All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Celtic are expecting a lot of changes to their squad now that they have failed to secure Champions League football. The Hoops were surprised in Europe mid-week and this could indeed have an impact on the team.

Neil Lennon knows as much and he himself has admitted it’s possible they lose some players in the wake of this unexpected turn of events. And according to the exclusive new report from Football Insider, Celtic’s Kristoffer Ajer might be one of the names to leave the squad.

Not only that but the same source states the Hoops are looking to potentially replace the Norwegian giant with Preston North End’s Ben Davies. Of course, he is not to be confused with his Tottenham Hotspur namesake.

The English centre-back is now in the final year of his contract with the Championship side and could be attainable in the ongoing summer transfer window.

Apart from that, the 25-year-old has been excellent for Preston throughout 2019/20 and could indeed be a quality reinforcement for the Bhoys as they push for their 10th Scottish Premier League title in a row.

The 22-year-old Norwegian is also on the radar of some Premier League clubs and could indeed be looking to move on to greener pastures sooner rather than later.

His contract is expiring in 2022 and if Football Insider are to be believed, he has also rejected all of Celtic’s attempts to extend the deal.

Verdict

Of course, keeping Ajer would be the ideal situation but if he really is intent on going, replacing him with Davies doesn’t seem like such a bad idea at all. The 25-year-old still has plenty to give on the top level, would be quite cheap due to his contract expiring and is coming off of a brilliant season down in the Championship.

All of that combined makes for a rather interesting transfer deal that could still benefit the Hoops immensely.

West Ham United are facing a tumultuous summer.

They have sold Grady Diangana to West Bromwich Albion in a deal that has led to howls of derision from fans and have roundly failed to strengthen their squad in the summer.

Tomas Soucek has arrived on a permanent basis, his loan deal being converted, but other than that, they are no better than they were at the end of the campaign.

And The Athletic has now made it clear just how poor their transfer activity has been.

They report that there were a number of players discussed as potential targets who have moved to other clubs instead of ending up in east London.

Cameo Clubs: Which obscure teams did these football legends play for?

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

The names may be familiar for West Ham fans; Ollie Watkins and Matty Cash have joined Aston Villa from Brentford and Nottingham Forest respectively; Antonee Robinson has moved to Fulham from Wigan Athletic; Eberechi Eze has gone to Crystal Palace from QPR; Jamal Lewis has joined Newcastle United from Norwich City, while Callum Wilson and Ryan Fraser have also rocked up at St James’ Park from AFC Bournemouth.

There is no guarantee, of course, that any would have decided to move to the London Stadium when faced with rival interest but there must be frustration at the inability to get deals over the line this summer for the Hammers.

Any one of the seven players would undoubtedly have improved David Moyes’ squad and given him more options in his selections.

Is life under Gold and Sullivan really that bad? Maybe this quiz will change your minds, West Ham fans…

Instead, he is still working with the same group of players he had at the end of the 2019/20 campaign.

It really isn’t good enough.

Just when you thought Everton’s day couldn’t get any better, the Toffees look set to make their latest major signing of this summer transfer window.

The Toffees sealed a comfortable victory over Brighton at Goodison Park on Saturday afternoon, taking them back to the top of the Premier League table for the time being.

And now, according to FootballFanCast sources, Carlo Ancelotti’s side are ready to welcome Norwich City defender Ben Godfrey to Merseyside, with a move for the 22-year-old all but done.

Indeed, our sources say that the centre-back has been spotted at the Toffees’ training complex at Finch Farm today, taking several photos ahead of the big online reveal.

The England U21 international was a key figure for the Canaries in the top-flight last season, and was one of the shining lights in a team that suffered relegation back to the Championship.

Godfrey made 33 appearances across all competitions, and had started the opening three Championship fixtures this time around, before being absent from the squad all together for Norwich’s defeat to Derby County earlier on Saturday.

Having been linked with numerous centre-backs in recent weeks, including Chelsea’s Fikayo Tomori, it looks like Everton have made Godfrey their latest high-profile signing to follow the likes of James Rodriguez, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Allan.

He certainly adds more competition in that area and will be battling against Yerry Mina, Mason Holgate and Michael Keane for a start.

What a few weeks it’s been for Toffees fans.

Tottenham Hotspur were left stunned on Sunday evening as they threw away a three-goal lead against local rivals West Ham United in the Premier League.

Jose Mourinho’s men went into the break looking the likely victors after Heung-min Son and Harry Kane combined once again to make it 3-0 within 18 minutes, the South Korean bagging in the very opening minute.

But the Hammers fought back with a quickfire trio of goals themselves, all of which came in the final eight minutes with Manuel Lanzini’s last-second scorcher the pick of the bunch.

Despite all of the negativity that’ll come from throwing away two points, many in N17 must be encouraged by the display of club-record signing Tanguy Ndombele.

A lot was made of the Frenchman’s future throughout the back end of last season and into the summer. It’s thought that Daniel Levy was keen to keep his mega-money star at the club whilst Jose Mourinho had doubts, as per Football Insider.

And after this showing, it appears the Spurs chairman was bang on the money as Ndombele proved his toughest critic wrong with a fine performance.

Per FotMob, the 23-year-old made eight recoveries, won six of nine duels and also recorded two dribbles, two tackles and made 40 passes at an accuracy rate of 85%.

The €50m-rated (£45m) maestro is starting to finally adapt to the conditions and pace of Premier League football and now that he appears to be fully fit, he’s producing energetic and creative displays like this one.

Levy has been fully vindicated with his stance on Ndombele and whilst credit has to be given to Mourinho for starting and trusting him this season, he was clearly premature in his thoughts to offload the £200k-per-week midfielder after an average debut campaign.

If there’s any positive to take from this 3-3 draw aside from Kane, then it should absolutely be Ndombele. He could become a huge player as the season rumbles on.

AND in other news, £63.5m-rated Spurs lightweight badly let Mourinho down vs West Ham…

Glasgow Rangers had a quiet end to the transfer window as they only brought in Bongani Zungu on deadline day and now the pressure is on Ross Wilson to deliver before October 25th…

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, Alfredo Morelos wants a new deal after being called up by Colombia. The 24-year-old striker stayed at the Ibrox outfit amid interest from Lille. However, Rangers refused to sell him as the Ligue 1 side couldn’t meet their £20m asking price and sources close to the situation have confirmed that his representatives want a brand new contract as a reward for his loyalty.

Wilson under pressure

Morelos signed an extension last year, earning him wages worth more than £30,000-a-week, which will run out in 2023.

However, The Daily Record revealed that Al Duhail are also interested in signing the 6-cap Colombian international. The Qatari club have two weeks until their transfer window closes to sort out any deal.

Whilst Rangers have played hardball over the striker all summer, they must now secure him to a new contract. Sticking with the injury-prone Cedric Itten and Jermain Defoe, who is evidently entering the twilight of his career, seems rather silly. Wilson will be well aware that this is a risky strategy as it’s only going to put him under pressure if Morelos does end up moving to the Middle East.

Morelos has scored more goals than his two teammates combined this season so far – the Colombian has scored five goals in all competitions, via Transfermarkt, whilst averaging 2.9 shots and 1.3 key passes per Scottish Premiership game, as per SofaScore.

He also registered an assist against Ross County before the international break, which implies he has added another dimension to his game as well.

Hailed as an “outstanding” player by Colombia boss Carlos Queiroz, Morelos must be tied down to a new deal at all costs, otherwise Wilson and the rest of the Rangers hierarchy will be held to account.

Get it done, Gers, by any means necessary!

AND in other news, Jack Wilshere: Ross Wilson must win the race to sign Rangers target…

West Brom boss Slaven Bilic isn’t known for his scintillating style of football, in fact former United boss Louis van Gaal once dubbed his West Ham side “boring”.

However, engrained in many a squad has been a player that truly has the ability to have supporters on the edge of their seats – or at least in the current climate, on the cusp of leaping off their sofa.

At the Irons, it was undoubtedly Dimitri Payet, even if the enigmatic Frenchman reciprocated van Gaal’s opinion, infamously claiming: “The defensive system that we put in place did not give me any pleasure.”

Across two seasons for the club, the 33-year-old delivered 15 goals and 23 assists from 60 appearances, per Transfermarkt. That works out to being around 0.6 goal contributions per match.

In both Premier League campaigns, Payet didn’t dip below an average of four key passes, 2.3 shots and 2.2 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

Not much has changed in terms of tactics from Bilic at the Hawthorns – even at times this season, the stubborn Croatian has turned to a five-at-the-back system.

And he once again has a player with that immense creative flair – Matheus Pereira.

The Brazilian magician took the Championship by storm last term, providing eight goals and 20 assists, whilst he’s continued his electric form into the top-flight, contributing to exactly half of their six goals.

Sky Sports’ Keith Andrews named him as his ‘Player of the Season,’ and claimed: “I have been blown away by his skill, his ability on the ball, the way he takes the game to the opposition and the vision he has. He is such an all-round attacking player and isn’t just one type of No 10. I think he is at his best in the centre, but we have seen him play from the right and the left, too.”

Pereira is also managing around 0.6 goal contributions per appearance too.

Per WhoScored, the 24-year-old averaged 2.8 key passes, 2.6 shots and 1.5 dribbles every time he stepped out onto the pitch.

The similarities with Payet are uncanny.

At his current rate, you can forget about Zoltan Gera being the sensation of the Black Country, Pereira will undoubtedly be remembered for a very long time.

It’s no wonder that Bilic already wants to hand his sensational attacker fresh terms after signing permanently in an £8.25m deal just two months ago.

He’s clearly a massive, massive fan having compared Pereira to the aforementioned Frenchman as well as a genuine global superstar.

“Everybody likes to play with young players who are good on the ball. Is it Luka Modric when he was a kid in Croatia? Is it Manuel Lanzini? Is it Dimitri Payet? But I’m praising the team. To get Pereira into those positions, they need other players — Jake Livermore, Romaine Sawyers, the full-backs – it’s the whole team”

It would see his wages increase by £15k-per-week from his current £30k-per-week terms, as per the Telegraph.

Portuguese journalist Tom Kundert has certainly been proven right with his comments, Pereira is an “absolute steal” indeed.

AND in other news, West Brom dynamo outshone goalscorer Karlan Grant on Monday…

Tottenham Hotspur could look to bolster their defensive line in one of the next two transfer windows, and if reports are to be believed, Daniel Levy is eyeing a freebie…

What’s the word?

According to Sport Bild (via the Daily Mail), Bayern Munich centre-back Jerome Boateng is set to become a free agent in the summer as the Bundesliga giants will not renew his contract at the Allianz Arena.

It’s already sparked a potential three-way Premier League battle to secure his signature with Spurs in the hunt alongside London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea.

The 32-year-old is currently valued at £10.8m by Transfermarkt and is thought to be on around £205k-per-week in Germany.

Next Carvalho?

Spurs’ major Achilles heel is their leaky defence, having only kept two clean sheets in their last 14 matches in all competitions, which follows on from having the second-worst defensive record inside the top seven last season.

We’ve seen down the road at Stamford Bridge what the addition of an illustrious and experienced defender can do, Thiago Silva’s presence among the backline has seen the Blues keep six clean sheets in their last eight games.

Indeed Boateng could make a similar impact given he’s been a regular for the Bundesliga champions and at international level for Germany for the best part of nine years.

Back in 2004, Mourinho brought Ricardo Carvalho to Chelsea with him on the back of a Champions League win and that’s something the 6 foot 4 monster has just won, making him a two-time winner of Europe’s top prize, so that would bear some similarities to why the Special One would be genuinely interested in signing Boateng.

Throw in a World Cup and eight domestic titles; you’ve got yourselves a major winner here.

Bayern teammate Thomas Muller once dubbed him a “quarterback” who “has developed into a world-class player” whilst former boss Niko Kovac also waxed lyrical, claiming: “his concentration and quality is exceedingly good.”

Unlike Silva, Boateng has plenty more to give in terms of longevity and would surely be a most welcome addition in north London, especially as he’d arrive on a free transfer.

That’ll surely have Levy’s mouth watering already.

AND in other news, Spurs dealt potentially huge blow over Tanguy Ndombele…

According to Le10Sport, Milan have made an offer for reported Aston Villa transfer target Mohamed Simakan.

What’s the story?

Reports over the summer suggested that Dean Smith’s side were very much interested in landing the Strasbourg centre-half, with his agent revealing last month that he expects the Premier League side, as well as other clubs, to make a move for him in January.

He said: “There were many teams on Simakan – Lyon, Aston Villa and Borussia Dortmund. I think these clubs, including AC Milan, will try to push again (in January). The boy has picked up where he left off, showing his qualities, and it is possible his admirers will also increase.”

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

And now, French publication Le10Sport have claimed that Serie A giants Milan have made the first post-transfer window move to sign the 6 foot 2 defender, and that whilst they’ve seen an initial bid rejected, are prepared to make a fresh approach.

Better than Konsa

At just 20, Simakan is a couple of years younger than Villa centre-back Ezri Konsa, who’s been Smith’s preferred partner alongside Tyrone Mings.

And when you look at both of their performances for their respective teams this season, Simakan looks like the kind of prospect who the Villa boss should play next to Mings.

As per Sofascore, Simakan has won an impressive 2.2 tackles and 1.9 interceptions per game in Ligue 1, whilst he wins 6.1 duels per match too, at an astounding success rate of 61%. Konsa, on the other hand, has averaged three times as less tackles, and less than half the amount of interceptions, whilst he only wins only marginally more duels at 6.7.

His agent added: “Mohamed is a class of 2000 who can play as a central defender or as a right-back. He has great strength, technically good, but his main gift is power and explosiveness.”

With Milan already making it clear that they mean business, it’s up to Johan Lange to make sure Villa aren’t left behind in the race to sign him.

Football Insider recently revealed that Glasgow Rangers winger Ryan Kent has changed his agent in what will be a big blow to talks over a new contract with the club, but the 54-time Scottish champions simply can’t afford to lose their midfield dynamo.

What’s the word?

Former Rangers manager Alex McLeish believes his decision to switch agents could lead to a departure in the not too distant future.

The one-time Liverpool player has been on Leeds United’s radar for several months as Marcelo Bielsa is looking to bolster his firepower.

Both Ezgjan Alioski and Jack Harrison have been in fine form in recent weeks, whilst Raphinha has emerged as a real talent after his arrival at Elland Road in the summer, but it’s believed that Bielsa is still looking to bring in other options.

When asked about the 24-year-old changing agents, McLeish told Ibrox News:  “Well, I think there will be alarm bells ringing there after that news.

“However, at the moment you don’t see any disruption in his game. He’s playing at a fantastic level and he just has to keep showing what he can do. Listen, we’ve said many times that there comes a time when you can’t stop the sale of a certain player. I couldn’t do it back in the day when Lorenzo Amoruso went to Blackburn, it was money the club needed at the time and you have to do what the money guys tell you to.”

But from Steven Gerrard’s perspective, Kent is definitely one of his first-team regular starters he must keep at all costs.

Keep him at all costs!

Despite his age, it goes without saying that the winger is an integral part of Gerrard’s side. Admittedly, the Gers have scored 64 goals in 24 games, but Kent has contributed thirteen times in total.

Whilst this may not seem like a lot, when you consider the fact that he has contributed more assists than any other outfield player besides Ianis Hagi in all competitions so far this season, his impact cannot be ignored.

Apart from Kent, Brandon Barker, Jordan Jones and Glenn Middleton are the only out-and-out wide options on the left wing, but there the similarities end.

Simply put, the Oldham-born diamond in the rough is a class above his closest rivals, whilst Jones is currently suspended after being handed a seven-match ban by the SFA for breaking coronavirus protocols.

It was only last week that Tam McManus insisted he is the best player in Scotland. He told PLZ Soccer, as quoted by Glasgow Live: “I think he’s the best player in Scotland, I think he’s, without doubt, the best player in Scotland, at the minute.”

If for whatever reason Kent does leave the club, Gerrard would find it incredibly hard to find a player to replace him in the starting line-up who operates at a similar level.

AND in other news, Steven Gerrard may regret his decision to axe Jermain Defoe from the Europa League squad…

Marlon Harewood has exclusively told Football FanCast that Aston Villa midfielder Ross Barkley would have been a “very good” signing for his former side West Ham United this summer.

Barkley joined the Villans on a season-long loan from Chelsea in a deal boss Dean Smith believed represented “a real coup” for the Birmingham-based outfit, who staved off the threat of relegation to remain a Premier League side on the final day of last season.

The 26-year-old had featured three times for Chelsea this term prior to leaving Stamford Bridge, but has gone on to be a regular for Aston Villa with six starts from six top-flight fixtures while providing a goal and an assist.

Smith is expected to be without Barkley for Aston Villa’s trip to West Ham on Monday night after the 2018/19 Europa League winner sustained a hamstring injury in the first minute of last Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion.

The blow will prevent Barkley from displaying his talents front and centre under David Moyes’ watch, who has held a long-standing interest in reuniting with the 33-cap England international he previously worked with at Everton.

Moyes failed to land Barkley’s services this summer before the midfielder joined Aston Villa, with West Ham said to have rejected the potential of a swap deal involving the Chelsea talent and Declan Rice.

Harewood firmly believes the Hammers would have acquired an ideal option in Barkley had a deal been struck with Chelsea, as the £19.35m-rated star is perfect for what the east London outfit hope to achieve.

“He would have been a good player for West Ham to sign,” Harewood told Football FanCast. “I don’t know how close they were, [or] what the situation was there, but he would have been a very, very good player for West Ham to go forward in what they want to achieve.”

Barkley has certainly enjoyed his start to life with Aston Villa having played every minute of top-flight football on offer before limping off early on at home to Brighton last weekend, while providing a hand in two goals.

Only Jack Grealish (22) has played more key balls (17) than Barkley in the Premier League among the Villans’ first-team thus far this season, too, while ranking third behind Grealish (161) and Matt Target (93) for accurate passes in the final third (80), per SofaScore.

Barkley’s efforts would be enough for the 26-year-old to rank second to Aaron Cresswell among all West Ham players for key balls (18) and third to Cresswell (91) and Rice (85) for accurate final-third passes.

Only Arthur Masuaku (21) and Michail Antonio (13) have registered a higher number of successful dribbles (12), as well, while Antonio (9) is the sole man to better Barkley for shots on target (6).

So, going by his numbers at Villa Park, Barkley would certainly have made a useful addition to Moyes’ squad this summer.

AND in other news, David Moyes would not be getting his next Tomas Soucek in a £16m West Ham target likened to David Luiz.