a matter for discussion between Greenberg and Hockley, and described the episode as a considerable reality check for him between the end of a draining India series and the proposed tour of South Africa.

"I'm not going to ignore this, of course, and absolutely it is a wake-up call," Langer said. "Whenever I finish this coaching career I hope I'm still calling myself a novice coach...I'll see this criticism as a great gift in a few weeks or months.

"My greatest mentors in life are the people who told me the truth and were toughest on me, and I've always needed that honest feedback. I might not enjoy it at the time, but it is so, so valuable."

The Test captain Tim Paine stepped forward to defend Langer over the weekend via News Corp, where he is contracted as a columnist, but others have been extremely hesitant to stick their heads above the parapet in public.

"JL is a passionate guy, particularly when it comes to this team and Australian cricket," Paine said. "He's also the guy who kicks the bin over and then puts the rubbish back in. He wears his heart on his sleeve, is tough, fair and at times emotional, just as he was as a player and now as a coach. You would be worried if that wasn't the case."

Langer and his backers argue - with plenty of merit - that his methods, moods and propensity for the occasional outburst at players and staff have not changed over the course of nearly three years in the coaching job. He began amid the depths of the months after the Newlands scandal, through grueling but successful World Cup and Ashes campaigns to this summer's draining cycle of Covid-19 bubbles and Australia's third consecutive Test series loss to India.

However, the counter view is that Langer should have changed more significantly, evolving his ways and loosening up slightly with a group of players he has now spent a lot of time alongside that is no longer the remorseful and less seasoned bunch he inherited from Darren Lehmann in 2018.

The key question is whether Langer's intensity - a tag that has followed him around across his whole playing and coaching career - can again be tempered as it was somewhat by the presence of Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh at considerable expense on the 2019 England tour.

Anxiety about broaching sensitive issues with Langer has been a recurring theme from time to time over that period among players and staff, a dynamic captured quite frankly in the Amazon documentary The Test.

Greenberg, as a former chief executive of the NRL and the Canterbury Bulldogs before that, is well acquainted with the difficult conversations around a long-term coach's future. He was only a matter of months into the Bulldogs job in 2008 when he and the Canterbury board guided the late Steve Folkes to the exit after a period of underperformance at the end of 11 seasons as coach that had also reaped five premierships.

There were sound judges of Australian cricket who felt, even as Langer was about to take the job in 2018, that the aftermath of Newlands was the only time when his ways would have suited the national team coaching role, given a set project to improve the team's reputation and performance over a specific period. At other points, they reasoned, Langer's methods were better tailored to domestic cricket, as he had demonstrated with the Perth Scorchers in the BBL in particular.

Equally, Langer's tenure has been marked by a gradual build-up of handpicked staff and support around him. The team manager Gavin Dovey stayed on in his role after Lehmann's departure largely due to his closeness to Langer, while the head of national teams, Ben Oliver, had a long history of working alongside Langer in Western Australia prior to his appointment - alongside high performance chief Drew Ginn - to fill the large managerial hole left by Pat Howard and then temporarily occupied by Belinda Clark.

Among team support staff, the likes of David Saker and Graeme Hick departed in 2019 and 2020, replaced by Andrew McDonald as senior assistant, while others such as Troy Cooley and Trent Woodhill have lent their support on a tour-by-tour basis. The former ODI captain George Bailey joined Langer and Trevor Hohns on the selection panel towards the end of the 2019-20 season, a deeply respected figure among Australian playing ranks.

Paine and Aaron Finch, the national ODI and T20I captain, have formed effective working relationships with Langer during that time. Paine is set to lead the Test squad on the proposed tour of South Africa later this month, while Finch leads a white-ball squad on a short tour of New Zealand, where that team is to be coached by McDonald. Langer has always been strident in his belief that the national team coach needed to be in overall command given how much the game's formats overlap.

"I don't see anywhere around the world where it's worked well to split the roles between formats, and that's stayed true since the first letter I wrote to David Peever and James Sutherland about the job," he said. "I love the job, there's nothing I don't love about it, including the criticism."

Jordan Silk hopes the Power Surge is here to stay in the BBL after benefiting from the new fielding restrictions which allow the batting side to call a two-over Powerplay after the 10th over.

Silk wasn't needed by Sydney Sixers in the Qualifier final as they cantered to a nine-wicket victory against Perth Scorchers, but he has been a vital component of the defending champions who are now a win away from back-to-back titles.

And it's partly the new phase of the game, which saw two of the traditional Powerplay overs moved to the latter half of the innings, where he has made his mark.

He sits third on the list of runs scored in Power Surge behind Ben Cutting and Jimmy Peirson with 79 off 45 balls - a strike-rate of 175.55 - as part of an overall tally of 365 runs at 36.50 and a strike-rate of 144.26. That latter figure puts him comfortably on top of those to have batted at No. 5 or below in this BBL edition.

"It's definitely brought the middle-order batter into the game a bit more, giving us an opportunity to bat when there's only two fielders outside the ring as opposed to having five out and not getting a reprieve," he said.

"It's been a nice change and also just being able to face a few balls before going into it has been really critical to my season. Very different if I'm, say, opening the batting and straight into a Powerplay than having 10-12 balls under my belt.

"That's probably where I've had most of my success in it, when I've actually been able to apply myself beforehand, get used to the pace of the wicket then target areas from there. You can look at the numbers and say it's certainly a rule change I've benefited from this year and I'm hoping it stays in."

His Power Surge impact included the display against Melbourne Renegades early in the competition where he took five fours in an over off Kane Richardson. All of them came through the off side without the need for any major invention in the strokeplay and Silk has found sticking to the fundamentals has served him well.

"I think the bowlers are under the most pressure to execute, that's what we've seen throughout the tournament, I know that going into it so I'm just trying to give myself the best possible base to be able to play a shot to any ball," he said. "Regardless of where the fielders are I still think if I can hit it hard enough or place it well enough I can get four anyway.

"I haven't tried to be giving myself room and hit an area where there aren't fielders, just play the best possible shot I can to that ball and I know if I do that there's a good chance it can go for a boundary anyway."

Silk has played in three BBL finals, suffering two defeats at the hands of the Scorchers (who could be the opponents this year) before playing a vital hand of 27 off 15 balls in last season's decider against the Melbourne Stars at the SCG. Having not played at home yet this season due to Covid-19 border restrictions, the Sixers will get a chance to defend the title on their own patch.

"We had a little taste of what a home crowd is like with a few Sixers fans travelling to Manuka," Silk said. "We are really buoyed by the fact we could have 19-20,000 people at the SCG on Saturday."

Sam Heazlett showed the value of hanging in as he turned a batting struggle into a match-winning display against the Sydney Thunder in the BBL Knockout final.

Heazlett was 19 off 26 balls in the Brisbane Heat's chase of 159 before he finally scored a boundary and that flicked a switch for the left-hander, who scored 51 off his next 23 deliveries in a career-best T20 score of 74 not out.

With Heazlett labouring and Marnus Labuschagne controversially run-out, the asking rate had pushed above 11-an-over but, having been brought into the side as a match-up for the Thunder legspinner Tanveer Sangha, he then took to him with a pair of leg-side sixes as the game swung back to the Heat.

"My head was probably spinning a bit early," Heazlett said. "I played and missed at a few balls but we had more batting to come, Jimmy's [Peirson] been in great form this season and we had full confidence that we could lift the rate towards the end.

"I was looking to go hard towards the short boundary with the legspinner on, lucky enough to get a few away and that took the pressure off a little bit and from there tried to hit the ball hard and thankfully it came off."

When Heazlett was recalled for the Eliminator final to break up a batting order filled with right-handers, he had not played since January 2 in a season that had brought 99 runs in six innings - 48 of those in one knock against the Hobart Hurricanes where he struck five sixes - and he admitted to uncertainty at the start of his innings.

"I haven't scored a whole heap of runs this year. [You] still try to go out there with confidence but you don't want to get out, [it was] two for not many, and I probably wasn't quite as clear as I needed to be, not watching the ball as hard as I should have," he said. "But you have to back your skills. It's good to get that one in now and go into the next game with a few runs under the belt."

Heazlett has had a curious career so far, selected for Australia's limited-overs squad before he had made a one-day appearance for Queensland, debuting against New Zealand in the match where Marcus Stoinis made 146 not out and having statistics in the 50-over game (average 54.05) that far outweigh his T20 numbers (average 18.18).

"[It's been] frustrating…to have pretty good stats in one-day cricket and coming to T20 cricket and know I have what it takes but not being able to do it enough is disappointing," he said. "But thankfully the [Heat] coach and captain had a lot of faith in me. I've enjoyed that middle-order role a couple of times this year, good to have the field out, get my eye in then take it from there."

The Heat, who qualified for the finals series in fourth meaning they would need to win four games in a row to take the title, will now face the Perth Scorchers in the Challenger final on Thursday to decide who plays the Sydney Sixers at the SCG on February 6. The match will be played in Canberra after Perth was put into a five-day lockdown because of Covid-19.

Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal rattled off a quick six points in a stunning 3.8-second sequence that propelled the Washington Wizards to a 149-146 comeback win over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday night.

"At this time, we don't have nothing to lose," Westbrook said. "It's win or go home."

The Wizards, down by five points with the shot clock turned off, had seemed to be on their way to a fifth straight loss.

"Honestly, Ish (Smith) just told me to push it and pull it," Beal said after the game. "That is all we could have done in that situation."

It worked.

Beal sprinted up the court and pulled up to nail a 3-pointer that brought Washington within two points of Brooklyn with 8.1 seconds remaining. As Nets forward Joe Harris went to quickly inbound the ball at the baseline, teammate Kevin Durant cut toward the basket. The miscommunication allowed Wizards guard Garrison Mathews to steal the ball in the corner and dish it out to Westbrook, who buried another 3 with 4.3 seconds to play.

With the Wizards clinging to a one-point lead, the Nets took a timeout. When play resumed, Nets guard Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot managed to get a good look at a layup in the final two seconds of the game, but his attempt rolled off the rim.

Two made free throws from Beal sealed Washington's win.

"We had that game," Nets guard Kyrie Irving said. "It should've been ours, so we just look at ourselves in the mirror and see what we can correct as individuals and as a group -- especially on effort. I couldn't guard a stick today. Those guys were just going right around me, and I was getting frustrated a little bit."

The Nets led by as many as 18 points at Capital One Arena and had three 25-point scorers in Harris, Irving and Durant. The Wizards and Nets' combined 295 points was the second-highest-scoring non-overtime game in the past 25 seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

But defensively, Brooklyn continued to struggle. The Nets gave up 72 points in the paint, tied for their third most allowed in a game over the past 25 seasons, and the most allowed in a game since 2017. Beal was able to score 22 of his 37 total points in the fourth quarter. The Wizards outscored the Nets 12-2 in clutch time.

"It was the first game all year I had a White Claw," Wizards coach Scott Brooks said. "I wanted to enjoy it. This is a good feeling. I wanted our players to enjoy it. We fought. We fought hard. ... We've done it all year, and the basketball gods gave us a break tonight."

The Nets' defensive issues allowed the Wizards to stay in the game. While the final sequence of the game appeared to be the apex of the Nets' breakdown, Irving said that Harris' turnover and the subsequent 3 were a "microcosm" of the issues that plagued Brooklyn all night.

"It doesn't come out of one play," Harris added. "But same time I mean, had I not made (the turnover), we wouldn't be sitting here talking about loss."

Nets coach Steve Nash called Harris' turnover "an unfortunate moment" but said it wasn't to blame for the loss.

"When you give up 149 points, that's one error in about 50 defensive lapses," Nash said. "So not good enough defensively, and we can look at the missed layup or the turnover for the 3 there, but we shouldn't have been in that position. We had a big lead early, and we let them stay around a long, long time until their confidence grew. They're a desperate (group) looking for a win, and we gave them a chance and gave them life."

For Durant, "This is one of the ones you've just got to get rid of."