All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

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!

According to a report from The Scotsman, Wolves are among the clubs interested in signing Tottenham Hotspur defender Cameron Carter-Vickers in the summer. 

The lowdown: Big hit up north

The 24-year-old has spent the season on loan at Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic and has suitably impressed in Scotland, ranking as Celtic’s fifth best player with four Man of the Match performances this season, per Whoscored.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/all-the-latest-from-wolves/” title=”All the latest from Wolves!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Having shone north of the border, the Glasgow giants are hoping to land the USA international on a permanent basis by triggering a reported £6million option to buy at the end of the season.

However, as per the latest report, Celtic may face a battle to keep the talismanic defender as Wolves and others watch on…

The latest: Three teams join Celtic in race

The Scotsman claims that the Scott Sellars and co, along with Burnley and Leicester City, are all ‘weighing up’ whether or not to make a summer swoop for Carter-Vickers.

The report states that the eight-cap ace – who is likely to be part of Gregg Berhalter’s World Cup squad at Qatar – is ‘enjoying life’ and cites the possibility of a permanent stay at Celtic despite interest from Molineux.

Furthermore, with the possibility of guaranteed UEFA Champions League football on the horizon, Celtic are said to be putting together a ‘substantial package’ in order to convince the man contracted to Spurs to return next season.

The verdict: a bargain buy

Albeit a potentially difficult deal to pull off given the purchase agreement already in place, adding Carter-Vickers to Bruno Lage’s squad for anything close to the mooted £6million fee would be a superb piece of business.

The Southend-born star has earned invaluable experience this season, making 39 appearances overall – including five Europa League outings, scoring the winner in last weekend’s Old Firm.

As Wolves potentially prepare for life in European competition next season, singing the likes of the man once hailed as ‘immense’ by Chris Sutton would be a worthwhile move, especially given his price tag would relieve any pressure to become an immediate sure-fire starter, adding depth in a position Lage desperately needs it.

In other news, Wolves eyeing move for dazzling Premier League star. Read more here.

Tottenham Hotspur are seeking to finalise a move for winger Adama Traore, with the completion of the deal dependent on Wolves’ decision regarding the structure of the transfer fee, according to reports by football.london’s Alasdair Gold.

The Lowdown: Traore not a regular starter

Despite having featured in 19 Premier League games this season, only 10 of these saw Traore in the starting XI, with the majority coming at the beginning of the campaign.

The Spain international has never been known for his clinical nature in the final third, yet it seems that his end product is proving to be even more of an issue this season than before. The 25-year-old has scored just once in the league this term, breaking his duck on Saturday against Southampton, and more shockingly has failed to produce a single assist from a playmaking position on the wing.

As a result, Bruno Lage seems to prefer other options on the right-hand side, opting to utilise Traore’s lightning speed in the final 20 minutes to run tired defenders ragged in search of a late goal.

The Latest: Spurs want to make Traore deal happen

According to Gold for football.london, Spurs remain keen on the signing of Traore during the January window. However, the move ‘all depends on’ whether Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici can come to an agreement with Wolves over the structure of the fee.

Tottenham would prefer a loan deal with an obligation to buy, as this would free up funds which could be used to pursue additional signings in the current window. However, Wolves were resistant to that idea last summer, as they preferred a deal where they would receive the transfer fee sooner rather than later.

The Verdict: Circumstances may make the deal more accessible

Despite the summer’s outcome, it remains to be seen whether Wolves’ stance has softened. Given that Traore is not a regular starter under Lage, and with his contract set to expire in 18 months’ time, it begs the question whether the Midlands club will choose to cash in whilst his value is high.

With Antonio Conte looking for a new right wing-back, Spurs could ramp up their pursuit of the Spaniard, with the hope that the former Inter boss may be able to spark Traore’s previous ‘unplayable’ Premier League form, as Jurgen Klopp called it.

We’re now into the final two weeks of the transfer window, so the clock is ticking if Tottenham want to secure the 25-year-old’s services this month.

In other news: Paratici now incredibly keen to sign ‘formidable talent’ for Spurs; Pochettino called him ‘wonderful’

Celtic have been handed a major boost regarding Josip Juranovic’s return from injury.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by the Daily Record, Ange Postecoglou revealed that the right-back could once again be available for selection for the fixture against St Johnstone this weekend, as the 26-year-old is in the tail end of his recovery from a hamstring injury.

Speaking about the current condition of the defender, the 56-year-old said: “Juranovic did his hamstring so didn’t go away [on international duty]. He’s been doing rehab here. It’s the tail end so we’re looking at [this] weekend for him.”

Postecoglou will be buzzing

While Anthony Ralston has performed incredibly impressively while filling in at right-back during Juranovic’s absence – with the 22-year-old averaging a rather extraordinary SofaScore match rating of 7.76 over his seven league appearances – it is nevertheless certain that considering the Croatia international was one of Celtic’s most exciting summer signings, Postecoglou will be buzzing about the defender’s return.

Indeed, over his four Scottish Premiership appearances prior to picking up his injury, the £2.25m-rated man had helped his side keep one clean sheet, as well as making an average of 0.5 key passes, one interception, two tackles and winning 3.3 duels per game.

These metrics have seen the player who Bhoys Analytics dubbed a “creative monster” average a SofaScore match rating of 7.00 in the top flight of Scottish football, while the 26-year-old also impressed in his one appearance in the Europa League, getting himself on the scoresheet and earning a SofaScore match rating of 7.00 against Real Betis.

As such, the news that the defender is nearing a return to first-team action will undoubtedly come as a major boost for Postecoglou and his side, although, the fact Juranovic does not look likely to feature in the Bhoys’ crunch match with Ferencvarosi TC on Tuesday afternoon may be slightly disappointing for the 56-year-old.

In other news: £3.8m out of pocket: Celtic had a nightmare in “magnificent” £12k-p/w dynamo’s sale

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%…

Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho has called for the support of the club’s hierarchy to help reunite the Spurs dressing room.

Following a humiliating 3-0 defeat against Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League last Thursday, Tottenham quickly returned to winning ways at the weekend, seeing off Aston Villa 2-0 on Sunday evening.

However, speaking to Sky Sports (via Evening Standard) after the victory, the 58-year-old discussed the current state of his dressing room, something which club captain Hugo Lloris had suggested was divided in a candid post-match interview following the loss in Zagreb.

Regarding the atmosphere in his dressing room, Mourinho said: “Football nowadays is not easy in relation to that. The selfishness is around, the individual interests are around, the agents are around, the connections between agents and press are around.

“And instead of developing a feeling of a team, empathy, ‘I do for you, you do for me’, ‘I win if I play 90 minutes, I win if I am in the stands’. This is something that you need time to develop in a group. I want to be proud of my players, it does not matter the result. I was not proud last Thursday or at the Emirates.

“For me, more than thinking about what position we are going to finish, whether we are going to win the [Carabao Cup] Final, is to try to develop this spirit that we need. But I cannot do it alone. I have to do it with my club. I have to do it with my players in the dressing room.”

Transfer Tavern Take

Considering just how much Mourinho has blamed the players at his disposal for Tottenham’s poor results so far this season, questioning their attitude, their self-confidence as well as simply throwing them under the bus on a number of occasions, it is not overly surprising to learn that the dressing room is divided.

Yes, the Spurs players may not be fulfilling their potential this season, but the dressing room atmosphere is very much part of the manager’s remit.

As such, if players are indeed doubting their abilities as footballers, their manager coming out and slating them to the press after every loss, as well as dubbing a number of them as selfish, is hardly going to inspire them to improve performances and should also raise questions with ENIC as to whether Mourinho is the man they should be awarding with more time at the club.

In other news: Tottenham have identified a potentially ‘perfect’ heir to Mourinho – find out more here!

Leeds United reporter Conor McGilligan was left shocked by Junior Firpo’s yellow card record this season as the Whites close in on unwanted Premier League history.

The Lowdown: Two away

Jesse Marsch’s side are in a real relegation battle heading into the final five games of the season. They picked up what could prove to be a valuable point away to Crystal Palace on Monday evening, leaving them five points clear of Everton and three clear of Burnley.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-42/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Dan James and Diego Llorente both received yellow cards at Selhurst Park in the 0-0 draw, taking Leeds’ total in the Premier League this season to 93.

As per LUFCDATA, the Whites are now just two away from setting a new Premier League record for the most bookings by a club in a single season, which is currently held by Sunderland (94) set in 2014/15.

The Latest: McGilligan reacts

LUFCDATA broke down the 92 bookings in the Leeds squad on Twitter, with Firpo, who has only just returned from injury, topping the list with nine.

Leeds Live’s McGilligan couldn’t quite believe the numbers, labelling what he’s just seen as ‘quite remarkable’. This is because, as the reporter points out, the left-back has actually only made 19 Premier League appearances, just 15 of which have been starts.

Supporters agreed, lambasting the Spaniard as a ‘terrible signing’ in response to McGilligan’s post.

The Verdict: A season to forget for Firpo and Leeds

Firpo hasn’t had the impact he would have been hoping for after joining from Barcelona in the summer, making it a season to forget on both an individual and team level.

He returned to the bench on Monday after missing four games due to injury, with Stuart Dallas keeping his place at left-back.

Only Kalvin Phillips ranks higher than the Spaniard when it comes to fouls committed per 90, as per WhoScored, while Firpo also ranks near the bottom for blocks made, suggesting his defensive aggressiveness is not paying off in the ways that actually matter.

Hopefully, Leeds will remain in the top flight over the coming weeks and Firpo can put his first year in Yorkshire behind him ahead of a more positive injury-free season in 2022/23, where we may get to see the best of the 25-year-old.

In other news: Radz and 49ers will now reward Marsch if he keeps Leeds up by moving for 29-goal forward. 

Many Arsenal fans have been left slamming the first half display of Eddie Nketiah during their FA Cup tie away at Southampton.

While Gabriel looked very shaky to say the least in the opening minutes of the game, with a quite unfortunate own goal to top it off, it was the first half performance of the 21-year-old that flattered to deceive several members of the Emirates Stadium faithful.

He was left pretty anonymous for large periods of the first half, with fans perhaps wondering whether Alexandre Lacazette would need to be brought on off of the bench to be a bigger threat for Mikel Arteta’s team going forward, given that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been left out of the squad altogether for personal reasons.

Arsenal fan reaction to Nketiah display

These Gooners slammed his first half performance on Twitter, with one AFC fan even going as far as to describe him as ‘useless’ while another claimed that the English striker ‘needs to do more’:

“Watching Eddie Nketiah play football should be a crime”

Credit: @zohino3

“Nketiah is useless”

Credit: @victorcoimbra

“Nketiah gets knocked off balance very easily at this level. Quite often he’s first to the ball but he can’t retain.”

Credit: @galway89

“I’m actually done with Nketiah, he’s actually not good”

Credit: @Forbesy15

“20 mins in and I just remembered Nketiah is on the pitch. He needs to do more to get involved and link up the play.”

Credit: @SDGoonerCap

“Nketiah never drops back and gets involved. Disappearing act once again”

Credit: @gunnerbeeks

In other news, find out which Premier League star has been linked with a move to Arsenal here!

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…

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”