BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

Commentary of Andy Murray's Australian Open semi-final against Milos Raonic will be on 5 live Sports Extra from 08:30 GMT on Friday. The winner will play Novak Djokovic in Sunday's men's singles final. 

Djokovic absolutely destroyed Roger Federer earlier on Thursday - winning 6-1 6-2 3-6 6-3.

Image source, EPA

Sunderland defender Sebastian Coates has joined Portugese side Sporting Lisbon on loan for the rest of the season.

The 25-year old Uruguayan could make his debut in this weekend’s home game against Academica.   

Coates arrived at the Stadium of Light in 2014, on an initial loan deal from Liverpool, before making the switch to Wearside permanent last summer.

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Nick Barnes
BBC Newcastle's Sunderland commentator

Image source, Reuters

Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce has told BBC Newcastle the focus is still on new players coming to the club. Having signed Lamine Kone, Jan Kirchoff, Dame N’Doye and Steve Harper he says he is looking mainly abroad. 

“We’re in the market. We have about 60 players that are available on our desk at the minute from various parts of Europe. Sixty players that are available to leave their football clubs. All those 60 players we have to filter through. We’ve already filtered through about 60." 

Sunderland are still interested in signing Mathieu Debuchy from Arsenal and Allardyce says if it’s three players coming in some more will have to leave the club but “certainly one more will be achieved before Monday”.

Bad news for Spurs fans waiting on the latest team news - manager Mauricio Pochettino is ill, so today's news conference has been cancelled. 

Here's wishing you a speedy recovery, Mr Poch. My advice? Ride it out with a liquorice tea and a blanket.

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BBC Radio 5 Live

You can listen here as Robbie Savage and BBC Radio 5 live's football correspondent John Murray discuss Ramires' transfer from Chelsea to Chinese side Jiangsu Suning in a deal believed to be worth £25m.

Image source, PA

If you're looking for more insight on this one though - have a read of Tim Hague's take on the reasons behind Ramires' move.

Freddy Guarin's there, Gervinho's there... Luiz Felipe Scolari's there...

Image source, Rex Features

Could Championship play-off hopefuls Ipswich Town be set to sign former West Brom and Crystal Palace winger Jerome Thomas?

Well, the East Anglian Daily Times, external is reporting Thomas - without a club since leaving the Eagles in the summer - is training with Mick McCarthy's side.

He would come in following the departure of Australian Tommy Oar - who said he failed to settle in England.

Ahead of a BBC Radio 5 live programme later on Thursday on the history of football computer gaming, we’re asking for your favourite football video games and why.  

Rossi was some keeper. But what?! Cheating!? How could you?

Figo did it. Let's not forget Barcelona's current manager Luis Enrique did it too. But moves between Real Madrid and Barca are ill-advised. Especially if you don't like having bits of pig thrown at you., external

According to a report in Spain, Real Madrid tried three times in the last five years to sign Barcelona forward Lionel Messi.

A programme on Cadena COPE radio station claimed Madrid approached Barca over Messi in 2011, 2013 and 2015, but were knocked back each time... 

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

In 1990 (one of the most one-sided Super Bowls) the San Francisco 49ers beat the Denver Broncos 55-10 in New Orleans. 49ers quarterback Joe Montana was named Super Bowl Most Valuable Player for a record third time.

Image source, Rex Features

A Question of Sport Teaser

Here's Thursday's teaser...

Aside from Angelique Kerber, which six other Germans have reached a Grand Slam singles final since 1990?

Answers to come this afternoon...

Emma Jones
BBC London

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic says that, rather than expecting Liverpool to be tired because of their midweek League Cup match against Stoke, he's expecting them to be "buzzing". 

I got a laugh out of the rest of the journalists by asking if it was only fair that West Ham win on Saturday because Liverpool are already in a Wembley final, but Bilic denied he was jealous (he repeated back the word I used in the question) of Klopp for already managing that this season. 

The big message seemed to be: "This is Liverpool. At home. It won't be easy."

Image source, EPA

Conor McNamara
BBC Radio 5 live commentator

My favourite memory of the computer game “Sensible Soccer” was the feeling of joy as the players came streaming out onto the field in rigid straight lines accompanied by a roaring crowd soundtrack.

This was a special moment because it was preceded by a long boring delay while the game “LOADED”.

Today’s kids will have little grasp of the “deferred gratification” of investing time in the loading of game before you could actually play it. From looking at a silent, stationary screen, suddenly everything would spring into life.

John Hare, creator of Sensible Soccer: "Sensible Soccer was a phenomenon. When I was a kid I played Subbuteo - Sensible Soccer was my fantasy of electric Subbuteo that I could play without my dad being there. 

"I knew Sensible Soccer, more than any other game, would be massive. You knew it was something special. It was like magic."

Tell us your favourite football video game and why via Twitter on #TheBeautifulGamers or on BBC Sport's Facebook page.

Image source, Sensible World of Soccer

Ahead of a BBC Radio 5 live programme later on Thursday on the history of football computer gaming, we’re asking for your favourite football video games and why.  

Pat Cash
Former Wimbledon champion on Radio 5 live sports extra

"The first two sets where he played incredible tennis set it up for Novak. Federer gave it a go in the third but Djokovic was brilliant. Some of the shots he gets back are superb. An incredibly high standard of tennis."      

He's done it. Novak Djokovic has beaten Roger Federer to reach his sixth Australian Open final. It was a scintillating performance. The Serb goes through 6-1 6-2 3-6 6-3.

Follow all the reaction over here.

Can Andy Murray join him there tomorrow?

Image source, AP

Wolves have agreed an undisclosed fee with Newcastle United to sign defender Mike Williamson.

The 32-year-old had been on loan at the Championship club before being recalled in January.

Image source, GEt

Image source, Getty Images

Captain Greig Laidlaw says he will take the pain of Scotland's World Cup exit "to the grave", but believes he can lead his side to Six Nations success.

Laidlaw, 30, pleaded with referee Craig Joubert to consult the television match official after he awarded Australia a controversial late penalty.

Bernard Foley kicked it for a 35-34 quarter-final win, World Rugby later saying the decision was a mistake.

"I'll take that to my grave with me and I say that truthfully," said Laidlaw.

Over in Thursday's gossip column, there is a lot of chat about Chelsea's next manager: 

Chelsea have turned their attention to Stoke City boss Mark Hughes as they look for a permanent manager next season. (Guardian), external

However, Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has also emerged as a "strong and credible" contender to take over at Stamford Bridge.(Independent), external

Bournemouth's Eddie Howe and former Blues boss Claudio Ranieri, currently in charge of Premier League leaders Leicester, have also emerged as potential candidates to become Jose Mourinho's permanent successor. (Daily Telegraph), external

Image source, PA

If it's more whisper, plot and intrigue you're after, here's where to find it.

Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce does concede his side are indeed looking to sign a striker though: "Most of the options we are looking at are abroad. There are not many available in this country, and the fees tend to be much higher. In terms of what we're looking at, it will be from Europe."