All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Aston Villa haven’t been at their best in recent times as they continue to struggle with consistency, which has had a negative affect on their pursuit of a play-off place. 

The Villains may already have one eye on the summer transfer window after hearing recent news of Chelsea’s transfer ban, as their hopes of signing Tammy Abraham on loan again in the summer have taken a huge hit as the Blues may not want to offload any of their players due to not being able to sign anyone for two transfer windows.

So, with Abraham possibly staying at Stamford Bridge next season, perhaps Aston Villa should renew their interest in Charlie Austin, who was linked (as per Sky Sports, via Express) with a move to Villa Park last month.

Indeed, the Englishman has previous experience from playing in the Championship from his time at Burnley and Queens Park Rangers, and he even won the play-offs with QPR back in 2014. He managed to produce a whopping 47 goals in 89 appearances during his time at Loftus Road and 44 goals in 90 appearances at Turf Moor.

Sadly, he’s struggled to enjoy regular minutes in the current campaign at Southampton but he has the ability to unlock almost any defence on his day, and he’s very similar to Tammy Abraham in many ways as he loves to use his power and strength, as well as holding the ball up and using his deadly finishing ability.

What do you think Aston Villa fans?

Liverpool are ‘convinced’ that they should make a move for Benfica striker Darwin Nunez following his performance against them in the Champions League.

The Lowdown: Nunez impresses against Reds

The Reds picked up an impressive 3-1 win away to the Portuguese giants on Tuesday evening, as they made themselves strong favourites to reach the semi-finals.

Despite Liverpool’s dominance, Nunez looked a constant threat for Benfica and he pounced on an error from Ibrahima Konate to make it 2-1 on the night. The Uruguayan forward won four aerial duels and completed two key passes and four dribbles to go with his goal (Whoscored).

A big-money exit could be on the cards for the 22-year-old this summer and it looks as though Jurgen Klopp is now eyeing up a move for him.

The Latest: Transfer claim emerges

According to Record [via Sport Witness], Nunez impressed ‘those in charge and even players’ at Liverpool after his impact against them at the Estadio da Luz.

The Reds are ‘convinced’ about his ability and it is claimed that Mohamed Salah lauded the Uruguayan in a conversation with Benfica midfielder Adel Taarabt.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-27/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Does Klopp need him?

While Nunez looks like a player of immense promise – Jorge Jesus has said he could become the ‘best in the world’ one day – Liverpool don’t need him currently.

They have a plethora of attacking options and the likes of Sadio Mane, Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino can all excel in his preferred central role.

Should Nunez stay put at Benfica for another year, he could be a perfect signing at the end of next season, however, at which point one of Mane or Firmino will likely be moving on, with their contracts expiring at that point.

In other news, a triple Liverpool transfer claim has emerged. Read more here.

West Brom’s Championship woes have continued even past the sacking of Valerien Ismail, dropping points in three of the club’s last five and winning just three games since the turn of the year.

Just seven teams in the entire division have scored less than their total of 42 goals for the season – a terrible return for a club expected to bounce straight back up to the Premier League after being relegated at the end of the last season.

To make matters worse, Baggies academy graduate Tyler Roberts looks like he could remain in the top flight for another season with Leeds, after joining the club from West Brom back in 2018 for £2.5m – once again proving to them that they shouldn’t have sold him for so little.

Now worth £7.2m according to Transfermarkt, the Wales International remained part of Leeds’ plans under new manager Jesse Marsch, until he suffered an injury earlier in the month which ruled him out for the rest of the season.

He is also being tipped for a summer exit by the likes of journalist Dean Jones, who said: “You do get the feeling that his position is one of those that will be targeted in the summer to be strengthened.”

Despite that update, he could still be a valuable asset to a newly promoted Premier League team, and still has plenty of talent left to offer to his next club – which will likely not be West Brom due to their poor standing in the Championship right now.

The 23-year-old has previously been name-dropped by Spain manager Luis Enrique as one of Wales’ biggest threats, saying: “They have good, young players, like Tyler Roberts, and we know it will not be easy.”

Among midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues and continental competitions, Roberts ranks in the top 4% for pressures in the attacking third per 90 (5.75), top 1% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 (4.06) and top 6% for carries into the penalty area per 90 (0.55) – evidence that he can still compete in the top flight and be a solid option for teams in the lower half of the top-flight.

With great energy, work rate and attitude, the 19-time Wales international could have been a star at Albion, if they gave him more of a chance and a larger role within the squad – and now they are suffering the consequences while Roberts has become a Premier League level player.

In other news: Disaster: Ismael could now inflict even more misery on West Brom this summer

According to Football League World ‘sources’ out of Tottenham Hotspur, a promising transfer update has now come out of N17 involving West Bromwich Albion keeper Sam Johnstone.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye new goalkeeping addition?

Lilywhites manager Antonio Conte has transformed the club on-field since his appointment, propelling Tottenham into top-four contention and reigniting faith in supporters.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-newest-updates/” title=”Tottenham newest updates…” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Winning six out of their last seven Premier League matches, the disastrous tenure of ex-boss Nuno Espirito Santo seems like a distant memory, with sights now firmly set on how Spurs could improve further in the summer market.

Loanee and Atalanta goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini looks set return to his parent club with Tottenham now having to take to the transfer window in search of a Hugo Lloris understudy.

The Latest: Tottenham confident of sealing Johnstone deal…

According to FLW, ‘sources’ have explained that Spurs are confident of sealing a move for out-of-contract ace Johnstone.

Indeed, according to the report, Tottenham are convinced the 29-year-old will choose to join them this summer as they believe they’ve entered pole position.

The Verdict: Promising update…

As explained previously by pundit and former Premier League shot stopper Paddy Kenny, Johnstone would be a ‘top signing’ for Spurs and a ‘big loss’ for West Brom (Football Insider).

He’s already earned himself caps for England with Sam Allardyce having waxed lyrical over his performances in the top flight last campaign.

Bypassing any fee and snapping him up on a Bosman would kill so many birds with one stone – the biggest ones being their homegrown quota and lack of depth behind Lloris.

Indeed, this move really does seem like a no-brainer.

In other news: Tottenham officials sent to club as Paratici eyes ‘imperious’ ex-Man City man for Conte! Find out more here.

Former England international Danny Mills has hinted that Celtic can’t rule out the possibility of Ange Postecoglou making a move to the Premier League.

The Lowdown: Postecoglou excelling at Celtic

The Australian took charge at Parkhead last year following the end of Neil Lennon’s reign and he has become an immediate hero at the club, being described as ‘incredible’ by Fox Sports.

Postecoglou has guided Celtic to within touching distance of regaining the Premiership title, with a six-point lead opened up over Rangers currently and a direct blow landed on their arch-rivals only last week.

Furthermore, the Hoops could also win yet another Scottish Cup, with a mouthwatering semi-final against the Gers coming up on Sunday afternoon.

The Latest: Mills makes worrying Postecoglou claim

Postecoglou only signed a one-year deal last summer and a new contract hasn’t been agreed yet, with Rory Smith of the New York Times telling the BBC last week (4 April) that the Celtic boss has his admirers at Manchester City.

When asked if Premier League clubs could take an interest in the 56-year-old, Mills refused to rule out any such move, stating:

“People still accept and understand that the level of the Scottish Premiership is not that of the Premier League.

“Celtic were in a decent place. They weren’t a million miles off it, they had a good squad of players.

“Realistically it’s still only a two-team league. Rangers have dropped off a little bit, losing Steven Gerrard was a big blow for them.

“Celtic have improved a little bit, Rangers have dropped off a little bit. It appears as if it is a bigger swing than it is.

“They will want to see how he does in the Champions League first and see what his recruitment is like with another window.

“They just need to see a little bit more longevity. Because Rangers have dropped off a little bit it doesn’t tell the whole story.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/key-latest-celtic-updates/” title=”Key latest Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Would be a huge blow for Celtic

Losing Postecoglou so early in his time at Celtic would be an almighty blow, given the influence he has had at Parkhead, but it would be a big surprise if that happened.

The 56-year-old will surely want to test himself in the Champions League, and the Hoops’ qualification for Europe’s premier club competition next season looks likely, given the current league table and Scotland’s improved UEFA coefficient.

The lure of the Premier League can be difficult for any manager to resist, but for the time being, it feels like this is only the start of Postecoglou’s story at Parkhead.

In other news, Postecoglou has spoken of his ‘concern’ regarding one Celtic player. Find out who it is here.

As per The West Ham Way website, reliable club insider ExWHUemployee has shared an update out of Rush Green as talks intensify for Marseille defender Duje Caleta-Car.

The Lowdown: West Ham offer rejected…

Over the final week of this year’s January transfer window, reports have claimed that West Ham made a loan bid to sign the Croatia international but it was swiftly rejected (Scottish Daily Mail via pressreader).

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

The Daily Express recently backed this claim, too stating that the Irons and recruitment chief Rob Newman have failed with an opening loan offer.

It is believed that Marseille won’t entertain the notion of a temporary transfer and instead want to sell outright, with talkSPORT stating the price is somewhere around the £20m mark.

According to Ex, though, the Irons are still negotiating a ‘compromise’ as he shares an update.

The Latest: West Ham talks intensify…

According to the insider’s sources, via West Ham Way, ‘talks have intensified’ for Caleta-Car’s signature today as the Hammers chase a ‘loan to buy arrangement’.

It is believed that the Ligue 1 giants are indeed ‘eager’ to strike a permanent deal due to their financial woes.

The Verdict: Pivotal hours…

A centre-half has long been on Moyes’ transfer agenda and he will be hoping that a compromise can indeed be reached with Marseille, especially going by Caleta-Car’s pedigree.

Called an ‘excellent player’ by talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook, the 6 foot 3 powerhouse signing on loan could be a real snip.

According to WhoScored, only Kurt Zouma has averaged more interceptions per 90 in the Europa League this season (3) than Caleta-Car (1.7) when comparing to West Ham’s squad, while the international’s impressive 92.1% pass accuracy in the French top flight indicates he is a tidy player.

Still only 25-years-old, he could also be an asset for years to come if West Ham do opt to trigger a possible permanent move in any loan-to-buy arrangement.

In other news: ExWHUemployee says West Ham want ‘phenomenal’ £45m star, he’s allegedly open to joining…find out more here.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst has given the Glasgow Rangers’ youth players a chance at Ibrox since replacing Steven Gerrard back in November.

In his very first press conference, the Dutchman mentioned that chances would be given to players regardless of age, and so far, he has stuck by that mantra in his six months in charge.

Opportunities have fallen to youth starlets such as Alex Lowry and Charlie McCann, with the two being deployed in the earlier stages of the Scottish Cup to great effect.

Lowry came on for Ianis Hagi against Stirling Albion and made an immediate impact, scoring in front of a raucous Ibrox crowd.

Meanwhile, former Manchester United youngster McCann emerged from the bench in the next round against Annan Athletic and suitably impressed.

This has led many to push for young striker Tony Weston to be given a chance in the first team, especially considering the fact Alfredo Morelos is out for the rest of the season through injury.

Weston signed for Rangers from Blackpool in the summer of 2020 on a three-year contract and has continued to impress ever since – scoring goals aplenty for the B team – 21 in the Scottish Lowland League alone this season – and pushing towards a first-team opportunity.

Rangers youth coach Steven Smith sang his praises earlier on in the season, dubbing him “clinical” following a double against Dalbeattie Star.

These goals have given the striker the perfect platform to impress Van Bronckhorst with the final furlong of the season approaches.

And, considering his impressive goalscoring record for the B team, Rangers could well have the next 355-goal Ally McCoist in their midst, and if Weston was even half the player that Super Ally was, then the Gers have got something special on their hands.

AND in other news: Van Bronckhorst can brutally axe “shaky” Rangers dud in deal for “annoyingly brilliant” £0 machine

Pundit Kevin Phillips has been reacting to a contract update regarding Leeds United star Raphinha, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: New deal close

The Brazilian is thought to be closing in on a ‘huge’ Elland Road contract following positive discussions between the club and Deco, Raphinha’s agent.

A Leeds source has since told Football Insider that an improved deal for the winger is to protect his value, with the club aware it could start to fall in the summer, should he not pen an extension.

The Whites are hoping that a fresh contract would increase Raphinha’s potential market valuation in the summer from £35m to £60m, with West Ham showing late interest last month.

The Latest: Phillips reacts

Phillips, who contributes for Sky Sports, was talking to Football Insider over a new deal for the Leeds star.

When asked if it could keep him at the club in the long run, Phillips described a new contract as a ‘great gesture’ but still expects the player to depart.

“I think it makes no difference.

“Whether you put a player on a new contract or not, if a big club comes in they generally get the player.

“It’s a great gesture. It’s all they can do really, show the ambition to say: ‘We’re offering a good deal to these players. We want them to stay.’

“Ultimately it’s the player’s decision and I think new deals, nowadays, don’t really make a big deal of difference.”

The Verdict: Summer exit?

It was good to see that Leeds rebuffed all interest in Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips last month, however, the summer window will soon be upon us, when rumours will more than likely begin once again.

Raphinha has broken into Brazil’s national side since joining Leeds and has comfortably been the best-rated Whites player this season, resulting in links with Wst Ham, Bayern Munich and Liverpool in recent months.

On that basis, and with Leeds flirting with relegation this season, it could be a matter of time until he joins one of the biggest sides in Europe, but when Leeds sell, they will hopefully get the best deal possible, especially with a new deal in the pipeline.

In other news: Worrying Kalvin Phillips update emerges on Saturday after return to training. 

Although it wasn’t the sort of statement signing for major money that Newcastle United are now associated with, the Magpies’ late swoop to take Aston Villa left-back Matt Targett on loan for the rest of the campaign could prove to be a masterstroke.

On the chalkboard

The 26-year-old had been a regular for Steven Gerrard’s side this campaign, making 17 Premier League appearances, but the signing of Lucas Digne from Everton meant that Targett’s game time was going to be significantly reduced.

It was a harsh blow for Villa’s player of the season last campaign, who was subject to immense praise from club legend Gabriel Agbonlahor last season, saying: “In the last 15 years, he’s the best left-back Villa have had.

“Even during my time and the left-backs I played with, I look at Matt Targett and he’s the best we’ve had in the last 15 years since I made my debut.

“He’s so good going forward, he has a good connection with Jack Grealish on that side. He can defend, he’s proved this season he can defend against the top teams.

“He’s really comfortable on the ball, if he can continue to put in these performances then there is 100 per cent no reason why he can’t get into the England squad.”

However, the Englishman will still be able to complete a full top-flight campaign as a regular through his temporary stay in the North-East.

There are certainly some areas of Eddie Howe’s squad where numbers are limited, however, Newcastle now have four recognised left-backs in their ranks with Targett surely the best option.

Matt Ritchie has been Howe’s first choice for the majority of the season, making 16 league appearances so far, whilst Paul Dummett (two) and Jamal Lewis (five) have had quiet campaigns.

When you compare both Ritchie and Targett, their core statistics are quite similar, with the latter making one more league appearance this season and both having two-goal involvements each in the league.

However, the Scotland international has been part of a much worse side, particularly regarding defence, than his new teammate.

The Tyneside outfit are the Premier League’s second-worst defenders having conceded 43 goals in 21 games, whilst Villa have let in 11 fewer in the same space of time.

Moreover, Ritchie is yet to keep a clean sheet in the top-flight this season whilst Targett has three, which is arguably a reason why the former hasn’t featured for Newcastle in the league since mid-December.

Alongside the Englishman, Newcastle added Kieran Trippier to their squad on the other side of the defence in January, another player who could certainly prove vital in the final months of the season.

Howe is going to have to find a way to improve his side’s defence, otherwise, they could well be on course for a second relegation to the Championship in six years. Having the services of the £35k per week left-back for the rest of the season could prove to be the deciding factor.

AND in other news, “From what I’ve heard”: Waugh drops behind-scenes PIF claim that’ll intrigue NUFC fans…

Sevilla are determined to sign Anthony Martial from Manchester United, Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna reports.

Aouna tweeted on Friday morning that Martial ‘remains Sevilla FC’s number choice’ as the January transfer window nears its final week.

Julen Lopetegui has made it his top ‘priority to strengthen his attack’ before trading ceases.

Sevilla are currently 2nd in La Liga, four points adrift of leaders Real Madrid.

But their tally of 32 goals in 21 matches is the lowest of any of the sides in the top four.

What’s Martial’s situation at Old Trafford?

Martial has only managed to find the net once in what’s been an injury-disrupted 2021/22 campaign.

He’s made 268 appearances in all for United since his £36million move from AS Monaco in 2015, scoring 79 goals and assisting 50 more.

The Frenchman has recently been at the centre of a dispute with interim manager Ralf Rangnick.

Rangnick claimed that Martial had refused to play against Aston Villa, prompting him to take to Instagram and issue a firm denial (via Manchester Evening News).

Fan feed Utd Report relayed Aouna’s claims, and here’s what supporters made of them.

These Man United fans desperate for Martial move to go through

“Just let it happen”

Credit: @amonmrk

“Great, best for all parties, United make this happen”

Credit: @S1234567_617

“Get it done so Martial can have a title charge.”

Credit: @Prometheus12122

“Please”

Credit: @YoungKingFavou2

“This is gonna be good”

Credit: @isa__42

“If we actually get shut of Martial and Lingard AND WOODWARD this month, and Pogba in the summer, things are definitely getting better”

Credit: @joggy21

In other news, fans react to reported interest in this defender.