All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

If you thought Celtic were in trouble then think again. The Hoops lost their first league match of the new campaign last weekend but bounced back in devastating fashion by securing a whopping 6-0 win at Parkhead on Sunday afternoon.

The Bhoys were at their free-flowing best with Ange Postecoglou’s side playing their opponents off the park with some of the best football we’ve seen at Paradise since the reign of Brendan Rodgers.

There was no Odsonne Edouard and there was no James Forrest either but that didn’t seem to matter as Japan international Kyogo Furuhashi put in a ruthless performance against Dundee.

Celtic’s new star man helped himself to a brilliant hat-trick, nearly shunting Edouard out the door before he’s even agreed to leave.

There were significant concerns about the Bhoys’ side without their bullish Frenchman but Furuhashi has shown in the space of one afternoon why they might be better off without him.

He ran rampant this afternoon but he couldn’t have done it without the rejuvenated Ryan Christie.

At the beginning of the summer, it looked as though the Scot was heading for the exit door. His contract is due to expire in January but under Postecoglou, he looks a man reborn.

He was devastating against Midtjylland a few weeks ago and after scoring an excellent header versus Jablonec in midweek, showed he’s all of a sudden a crucial component to this team.

In the words of The Athletic’s Kieran Devlin, he was “astounding” this weekend and it was clear to see why.

He was given a match rating of 10/10 by SofaScore, delivering a simply sublime performance that was deserving of a new contract in Glasgow.

Christie was miles off the pace last term, scoring 13 fewer goals than he’d managed in 2019/20 and for that reason, he was hounded by supporters.

However, they were singing his name at full-time on Sunday after he delivered a creative masterclass.

The 26-year-old put in one of his best displays in a long time, providing no fewer than eight key passes, three of which led to a goal.

He nutmegged a Dundee defender in embarrassing fashion for Furuhashi’s second strike, darting down the left before putting the ball on a plate for the striker.

His assist for the forward’s third and final goal was even more eye-catching. Christie picked the ball up in the middle of the park and then played an inch-perfect reverse pass in behind the backline that was tucked away deliciously by Kyogo.

This was the Christie of old, a player who can dominate Premiership defences for fun. He completed 100% of his dribbles and also won six of his nine ground duels.

Speaking on ACSOM at full-time, Paul John Dykes helped to explain why he’s back to his best: “What he’s doing now, he’s got the work rate and there seems to be far more discipline to his play and his game,” he said.

“On that performance, that Ryan Christie, if we can get him playing consistently, he would be tough to replace,” Dykes concluded.

With those words in mind, Celtic would be foolish to let the £12k-per-week earner depart. Remarkably, their best piece of business this summer could be tying the Scot down to a new deal.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Edouard: Celtic can boost title hopes by signing “wonderful” 19-goal beast…

Leeds United could finally sign a new Ronaldo Vieira in Huesca dynamo Kelechi Nwakali.

What’s the story?

Marcelo Bielsa’s side have had a slow start to the transfer window thus far but could potentially land one of the bargains of the summer in Nwakali.

According to The Athletic, along with newly-promoted side Watford, the Whites have an interest in luring the 23-year-old to the Premier League once again, having once been on the books of Arsenal.

The report added that the £900,000-rated Nwakali has just one year left on his contract and is understood to want another chance to impress in English football.

Wins more duels than Kalvin Phillips

At the time of Vieira’s move to Sampdoria, Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani made it clear that the deal simply had to be made given the Whites’ financial situation.

He said: “He was one of best players to come from our youth but I cannot put the club in danger in the future. Unfortunately to sustain a club in this league, we need to sell one or two players each year. We’ve invested a lot and it’s not enough to break even, so we had to manage the club and look at the future, not just today.”

The former Leeds midfielder’s breakout campaign at Elland Road during the 2016/2017 season saw him establish himself as a real midfield dynamo, averaging 2.1 tackles and one interception per game in the Championship.

That defensive awareness and tenacity in the middle of the park is exactly what Nwakali would bring to the table at Elland Road, having developed into a midfield powerhouse at Huesca. As per Sofascore, he made 1.6 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game in La Liga 2 last season, as well as winning a monstrous 7.1 per match at a success rate of 60%.

To put that into context, that’s more duels won per game than Leeds and England star Kalvin Phillips, who is currently at Euro 2020 and will be facing off against Ukraine later tonight.

While Phillips will look to do the business on the pitch for the Three Lions, Leeds could do the job off it by landing Nwakali.

Meanwhile, Leeds receive major update on Marcelo Bielsa’s future…

Sunderland striker Charlie Wyke has multiple contract offers from elsewhere as he ponders his next move, as reported by the Sunderland Echo.

The Lowdown: Black Cats set for fourth consecutive League One campaign

Sunderland face an uphill rebuilding task, as they prepare to enter their fourth consecutive season in Sky Bet League One [BBC].

Though the Black Cats have not yet braved the summer transfer market, they have been linked with making a permanent swoop for Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Dion Sanderson following his loan spell at the Stadium of Light in 2020/21 [Football Insider].

However, outgoings may well prove to be their first concern moving into the new campaign – a successful clear out could lead to a more productive quest for incoming signings.

The Latest: Celtic, Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough all keen on the 28-year-old

Presently, Wyke is allegedly being courted by Scottish giants Celtic, Nottingham Forest and former club Middlesbrough [Sunderland Echo], but the report claims he could now have even more offers.

Contractually, he is free to negotiate with other clubs and will become a free agent at the end of this month unless he pens a new deal with the North East side [Transfermarkt].

The report states the 28-year-old has had an offer of a contract extension with Sunderland.

Celtic, who will participate in the Champions League qualifying stages soon, have a long-standing interest in his services dating back to April [Glasgow Live], so perhaps they will emerge as an early front runner.

The Verdict: Sunderland cannot afford to lose Wyke just yet

Without doubt, Sunderland cannot afford to lose Wyke this window. Scoring an incredible 30 goals in 53 appearances in 2020/21, his efforts were instrumental in the Wearside outfit’s promotion push [Transfermarkt], regardless of some poor moments which frustrated fans.

Not only that, Wyke’s ability to occupy opposition backlines with his physical presence has also been an important element of the Black Cats’ play, successfully winning around 4.8 aerial duels every 90 minutes across last campaign [WhoScored].

Labelled as ‘brilliant’ by assistant Sunderland coach Jamie McAllister [Chronicle], it is not hard to see that his departure would leave a huge void that needs to be filled – finding a 30-goal striker is not exactly easy.

In other news, a former Sunderland striker is now a free agent.

West Ham United remain interested in Eddie Nketiah…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who claims that the Irons are one of many teams monitoring the 22-year-old’s situation ahead of a potential summer move.

He suggests that Arsenal have offered their academy graduate a new contract but as of yet, nothing has been agreed. The Gunners are thought to have set his asking price at around £20m in the event that he does not put pen to paper.

The Hammers face competition from Premier League rivals Crystal Palace and Watford, whilst Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen are also mooted with interest.

David Moyes was said to be keen on Nketiah during the January transfer window after the club sanctioned the departure of Sebastian Haller to Ajax.

Shades of Defoe

The £18m-rated forward has found game time hard to come by since his debut in 2017, playing a total of 65 matches, in which he’s found the net 13 times, via Transfermarkt.

However, that shouldn’t detract from his ability and true potential. After all, he’s had the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette in front of him in the pecking order.

With the Irons desperate for forward additions, Nketiah could be a perfect candidate to provide Michail Antonio with genuine competition next season, especially as the young attacker has been likened to a former West Ham talisman.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-latest-west-ham-news-transfer-gossip-rumours-staff-gsb-moyes-updates-and-more” title= “Read the latest West Ham news, transfer rumours, gossip and more!”]

During an interview with Football Insider, ex-Leeds striker Noel Whelan compared him to Jermain Defoe. He said:

“He reminds me of another Jermaine Defoe and look at how well he did at West Ham. He’s very much that similar sort of player. He plays off the shoulder, very dangerous in the box. He’s a player you can’t take your eye off because his movement’s so good.”

It’s not the first time that the Gunners starlet has been likened to the Rangers veteran, with him also drawing further comparisons to Danny Welbeck, albeit at a smaller height (5 foot 11).

Nketiah’s record at youth level has been second to none, scoring 43 times for Arsenal’s U18s and U23s, as well as bagging 16 goals in just 17 caps for the England U21 squad.

Considering the £40m price tag surrounding mooted top target Tammy Abraham, a move for the 22-year-old could make far more sense this summer.

If Moyes opts to push ahead and sign Nketiah, then he could well find West Ham their next Defoe.

AND in other news, Moyes dealt another devastating Irons transfer blow, fans will surely be gutted…

According to a report by Calciomercato, West Ham United are eyeing Fiorentina defensive beast Nikola Milenkovic with the player’s agent, Fali Ramdani, even offering him around.

The Lowdown: West Ham eyeing new centre-back…

As per Claret & Hugh, West Ham are prioritising the acquisition of a new centre-half this summer alongside signing Jesse Lingard on a permanent deal and landing a star forward.

A handful of defenders have been linked to the Hammers in recent days, including the likes of Takehiro Tomiyasu and Nikola Makismovic, with the list of names growing larger and larger.

The Latest: Agent offer Milenkovic…

As per Calciomercato, West Ham are also eyeing colossal 6 foot 4 powerhouse Milenkovic this summer with the club believed to be keen on a move.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-2/” title=”West Ham latest!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The player’s entourage, led by agent Ramadani, have apparently offered the 23-year-old to England where West Ham are suitors, but Milenkovic is said to prefer a move to Serie A giants Juventus.

The race is still open though with no official proposals made just yet and the Old Lady reluctant to mount a bid until they offload both Daniele Rugani and Merih Demiral.

Fiorentina are also said to be only demanding between €15 million-€20 million (£12.9m-£17.2m) for his signature this summer, a price tag which could even drop as August 31 approaches according to this report.

The Verdict: Do it GSB…

Taking into account Juve’s reluctance to swoop and Milenkovic’s fairly meagre price tag, this potential deal is an absolute no-brainer for West Ham.

If manager David Moyes is serious about signing a capable defender ahead of a massive campaign for West Ham, he arguably couldn’t do much better than the 28-cap Serbia star in terms of value.

Still young, Milenkovic was a mainstay for La Viola over 2020/2021. He started 34 Serie A matches whilst averaging the most clearances per 90 (3.6) out of any player in the squad with more than five appearances (WhoScored).

Amid this financial climate, possible bargains like this don’t come around too often, securing a young player who is already performing in a top European league with all the physical attributes required for English football.

In other news: ‘Brilliant news’, ‘I’m excited’…West Ham fans rave over official club announcement, find out more here.

West Bromwich Albion have been dealt a huge blow to their chances of bringing Okay Yokuslu back to The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Express & Star, which relayed recent comments made by the 27-year-old midfielder in which he confirmed that he would like to play his football in the Premier League as of next season.

The same outlet had reported previously that West Brom were interested in a deal to bring the Celta Vigo player to the club on a permanent basis this summer, following a highly impressive loan spell with the Baggies.

However, after their relegation to the Championship, and with Yokuslu being linked with a move to Leeds United, a deal now appears out of the question.

Speaking about his transfer situation, the midfielder said: “I have a contract with Celta Vigo for two more years. I don’t have clear information about the financial situation of the club.

“But frankly, they can put me up for transfer. I want to stay in the Premier League. I had a good season there. But we don’t know what will happen.”

Fans will be gutted

Considering just how impressive Yokuslu was for West Brom this season, the fact that the player appears to be unwilling to make a move to the Championship is sure to leave fans of the Baggies gutted.

Indeed, after arriving at the club on a loan deal back in February, the £6.75m-rated defensive midfielder went on to provide one assist and create one big chance for his teammates over his 16 Premier League appearances for Sam Allardyce’s side, as well as making an average of 2.2 interceptions, 2.4 tackles and two clearances per game.

As a result of these metrics, the £31k-per-week Turkey international earned a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.99, ranking him as West Brom’s fourth-best performer in the top flight of English football.

As such, the fact that the player whom Kyle Bartley dubbed as “tenacious” does not look set to make a return to The Hawthorns this summer is sure to come as a huge blow to a team hoping to bounce straight back to the Premier League next season – a feat which would have undoubtedly been made a great deal easier with Yoksulu in the side.

In other news: Transfer claim on “exciting” £39k-p/w gem emerges that’ll leave West Brom fans gutted

Chris Hughton is planning to offload four Nottingham Forest player this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Telegraph, who claim that Harry Arter, Fouad Bachirou, Carl Jenkinson and Gaetan Bong have all been informed that they have no futures at the City Ground.

Marinakis must sell

Nottingham Forest have had something of a campaign to forget in the Championship this season, with the Reds finishing in a lowly 17th place in the second-tier standings.

As such, Hughton has a big summer ahead of him if he is to steer the Garibaldi back towards the play-off positions next term, and shifting a number of the club’s deadwood is the perfect place to start.

Arter joined Forest in a £4.95 million deal from AFC Bournemouth last summer, with the 31-year-old being handed a three-year deal on a reported £20,000-per-week.

However, the £2.7 million-rated Republic of Ireland international made just 13 Championship appearances for the Reds this season, over which he averaged a rather disappointing Sofascore match rating of 6.79.

Bong also made the move to the City Ground in 2020, however, the left-back was a £450,000 signing in the January transfer window, with the 33-year-old being given a two-and-a-half-year deal on a reported £18,000-per-week.

The £450,000-rated defender went on to make just 10 league appearances for Hughton’s side this term, over which he too averaged a SofaScore match rating of 6.79.

Fouad Bachirou was also a recent recruit, making a £603,000 move from Malmo FF last summer when he was handed a two-year deal on a reported £18,000-per-week, with the £540,000-rated 30-year-old going on to make just one Championship appearance for the Garibaldi this season.

Finally, Jenkinson was a £1.98 million signing from Arsenal back in the summer of 2019, when the right-back was given a three-year deal on a reported £27,000-per-week, however, the £810,000-rated 29-year-old featured in just three league games for Nottingham Forest this term.

As such, considering how sparingly all four of these players were used by Hughton this season, in addition to the whopping £83,000 a week that Forest reportedly spend on the foursome, Evangelos Marinakis is right to be doing all he can to move these players on this summer, as getting them off the payroll will allow his 62-year-old manager a more significant wage budget to work with, as well as whatever money is received from their transfers, to help rebuild his squad ahead of next season.

In other news: Forest handed devastating blow over £3.6m-rated gem dubbed “one of the most talented” – opinion

Aston Villa have been handed a golden chance to sign Werder Bremen winger Milot Rashica this summer.

What’s the story?

It was claimed that, after initially wanting to stay in the Bundesliga, the Kosovan had a change of heart and was open to a move to the Premier League and to Villa, with Dean Smith’s side ready to spend big to get him.

While a deal failed to materialise before the end of the deadline, it appears that Villa are ready to go back in for the winger. According to Football Insider, the Midlands club are preparing a fresh move for the 24-year-old this summer, adding that he “is on the club’s shortlist of potential wide forward signings going into the next transfer window”.

They have been handed a potentially significant boost in the chase to sign him, with Bremen’s relegation from the Bundesliga confirmed at the weekend after their defeat to Borussia Monchengladbach.

Lange will be buzzing

Given how Johan Lange wanted to sign him last summer, news that Bremen have gone down will surely have Villa’s sporting director grinning from ear to ear over potentially doing a deal for Rashica this time around – and at a potential cut-price fee, too.

Florian Kohfeldt, Rashica’s manager at Bremen, has previously raved about the winger’s ability, saying: “He is a player who can decide Bundesliga games. You don’t find that very often. Milot has incredible skills. In speed, in goal scoring, in passing. These skills also fall on others. Rashica would fit well to England with his pace, but also with his style of play to Spain.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/villa-dean-smith-transfer-gossip-rumours-news-premier-league-buendia-berge-mcneil-trezeguet-villa-park” title=”Read the latest Villa transfer rumours and news!”]

Hailed as someone who “makes scoring look easy”, the 24-year-old Rashica can play anywhere just behind the striker as well as at centre-forward, and that kind of versatility will surely be very much appreciated by Smith.

Bremen’s relegation gives Villa the perfect chance to finally snap him up.

Meanwhile, this Villa star just sent a huge message…

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.

Liverpool’s scramble for a centre-back in January was certainly well broadcast following injuries to Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip.

Eventually, Michael Edwards managed to get two defenders through the door in the form of Ozan Kabak of Schalke 04 and Preston North End’s Ben Davies.

The two have had completely differing fortunes at Anfield; the former establishing himself in Jurgen Klopp’s starting XI but the latter having not yet been afforded even a minute of first-team action.

Meanwhile, the club could reflect on another failed transfer bid for SC Braga’s David Carmo.

According to the Portuguese club’s President António Salvador, the 21-year-old was almost a Liverpool player, apparently having “a foot and a half in Liverpool”.

Despite the youngster having sustained serious injury in the time since, the £7.65m-rated defender could certainly have been a useful addition.

[snack-amp-story url=” https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-liverpool-news%2c-transfer-rumours-and-more-asensio-vlahovic-van-dijk-alberto-pedri” title=” Read the latest Liverpool news, transfer rumours and more… “]

Even in his tender years, Carmo has already managed to accumulate plenty of experience in his home country having made 40 appearances for Braga in all competitions which includes back-to-back seasons in the UEFA Europa League.

Whilst that is not comparable to Kabak’s 89 appearances in all competitions at the same age, it could be argued that the Portuguese has outperformed his opposite number so far this campaign.

According to WhoScored, Carmo has made more interceptions and blocks per game compared to Kabak this season; 1.6 and 0.6 to 1.3 and 0.3. Meanwhile, the two players are also even on clearances.

The current Liverpool defender can only just outperform Carmo in tackles, with him edging ahead on just 1.8 compared to 1.6.

Surprisingly, Reds’ stalwart Van Dijk cannot get anywhere near those numbers, only managing to overcome the Portuguese on clearances, even during his peak of the 2019/20 campaign.

So with Liverpool having had defensive issues this season, Edwards should be regretting the failed move for Carmo, he’d have surely been a better option than Davies, who hasn’t been able to even get on the field for the Reds.

Had he been signed and given time to develop, he could have had the chance to become a Liverpool stalwart like Van Dijk, but alas, that wasn’t to be and as such, the Reds missed out on a very, very good player.

AND in more news, take a look at Liverpool fans’ thoughts on the failed European Super League…