All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Bruno Lage has only been the Wolves manager for a matter of weeks now but he’s already made some impressive strides in the transfer window.The Old Gold have limited finances to spend but they’ve still acquired Trincao and welcomed back Rayan Ait-Nouri.What’s the word?Wolves have a number of areas they need to strengthen heading into next season after they ended 2020/21 in an uninspiring 13th place.One player they could bring to Molineux is Fulham full-back Antonee Robinson.That’s according to The Sun’s Alan Nixon who took to social media on Sunday to suggest that the Old Gold and Manchester City were set to battle it out for his signature.He tweeted: “WOLVES. Keen on Antonee Robinson at Fulham. Along with MAN CITY. Both see him as top squad addition on left.”A further report on the same day suggested that the Midlands club would be happy to sign him providing the price tag was around £10m.Exciting signingWith the potential and attributes that Robinson has at his disposal, this would be a particularly exciting signing for Wolves.At the age of just 23, the left-back is still learning his trade and is at a stage in his career where the Old Gold can still develop him for the future.[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-wolves-transfer-news-ceballos-zinchenko-euros-felix-lage” title=”Read the latest Wolves transfer news!”]A rampant threat on the left-hand side, Robinson has the qualities to take their play to the next level on that third of the pitch.Pedro Neto has made offensive areas on the left his home since Diogo Jota departed for Liverpool and the idea of the two linking up in tandem is something to get excited about.Neto was the club’s top scorer and Player of the Season last term, and he did all without a permanent choice of left-back.Jonny and Marcal spent large parts of the campaign out injured while it took Ait-Nouri a few months to get acclimatised to English football.That said, the Frenchman put in some encouraging performances towards the back end of the campaign that clearly influenced them when determining whether to sign him permanently this summer.With his acquisition in mind, it might be a bit peculiar to consider signing another full-back.After all, Wolves signed four of them last summer with the arrivals of Marcal, Ki-Jana Hoever, Nelson Semedo and Ait-Nouri.That said, with Ruben Vinagre joining Sporting on loan, they could do with an extra body to tide them over.Robinson has the potential to get the Molineux crowd off their feet too. He is a wonderful player in possession of the ball, amassing 1.8 dribbles per game in the Premier League. For context, only Neto and Adama Traore were more successful with their take-ons last season.Despite their options on the left, this has the potential to be an eye-catching signing for the supporters. They should be enthralled by what he could bring to the Midlands.AND in other news, “Some negotiations” – Journo makes exciting Wolves transfer claim, fans surely buzzing…

Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst must avoid a major transfer mistake as no fewer than nine of his players are set to leave Ibrox for free in the summer upon the expiration of their contracts, one of these being goalkeeper Allan McGregor.

What’s the story?

The Gers have nine first-team players with contracts that are set to expire next summer, including first-choice goalkeeper Allan McGregor. Should any of these players fail to sign a contract extension before January, they will be allowed to speak to other clubs and sign a pre-contract agreement before joining for free in the summer.

The likes of McGregor, Steven Davis, Connor Goldson, Leon Balogun and Scott Arfield are all players with deals due to finish in June 2022.

It’s a major issue for the Dutch manager who will have to make a decision on the immediate futures of nine players, particularly ‘keeper McGregor who has been instrumental at Ibrox.

Rangers must keep McGregor

Despite being 39-years-old, McGregor is still one of the Scottish champions’ key players, having kept eight clean sheets in 21 appearances across all competitions this season.

Furthermore, the £13k-per-week Scotsman was instrumental in the Glasgow club’s title charge last season, keeping 16 clean sheets in 24 Premiership appearances – 67% of his games.

The goalkeeper has received plenty of praise whilst at Rangers, particularly of late when Livingstone manager David Martindale labelled McGregor as “fantastic” after the Scotsman had made a “game-changing save” against his side.

If McGregor, who was dubbed a “great servant” by Kevin Phillips, was to leave Ibrox after joining from Hull City in 2018, then 34-year-old back-up Jon McLaughlin may be given a look in, or the Gers would look to purchase a new first-choice ‘keeper. Regardless, Rangers will need to buy a new goalkeeper if the 39-year-old was to leave.

A pivotal member of van Bronckhorst’s squad, the Scottish champions should look to keep McGregor on the books for at least one more season and then seek out a suitable replacement. Losing him now, especially when he’s still so important, would unquestionably be a blunder by the club’s Dutch manager.

AND in other news, “Pretty sure”: Athletic journo drops big Rangers transfer update that’ll delight fans…

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Konrad Laimer, according to emerging reports…

What’s the word?

German outlet Sport Bild claim the 24-year-old’s performances for RB Leipzig this season have caught the eye of several Premier League teams, including the north Londoners.

It’s thought that the Austria international originally caught the eye of Spurs scouts during their two-legged Champions League clash in 2020 and he has remained on the radar ever since.

Laimer will soon enter the final 12 months of his current contract, though the Bundesliga outfit are keen to tie him down to an extension but that will not happen until the end of the season, and the player himself has left his future open to interpretation.

Bye-bye Winks

You’d imagine that a move for any new midfield option would push Harry Winks even further down the pecking order and it could even lead to his inevitable departure.

He’s currently sat behind winter signing Rodrigo Bentancur, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp under manager Antonio Conte.

Leeds United reportedly rejected the chance to sign the Englishman on loan during the January transfer window, whilst Football Insider pundit Alan Hutton has urged Winks to leave his boyhood club for the benefit of his career.

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“If he can’t get into that side, he’s got to move on,” he said.

Despite being lauded as a “reliable” option by the Italian head coach, Laimer would be a considerable upgrade and would offer better suitability to the system in north London.

Aside from his passing ability, Winks offers very little to Spurs, whether that’s defensively or in the attack.

As per FBRef, he’s averaged only 1.61 tackles and 1.43 interceptions per 90 throughout the course of his domestic league career at the Lilywhites, which is fewer than that of Laimer (4.8 tackles and interceptions per 90) during his time in Saxony.

Elsewhere, Winks is lacking in the final third, averaging only 0.73 dribbles, 0.74 penalty box entries and 4.69 pressures per 90, leading to a disappointing xG+A of 0.08.

Thus, the £91k-per-week midfielder is effectively just passing the ball sideways and backwards without really getting involved defensively or in the attack either.

By comparison, the £23.4m-rated Laimer – who bagged his fourth and fifth goals of the season at the weekend – is a world apart, averaging 0.2 xG+A, 1.05 penalty box entries, 1.4 successful dribbles and 9.94 pressures per 90 across the course of his Bundesliga career, also via FBRef.

Once as “incredibly aggressive on the ball” by his former boss Adi Hutter and compared to former Conte star N’Golo Kante, Laimer would appear to suit the Italian’s system down to a tee as he expects that sort of energy and work rate in the engine room at all times, especially when there’s just the two players.

‘Dirty work’ could be his middle name, according to Bundesliga.com, and that’s not something you’d associate with Winks, so perhaps this move could see the Spurs boss finally axe the long-serving, struggling academy graduate.

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold drops Sergio Reguilon update…

With 11 Premier League games played, Crystal Palace have found the back of the net on 15 occasions, which is more than several teams above them in the table have managed.

Nevertheless, it seems as though the south London club have their eye on securing a new attacking talent to add to their squad.

What’s the news?

According to Spanish journalist Rocio Rodriguez (via Sport Witness), Palace are interested in making a move to sign Real Madrid striker Borja Mayoral after apparently following the player since the previous summer transfer window.

As a product of Los Blancos’ youth academy, the 24-year-old has made 33 senior appearances for their first team, scoring seven goals and providing four assists in the process.

The Spaniard, who has been praised by former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane after delivering a “complete” performance in the past, is currently on a two-year loan deal with Italian club AS Roma, which is set to come to an end in the summer.

During his time with Jose Mourinho’s side, the 24-year-old, who is currently valued at £12.6m by Transfermarkt, has scored 17 goals and provided eight assists in 52 appearances across all competitions.

Despite that decent return, his meagre tally of three appearances for them in Serie A so far this season – all coming off the substitutes’ bench – suggests that he is not a crucial player for the Giallorossi. That could potentially allow Palace to make a move for him in the summer when his loan spell comes to an end.

Also, given how current Palace striker Christian Benteke is now 30 and that his current contract at Selhurst Park set to expire in the summer of 2023, Mayoral could well be an ideal long-term replacement for the Belgian if the Eagles can secure a permanent deal for him in the summer.

This could well be a dream transfer move for Palace boss Patrick Vieira to pull off by the time the summer window comes around given the goalscoring experience that Mayoral has accumulated at a fairly young age.

In other news: Palace dealt potential injury setback ahead of Burnley, Vieira would be gutted

An injury expert has now dropped a ‘hopeful’ Wolves claim involving Ruben Neves.

The Lowdown: Not as serious

Speaking to the media, Bruno Lage revealed that Neves’ injury setback was ‘not as serious’ as they initially expected.

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The Portugal international has been missing since March, but will now be hoping to make a swift recovery in time to play the final few games of the season.

The Latest: Dinnery reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in both medicine and data analysis, has claimed that he is still ‘hopeful’ that Neves will return in ‘early to mid-May’, despite this ‘new info’ from Lage:

“My understanding initially hasn’t changed a great deal even with this new info.

“We’re talking about an MCL here. The indication that it was a grade two.

“I was working on the premise that we could maybe see a return around early to mid-May. I am still fairly hopeful that is the case.

“It happened against Leeds. He tried to continue but he couldn’t. He then went out to Portugal for some rehab and recovery.

“The target was always going to be around game week 35. I think there is a strong possibility that he’ll play again this season somewhere around there.”

The Verdict: Big boost

The fact that Neves’ injury is not as serious as previously expected, and that he could return for the last few matches of the campaign, is certainly a big boost for the Midlands club.

He currently ranks as their fourth-best performer in the Premier League so far, scoring four goals and making two assists, while also picking up two man-of-the-match awards (WhoScored).

The 25-year-old also ranks highly among his teammates in terms of average tackles, interceptions, shots, passes, long and through balls per game (WhoScored), and will clearly be an important player for them if they are to finish the season strongly, and potentially challenge for a European place.

In other news, find out which ‘electric’ star the Wanderers now ‘want’ to sign here!

Everton are reportedly closing in on the signing of Juventus midfielder Aaron Ramsey as new manager Rafael Benitez begins to make his mark on the first-team squad.

What’s the story?

The Toffees are one of a number of Premier League sides who have been linked with a move for the 30-year-old in recent weeks, with Crystal Palace and Newcastle United also credited with an interest.

However, it appears as though Everton have moved ahead of their domestic rivals in the race for Ramsey’s signature, with Italian outlet Calciomercato claiming he is “increasingly likely” to sign for the Goodison Park outfit.

The report also states that doors will “reopen” for the Wales international in January after he turned down several opportunities to leave Turin over the summer as the Blues prepare to “welcome” the creative talent to the club.

Everton fans will be buzzing

News that Ramsey could soon be joining Benitez’s revolution on Merseyside will surely have large sections of the club’s supporters buzzing with excitement.

His current contract doesn’t expire until the summer of 2023, but rumours suggest the Italian giants are eager to get his £187,000-per-week wages off their books over the winter window after falling down the pecking order under Massimiliano Allegri.

In a recent interview, Ramsey expressed his displeasure at how Juve staff have managed him regarding his persistent injury issues, claiming the national team setup knows how to get the best out of him.

“Philosophy and training methods are different in Juve compared to those carried out with the Wales national team,” said Ramsey.

“In the national team, there are people who have been used to managing me for years and who know how to bring out the best in me, helping me to play many consecutive matches, as I was able to demonstrate at Euro 2020.

“I feel good when I am managed correctly and when I have the opportunity to play regularly,” Ramsey concluded, leaving Juventus’ hierarchy reportedly open to his exit.

During his career, the former Arsenal ace has secured three FA Cups, one Serie A title and one Italian Cup, illustrating the quality that he would bring to Everton, and he could be an ideal replacement for the departed James Rodriguez.

With his potential successor already in the pipeline after just a matter of weeks, supporters will surely be thrilled. He is a proven Premier League talent who has thrived on the continental and international stages.

And, in other news…Signed for £1.7m, now worth £13.5m: Brands struck gold for Everton with £57k-p/w beast 

Aston Villa confirmed on Thursday lunchtime that they have sold out tickets for their first two home fixtures.

And, as to be expected, their update had a lot of Villa fans talking on social media.

Dean Smith’s side return to Villa Park on Saturday, looking to bounce back from an opening weekend defeat to Watford.

They’ll be taking on Newcastle United, who also lost their first league fixture of the new campaign.

Villa are again at home the following weekend against newly-promoted Brentford, and home tickets for the two Premier League fixtures have sold out.

It’ll be the first time Villa Park has been full since February 2020, with the club’s last packed-out home game before the pandemic coming against Tottenham.

Villa fans react

The club shared the news regarding back-to-back sell outs on their official Twitter page.

This is what these Villa supporters had to say in reply, with one labelling it as ‘awesome’.

“We are MASSIVE”Credit: @davidmooney26″wow heroes”Credit: @AVFCHarry_”Wow my club doing bits!”Credit: @Raheil_m94″Awesome!”Credit: @footballlover63″FULL HOUSE VILLA PARK!!! INJECT THAT INTO MY SOUL”Credit: @LilleyCashAVFC”Best fans ever”Credit: @Lol061220

In other news: ‘Bad move’, ‘Nooo’ – Many AVFC fans fume as ’embarrassing’ news is confirmed. 

Aston Villa midfielder Conor Hourihane believes his career at the club ‘is over’ and is looking at his next move, as per journalist Nathan Hemmingham.

The Lowdown: Hourihane’s 2021

The Irishman, who was called ‘excellent’ by Steve Cooper earlier this year, has spent the majority of 2021 out on loan.

Hourihane joined Cooper’s Swansea City side in the January transfer window and almost helped them earn promotion to the Premier League, making 22 league appearances in south Wales as they reached the Championship play-off final.

The 30-year-old returned to the Midlands over the summer and made one appearance in the Carabao Cup before joining Sheffield United on a temporary basis. He has lined out 11 times for the Blades so far, with his Villa contract expiring in the summer of 2022.

The Latest: Villa Park career over

Yorkshire Live reporter Hemmingham posted a link to an interview with Hourihane on Twitter on Friday afternoon, with the midfielder apparently believing that his Villa Park career ‘is over’.

The Republic of Ireland midfielder now thought to be eyeing a permanent move to Bramall Lane, with Paul Heckingbottom now the man in charge.

The journalist tweeted: “Conor Hourihane says he has resigned himself to the fact his Villa career is over and is now playing for his future elsewhere, having worked with PH before, he would love to earn a permanent deal here next season”.

The Verdict: All good things must come to an end…

Hourihane has been a terrific servant to Villa after joining from Barnsley back in 2017, making 151 appearances in claret and blue. However, a permanent exit is now inevitable with his contract up at the end of the season and his limited Villa game-time since they returned to the Premier League

The midfielder made 46 appearances in Villa’s promotion-winning campaign of 2018/19, and while he has probably played for the club for the last time, his contribution in getting them back into the top flight should not be forgotten. Alas, all good things must come to an end.

In other news: Gerrard offered ‘aggressive’ versatile beast in Jan; Villa yet to dismiss idea. 

Celtic have been dealt a huge injury blow ahead of their upcoming Premiership clash.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by Football Scotland, Ange Postecoglou revealed that Anthony Ralston looks set to spend a significant amount of time on the sidelines after picking up an ankle injury in the 1-0 win over Hearts on Thursday.

Speaking about the condition of the right-back, the 56-year-old said: “We will get a round-up from the medical people. Tony felt something in his ankle which is disappointing because he’s been outstanding for us.”

In further comments cited by 67hailhail, Postecoglou continued: “Tony’s probably the one that’s most concerning certainly because for him to come off I’d assume it’s something significant.”

Postecoglou will be gutted

Considering just how crucial a player Ralston has been for Celtic so far this season, the news that he could be ruled out for a substantial amount of time, including Sunday’s fixture against Dundee United, is sure to have left Postecoglou gutted.

Indeed, over his 13 Premiership appearances, the £270k-rated defender has been in exceptional form, helping his side to keep five clean sheets, scoring three goals, registering five assists and creating a whopping nine big chances, as well as averaging 1.8 key passes and 2.1 tackles and winning 7.1 duels per game.

These returns have seen the 23-year-old average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.72, not only ranking him as Celtic’s second-best performer in the league from those who remain in the Hoops’ first-team squad, but also as the third-best player in the entire Premiership.

As such, the absence of the Scotland international will undoubtedly come as a huge blow to Postecoglou and his side, who will be looking to continue their impressive run of recent league form with yet another victory against Dundee United on Sunday.

In other news – 117 touches: Celtic “colossus” who made 95 passes proved Ange right vs Hearts

Tottenham Hotspur are now reportedly targeting a move to sign Noni Madueke before the summer transfer window ends.

The Lowdown: Ex-Lilywhite

Madueke was an Academy player at Spurs, and featured for them in the U18 Premier League back in the 2016/17 season (Transfermarkt).

He left north London to join PSV’s youth system in 2018, and has since worked his way up into their first team.

The Latest: Spurs return

As per The Evening Standard, the Lilywhites are now targeting a potential move to sign Madueke back, while Mikkel Damsgaard is also a target.

It is said that they would like to add another creative player to their squad, and so have turned their attentions towards Madueke.

The Verdict: Must sign

Bringing Madueke back to THFC is a no brainer given just how much he has kicked on since leaving.

The England U21 international scored nine goals and made a further eight assists in 32 games in total over all competitions in the 2020/21 term, which is very impressive considering that he often operated on the wing (Transfermarkt).

Described as a ‘very explosive’ player by former PSV midfielder Tommie van de Leegte, the possibility of having both Madueke and Son Heung-Min on opposite flanks is a truly frightening concept for Nuno Espirito Santo’s team.

Nonetheless, at just 19 years of age, he still has so much potential, as former England youth manager Aidy Boothroyd compared his rise to that of Phil Foden back in March and current PSV boss Roger Schmidt hailed him as a ‘special’ talent who can become one of the world’s best.

This looks like a no brainer for Spurs.

In other news, find out which international star Tottenham have now made an offer for here!