By Tim Stannard

1) Real Madrid considering Neymar Mad Day call 

The transfer market is now resembling the Transformers movie franchise. 

Each time another money-making exercise rolls around, the sheer quantity of general stuff being crushed, obliterated, vaporized, sucked into a gravity trap and then dropped needs to be increased exponentially to keep punters happy. 

And so, it goes for soccer. Last summer, Neymar broke all the rules by paying $250 million to remove himself from Barcelona and join PSG. According to French press and murmurings in Madrid, that drama could be obliterated this summer with the Brazilian heading to Real Madrid for over $300 million. Apparently, this is down to the fact that Neymar is regretting the move to Ligue Un and the fact that he is not quite adored as he would like to be with the fans. Apparently. 

Real Madrid certainly need something. The team is currently spiraling into a well of doom. 19 points off Barcelona at the top of the table, and now out of the Copa del Rey at the quarterfinal stages after a genuinely humiliating 2-1 home defeat to Leganes on Wednesday that saw the Real Madrid players greeted with more outraged boos than the infamous moment when 10 bunny rabbits were about to be hurled into a blender by a desperate America’s Got Talent contestant. 

Find out on Thursday’s XTRA just how much trouble Zinedine Zidane is in at Real Madrid and if the Neymar move to Real Madrid could actually happen. 

2) Coutinho set to make Barcelona debut in Copa cracker 

Barcelona fans are currently laughing their booties off at Real Madrid – the reverse of about six months ago – with everything going swimmingly in the league leader’s world. However, that could balance could be tipped a little in the Camp Nou on Thursday with Barca playing its own second leg of the Copa del Rey quarterfinals against Espanyol. 

Interestingly, Barcelona are 1-0 down and as Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid have discovered, the Copa is a little unpredictable this year, with the big names losing out. If that wasn’t enough, another fine reason to tune in to beIN SPORTS at 3:30PM ET / 12:30PM PT is the chance to see if Philippe Coutinho can finally make his Barca debut after his whopping move from Liverpool. In a curious coincidence, Coutinho was once an Espanyol player. Indeed, Valverde was once an Espanyol manager. Oh! Yerry Mina might be playing too! 

3) Mou refuses to start Ronaldo fire by starting fire

TRANSFER TRACKER! 

Bit of a Manchester theme to this one. Let’s start with Jose Mourinho who has weighed in on the concept of Cristiano Ronaldo moving to United in the summer – to make way for Neymar perhaps – by adding fuel to the fire… by apparently refusing to add fuel to the fire in talking about one of his former clubs. "I cared about the club, I am the last one to add fire, Cristiano is the kind of player every manager and club.”

Manchester City is thinking of both the present and future and is on the brink of picking up Athletic Bilbao centerback, Aymeric Laporte. The deal could be worth up to $70 million for City. In return, Athletic might make an immediate move for strapping stopper, Inigo Martinez, from Real Sociedad. 

Head to our Facebook page at 1PM ET / 10AM PT for the XTRA Social when all of these hot topics will be grasped with the oven gloves of truth. 

4) Battle of the best in Australian Open

TENNIS TIME! Grand Slam matters are getting serious Down Under at the Australian Open with the pairing for the women’s final now fixed with the top two seeds in the WTA rankings facing off. In the red corner, it’s Caroline Wozniacki – yet to win a Grand title, but having a career revival of late. In the blue, Simona Halep – the number one seed and also without a Grand Slam title. Something has to give in Melbourne. 

Top class women’s tennis returns to beIN SPORTS USA on Tuesday with the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy.

Marin Cilic has reached the final in men’s bracket and will wait to see if he facing either Roger Federer or Hyeon Chung, who play overnight. 

WHAT IS SPORTS BURST?

The life philosophy of Sports Burst is that if you are not upsetting someone, then you are not trying hard enough. Sports Burst is a daily trawl and troll through the morning's sports news to bring you fact-nuggets to make you both smile and swear. Hopefully at the same time.