All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Liverpool could find their perfect heir to Gini Wijnaldum in the shape of Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn.

What’s the story?

According to the Sunday Post (as reported by the Daily Record), the Reds are keen on signing the 26-year-old after another impressive season at Villa Park.

The report claims that Dean Smith’s men would only consider bids of at least £20 million and that relatively low figure could tempt Liverpool into making a move this summer.

Edwards must swoop

Wijnaldum’s decision to depart the Anfield outfit and join French giants Paris Saint-Germain has left Jurgen Klopp desperately searching for an adequate replacement.

The likes of Saul Niguez, Florian Neuhaus and Nicolo Barella have all been linked with a move to Merseyside in recent weeks, and now a new candidate has emerged in McGinn.

While the Scotland international may not carry as much intrigue or excitement as the aforementioned stars, the former Hibernian workhorse would certainly be a valuable addition to Liverpool’s ranks.

Since arriving at Villa for just £2.5m back in 2018, McGinn has helped Dean Smith’s men win promotion back to the Premier League before helping them to an 11th placed finish last term.

He’s now thriving on the international scene as well, playing a pivotal part as Scotland held England to a draw at Wembley Stadium in Euro 2020.

McGinn’s performances with his national side have earned praise from several plaudits, including assistant manager Steven Reid, who lauded his “unbelievable character” on the eve of the tournament.

With money expected to be tight at Liverpool – and most clubs across the continent – over the coming months due to the pandemic, picking up a bargain may be more important than ever this summer.

Klopp has already added Ibrahima Konate to his ranks via a £34m deal, and the German tactician is believed to be targeting at least one attacker as well as a central midfielder.

Consequently, director of football Michael Edwards must swoop for McGinn. At just £20m, Liverpool are unlikely to find a better value for money deal, and if he performs like he has done for both club and country, the Villa ace could help The Reds regain their Premier League crown next season.

And, in other news…Edwards could find LFC’s new Salah with swoop for 17-goal gem who has lit up the EUROs 

Plenty of Crystal Palace fans have been reacting to David Ornstein’s Wednesday morning Twitter post regarding Eberechi Eze.

Eze suffered a freak injury during training earlier this month and will be sidelined for at least six months as a result.

The 22-year-old, who has been capped eight times by England at Under-21 level, made his mark at Selhurst Park in his first season, scoring four times and registering six assists.

It seems as if his displays under Roy Hodgson also caught the eye of Gareth Southgate ahead of this summer’s European Championships.

According to Ornstein, Eze turned on his phone following the training session in which his injury occurred to find a message from the FA saying he was under consideration for England’s Euro 2020 squad.

Southgate named a provisional 33-man squad on Tuesday afternoon, and it seems as if Eze would have had a chance of making that if it wasn’t for his injury.

Palace fans react

This is what these Palace supporters had to say in reply to Ornstein’s post, with one describing it as ‘heartbreaking’.

“Please make this stop”Credit: @jwgribbin_”Oh my god I’m in tears”Credit: @emmabethwright”this is just so unbelievably harsh. like he was never gonna be in the final 26 man squad but just to tell him you might and then to get injured must be heartbreaking”Credit: @owenw_14″I want to cry”Credit: @Mclack119″Crying rn”Credit: @PalaceMattt”Oh man, that can’t have been easy to take for Eze”Credit: @Pets93

In other news: Many CPFC fans react to the latest on Wilfried Zaha, find out more here. 

Carlo Ancelotti’s departure came very swiftly and was a huge shock to many people but fringe players at Goodison Park, such as Alex Iwobi, will be very happy to see that back of the Italian manager, according to Dean Windass.

Iwobi was signed for a huge and surprising £35 million fee from Arsenal in 2019 despite having a record of 15 goals in 149 appearances for the Gunners and despite having a fresh start at Goodison Park, the Nigerian international’s fate has been the same at Everton with just four goals in 65 appearances.

Several first-team players such as Cenk Tosun, Iwobi and Tom Davies will be eager to prove themselves to whoever their new manager will be, with many reports suggesting that it could be Nuno Espirito Santo or Paulo Fonseca.

When a new manager comes in everyone is back to square one, there are no favourites or guaranteed starters which is something that could help Iwobi kickstart his Everton career, according to Windass when he spoke exclusively to Football FanCast:

“Iwobi struggled having arrived with a massive price tag of about £35 million and obviously it didn’t work out for him under Ancelotti.

“‘He’ll be delighted he’s gone, I think because that’s what players are like and I’ve been there and worn the T-shirt when managers have gone who didn’t really fancy you.”

There were high expectations at Everton ahead of last season with Ancelotti at the helm and having brought in what appeared to be great signings with the likes of James Rodriguez, Allan and Ben Godfrey but they ended up finishing in a very poor 10th.

Whoever is appointed Everton’s next manager must be backed financially but in the right way and not waste money on players as they have done in the past but they must also be given time to deliver a long term project as no manager since David Moyes left has been able to do so.

A journalist has shared some promising insight on arbitration from the Newcastle United takeover consortium.

The Lowdown: Newcastle know arbitration date

A date has now been set for the pending arbitration hearing between the North East club and the Premier League over the failed deal between Mike Ashley and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium.

The case has been set for July on an expedited basis, with the EPL being granted an extension to respond to the St. James’ Park faithful’s separate anti-competition lawsuit that has been launched against them.

The Latest: Journalist shares consortium insight

Writing in his latest piece for The Independent, Tony Evans has shared that the KSA’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) remain keen on investing in the Tyneside club, and that those around the consortium have insisted that the deal will eventually be completed.

They are confident that the arbitration process will result in the potential takeover being given the green light.

The Verdict: Confidence is promising

The confidence that the proposed bid will eventually go through is certainly promising for members of the Toon Army, but there is still a lot of work that needs to be done first of all.

There is an uncertainty over how long the arbitration hearing will take, and whether the separate anti-competition case will follow straight after or whether a decision on the takeover would be taken without that in consideration.

Steve Bruce’s team will be going into the summer transfer window not really knowing what calibre of player to buy, as there is a chance that the takeover could be revived after it ends.

Nonetheless, it will no doubt be interesting to see whether the confidence of the consortium translates into the results of the arbitration case.

In other news, find out whose display was slammed versus Sheffield United here!

Rangers were heavily linked with a move f0r Peterborough United winger Siriki Dembele in January and after the Posh’s director of football Barry Fry’s recent admission on the 24-year-old, Ross Wilson and Steven Gerrard should definitely reignite their interest in him and try and bring him to Ibrox this summer.

Rangers were among a number of clubs linked with the former Grimsby Town man in January but he ended up staying with the Posh and helped them to earn promotion back to the English Championship.

In 42 league appearances for Darren Ferguson’s side, the winger contributed 11 goals and 10 assists, averaging a superb 7.32 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

This ranked him as the second-best player in Peterborough’s squad behind fellow Rangers target Jonson Clarke-Harris, so it is clear just how important he was to their promotion.

Whilst the Cambridgeshire outfit will have been desperate to keep hold of him ahead of next season’s Championship campaign, it seems increasingly likely that the “outstanding” winger will depart, especially after Fry’s recent comments.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-rangers-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read the latest Rangers transfer rumours and news!”]

The 76-year-old told This Is Futbol: “He’s got a year left on his contract and we’ve made him what we consider to be a lucrative offer but there has been a lot of interest in him, and I don’t think he’ll sign a new contract with us.

“The club’s policy is if you’re in the last year of your contract, and the club offers a contract and you refuse it, we put you on the transfer list. We’ve had bids worth millions for Dembele and rejected them.”

Therefore it looks as if Dembele is keen to leave Peterborough United in the near future and Rangers could be the beneficiaries, should Wilson and Gerrard feel he is worth bringing to Ibrox this summer.

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776″]

His performances in 2020/21 certainly suggest that he would be a worthwhile addition to Gerrard’s squad ahead of next season and this latest update means he could come relatively cheap, so Wilson should definitely consider going back in for Dembele this summer.

In other news… Wilson should seal Rangers swoop for “brilliant” 21 y/o who will “only get better”

Former Tottenham Hotspur star Graham Roberts has hit out at the reporting surrounding Harry Kane’s future, insisting that it is just “winding supporters up”, in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast.

There have been numerous reports suggesting that Kane could leave the club this summer.

The Athletic have reported that he will push for a move if Spurs fail to qualify for the Champions League, while Sky Sports have repeatedly discussed his need to move away if he wants to win trophies. It is regularly discussed after matches, with the 3-1 loss to Manchester United being followed by a discussion between pundits over whether they believe Kane should leave.

And Roberts is growing tired of the media’s fixation on his future, insisting that there is nothing to say that he won’t stay at the club ahead of the summer.

Indeed, he cited the example of Alan Shearer, who moved to Newcastle United from Blackburn Rovers and became a club legend, despite failing to win any silverware at all.

If Kane stays, he also has a real chance of breaking Jimmy Greaves’ all-time scoring record of 266 goals. Kane currently has 217.

Speaking to FFC, Roberts said: “So all these people coming on, I keep hearing in games and from Mickey Mouse reporters, ‘Harry Kane, oh, you know, he’ll have to leave now’.

“Well why does he have to leave? Harry Kane is Tottenham.

“If we don’t win anything this year, we go again next year. Harry’s got a chance of breaking Jimmy Greaves’ record.

“Alan Shearer went to Newcastle, broke all records, but he never won anything there. But that was his loyal club.”

And Roberts has also taken a swipe at some of Sky Sports’ pundits, insisting that they just want to be in the headlines themselves.

He added: “You’ve got Gary Neville, you’ve got Jamie Carragher, you’ve got Paul Merson and all them on Sky and things like that. They’re just winding the supporters up, it’s just media attention for themselves.”

Some Liverpool fans have been talking up the idea of the Reds signing midfielder Florian Neuhaus, following a key update from Bundesliga journalist Christian Falk.

The Reds may appear to be well-stocked in midfield areas at the moment, but that could quickly change in the coming months.

Gini Wijnaldum looks increasingly likely to join Barcelona in the summer, following five seasons at Anfield, while speculation continues to surround Naby Keita’s future, too.

[freshpress-quiz id=“350790”]

Not only that, but Jordan Henderson, Thiago and James Milner are now all in their 30s, so fresh blood in the middle of the park could be required.

Speaking on his podcast [via Anfield Central], journalist Falk confirmed that Neuhaus is keen on a summer move to Liverpool, with Jurgen Klopp potentially interested in snapping him up.

These Reds supporters took to Twitter to provide their thoughts on a move for the 24-year-old, who has scored and assisted five goals apiece in the Bundesliga this season.

Liverpool fans love Neuhaus rumours

“Hope we sign him. He’s a great player”

Credit: @Bennet24_LFC

“Make it happen, LFC”

Credit: @ValonIsmajli10

“Let’s go”

Credit: @Pharooq_Alee

“€40m for someone like Neuhaus is a bargain”

Credit: @LFCTanmay

“BRING HIM INNNNN”

Credit: @TheOrigin_96

“Get this beautiful man in ASAP”

Credit: @JeppoDJ9

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been left fuming after a rumour involving two players emerged. Read more here.

Celtic’s search for a new manager has been the definition of a circus. The Bhoys have been on the hunt for a considerable period of time now but are constantly dealt with setbacks.

Eddie Howe has been the overwhelming favourite but, as time goes on, it feels less likely that he’ll arrive at Parkhead.

What’s the word?

Celtic were in advanced talks with Howe last week but a number of complications have since put a move in doubt. It’s understood that the 43-year-old isn’t keen on returning to management until the summer, while backroom issues are also running large.

The Hoops were on the verge of appointing Fergal Harkin as their new director of football but Howe wants Richard Hughes, his former companion at Bournemouth, to be given the role instead.

However, in a major twist to the tale, the 43-year-old could miss out on the job because Hughes doesn’t want to move to Celtic.

Those are the words of Frank McAvennie, who was speaking to Football Insider this week. In an incredible reveal, he said: “From what I’m told he’s wanting a director of football and I don’t think Hughes wants to come back up here from Bournemouth.

“I know he’s from here, he’s a Celtic supporter but I don’t think he wants to bring his kids up here. That’s the problem but at the moment it doesn’t look to me like it’s going to happen.”

Strange turn of events

This is news which  is unlikely to be very well received by Celtic supporters at all. With Neil Lennon departing and swiftly being followed out of the exit door by Nick Hammond, it looked as though the Hoops were finally banishing their woes and beginning to start a new chapter.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-roy-keane-nicky-butt-jesse-marsch-scott-brown” title=”Latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

With Dominic McKay replacing Peter Lawwell as CEO this summer, there was set to be a new structure which was going to revive Celtic and make them a better-run football team and business.

The club doesn’t even have a new manager but the man thought to be the favourite for the job is already causing problems for Dermot Desmond.

The future is incredibly unclear for the Bhoys and this news could put yet another cloud over a dark and dingy campaign at Paradise.

Howe’s credentials are eye-catching, having taken Bournemouth from League Two to the Premier League, but he seems to have one major drawback – he wants Hughes with him. If the latter doesn’t want to move to Scotland, then it feels unlikely that Howe will be Celtic’s new manager.

With the search heading into yet another week, many supporters may be worried about the direction in which their club is heading.

Now more than ever, they need clarity and closure; not another uncertain set of events.

AND in other news, Celtic may sign their best striker since Larsson with move for “powerful” £45k-p/w ace…

Former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that he cannot see Newcastle United striker Callum Wilson moving to a club like West Ham in the summer.

The Hammers were reportedly interested in bringing Wilson to the London Stadium last year, but the 29-year-old ended up joining Newcastle from Bournemouth and has thrived since linking up with Steve Bruce’s squad.

With Newcastle at risk of getting relegated, though, it would not be a surprise to see a Premier League outfit such as West Ham, who are said to want a new No.9 (per ExWHUemployee), target Wilson again given his goal record this season.

Palmer, however, believes it will be a struggle to get the England international out of St. James’ Park this summer, regardless of what division the Magpies are in.

“I can’t imagine Newcastle letting him go because if they go down, he’s proven that he can score goals in that division,” Palmer told FFC when asked if he could see West Ham reviving their interest in Wilson.

“As long as he’s fit, you know, he’s had a difficult time with injuries, but he’s proven he can score in that league.”

Wilson has returned to training after struggling with a hamstring problem in a massive boost for Bruce and Newcastle.

For Sunderland’s academy, it has been a torrid few years. Stewart Donald often neglected that part of the football club and as a result, it was looking rather worse for wear at the start of the season.

The Mackems’ U23 side failed to win a single match last term, finishing rock bottom of Premier League 2.

It was unsurprising though. After all, the Black Cats have witnessed a number of their top young players walk through the exit door.

They viewed their chances of making the first-team slim as the academy continued to be forgotten about.

Sam Greenwood was one of the first to leave before the likes of Josh Maja, Logan Pye, Joe Hugill, Luke Hewitson, Bali Mumba and Morten Spencer all walked through the exit door.

However, the feeling is different now. Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has made the academy one of his priorities and together with Kristjaan Speakman, they’ve handed several talented young players trials at the club.

This comes after the arrival of Morgan Feeney, Vinnie Steel and Sam Wilding last summer. It also follows on from Josh Hawkes signing from Gateshead a few months ago.

Another player who arrived in 2020 was Will Harris, a player who hasn’t really made his mark until recent weeks.

He left Burnley to come and sign for the north-east outfit, a decision that looked easy for the 20-year-old; “Being a local lad, it’s a dream come true to sign a contract with Sunderland. I’m delighted to be here, and I can’t wait to get started,” Harris revealed after signing.

Indeed, U23 boss Elliott Dickman was keen to get him on board after a successful trial period; “We’re really pleased to get this deal done,” Dickman began. “We had Will on trial before lockdown and we liked what we saw. He has attributes that should really benefit us this season and we’re looking forward to working with him.”

The attributes Dickman speaks of are presumably his ability to find the net. Harris hasn’t always started this term but he did so against Crystal Palace U23s on Monday.

He managed to repay the manager too, scoring two goals which won Sunderland the game late on. The academy side were 1-0 down approaching the final minutes of the match. However, Harris found a little pocket of space on the edge of the area before firing a low strike beyond the ‘keeper to equalise in the 89th minute.

The young striker clearly had his tail up as he then scored again in the fourth minute of added time to make it 2-1. Harris found some space just inside the area this time before turning and finding the net.

It was a performance and show of attitude that will have left not only Dickman delighted but also Lee Johnson.

He hasn’t been afraid to hand young players an opportunity this season with Ollie Younger, Dan Neil and Jack Diamond all earning opportunities.

Though, it should be Diamond who is now looking over his shoulder. He burst onto the scene in eye-catching fashion towards the back end of 2020 but hasn’t received many starts of late.

He did play against Accrington but was hauled off at half time after completing just three passes. Clearly, the forward has some maturing to do before he’s fully unleashed.

Harris, however, may just be able to put some pressure on him.

AND in other news, £6k-p/w SAFC flop has been “hiding” since he joined, his value has plummeted by 75%…