All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Journalist Tim Spiers hailed evergreen midfielder Joao Moutinho’s performance in Wolves’ 2-1 victory at home to Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon.

The Lowdown: Big win for Wolves

Bruno Lage’s side hosted Villa in the Premier League, as they looked to continue their march towards European football next season.

It proved to be another positive day at the office for Wolves, who led 2-0 at half-time thanks to a Jonny strike and an Ashley Young own goal as part of an excellent counter-attacking display.

Ollie Watkins’ late penalty made for a nervy ending at Molineux but the Wanderers held on to jump to seventh place in the table, for the time being at least.

[freshpress-poll id=“388780″]

The Latest: Spiers hails Moutinho

Taking to Twitter straight after the game, Spiers gave a brief but positive assessment of Moutinho’s display: “Moutinho’s class showed throughout.”

The Portugal international enjoyed an 88% pass completion rate against Villa, as per Sofascore, not to mention making three tackles and playing one key pass.

[freshpress-quiz id=“388797″]

The Verdict: Evergreen hero

At 35, Moutinho could be forgiven for being on the wane but he continues to produce influential performances week in, week out for Wolves, being hailed as ‘outstanding’ by Alan Shearer.

The Portuguese maestro brings so much experience and quality in the middle of the park and the hope is that he remains at Molineux for at least another year, with his current deal expiring at the end of the season.

It may be that Moutinho becomes more of a bit-part player over time but keeping hold of him makes far more sense than losing him this summer, as the Villa win showed.

In other news, Spiers has also provided a key Wolves injury update. Read more here.

Leeds United have picked up a bit of form at just the right time, and having picked up seven points from a possible nine, they head into tomorrow’s clash against Watford with a whole lot more confidence.

Jesse Marsch’s side picked up some much-needed victories over Norwich and Wolves before drawing 1-1 to Southampton at Elland Road last time out.

Their trip to Vicarage Road may prove to be a stern test given that Roy Hodgson’s men are currently battling for their lives in the Premier League relegation battle, and Marsch will have some big calls to make on his starting line-up.

One decision he might be compelled to make is dropping Diego Llorente.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-marsch-raphinha-dest-philhay” title=”Read the latest Leeds news!”]

The Spain international has found himself in and out of the side in recent weeks and months, with niggling injuries disrupting him from really putting together a run of consistent games together.

After being forced off inside the first half against Wolves at Molineux in mid-March, Llorente made an immediate return against the Saints last weekend, but he looked off the pace and nervy on occasion.

As per Sofascore, while he made a team-high six tackles, he also committed the joint-most fouls, finding it difficult to balance being aggressive and playing on the edge, and sometimes losing his cool and composure. In fact, this season has seen him lose 80 duels in total in the Premier League, while winning only 97.

Writing in his post-match player ratings for Leeds Live, Beren Cross gave him a five, saying: “Can be unconventional, but brilliant at times or just verging on calamity in the backline. Armando Broja gave him a difficult afternoon without dominating him.”

Those sentiments were echoed by The Yorkshire Evening Post’s Graham Smyth, who awarded him a six, before adding: “Brought an element of drama at times that felt unnecessary, some mixed moments of defending and in possession.”

Pascal Struijk was the man to find himself out of the team following the return of club captain Liam Cooper, and the Scot was partnered with Llorente in central defence.

While the Dutchman may have had a difficult time of late, at just 22 he remains a big part of the future of this Leeds team, and he would surely learn a lot more from playing rather than sitting on the bench.

Indeed, speaking earlier this year, Cooper himself said of Struijk: “Pascal has absolutely everything to be one of the best centre-backs out there, he really has. He’s unbelievable on the ball, he’s strong, good in the air. I always knew. We all know now. His improvement speaks for itself.”

Bringing the youngster into the line-up and having someone as experienced as Cooper alongside him should see him return to much better form, knowing that he has someone to fall back upon and organise the defence rather than feeling the pressure to do so himself.

Valued at £12m by CIES, Llorente should be dropped from the starting line-up against Watford, with Struijk coming back in to take his place and resume his fledgling partnership with Cooper.

AND in other news – Signed for £5m, now worth 700% more: Orta struck dream Leeds deal with “quality” 22 y/o

Crystal Palace have been rather impressive in recent times as they continue to improve under Roy Hodgson, having gone unbeaten in their last five games in all competitions. 

The Eagles still find themselves at risk from slipping into the relegation zone as they’re currently only two points above the bottom three, so they still need to seek even more improvements.

Interestingly, it appears as if the London club already have their sights set on a possible summer swoop, as according to Calciomercato (via 90Min), Crystal Palace are interested in Christian Kouame.

Indeed, the 21-year-old has established himself as one of the brightest prospects in Italy this season, having produced four goals and six assists at current club Genoa. He is a powerful forward who possesses an obvious aerial threat, so he would be a great addition for Palace who look to play off a target man.

Sadly, the likes of Christian Benteke, Jordan Ayew, Connor Wickham and Michy Batshuayi have only produced a combined three goals this season, so it’s safe to say they could do with bringing in attacking reinforcements.

Roy Hodgson can make a big statement by securing the services of Christian Kouame as they would pip one of Europe’s elite to the signing as Juventus also hold a strong interest in the Ivory Coast forward, and he has the potential to become a future star.

What do you think Crystal Palace fans?

Ex-BBC pundit Noel Whelan has claimed that if West Ham United can secure European football for next season, they could seal a move for Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans.

The Lowdown: Leicester could sell Tielemans

According to a report by The Telegraph on 31 March, the Foxes are willing to sanction a £25m exit for the 24-year-old, whose contract expires in the summer of 2023.

The Irons have made it a top priority to sign a central midfielder when the transfer window reopens. David Moyes hopes to add competition to his squad, which will allow for the rotation of Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek; and as a result, the Hammers have been linked with a move for the Belgium international.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-developments-4/” title=”West Ham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Whelan’s claim on Tielemans

Whelan, who regularly used to feature as a pundit for the BBC, believes that West Ham could sign Tielemans if they are to maintain European football next season.

Speaking with Football Insider, the ex-Leeds striker claimed: “I think they could [sign him].

“He’s got everything, hasn’t he? Goals from outside the box, creativity, works hard, dictates the game, very competitive. And he’s at a good age – the best is yet to come.

“Leicester will be forced to let him go because players like Tielemans deserve to be playing in Europe.

“If West Ham could offer him that, then him joining really would not surprise me.

“With the likes of Benrahma around him, David Moyes could have some really good options next season.”

The Verdict: Would be a very good signing

The Belgian ranks in the 95th percentile for shot-creating actions, the 93rd percentile for total shots and the 92nd percentile for progressive passes (via FBRef). Therefore, it is clear to see why Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers hailed him as “one of Europe’s top midfielders”, which furthers his cause to be playing regular European football.

With a current Transfermarkt value of £49.5m, signing Tielemans for a mere £25m would prove to be a fantastic piece of business by GSB.

However, at this price, a myriad of other Premier League clubs will likely be queuing to secure the midfielder’s signature, so this could prove to be a tricky deal for West Ham to get over the line, especially if they miss out on a place in Europe for next season.

In other news: Sky Sports pundit drools over ‘important’ West Ham star with 94% passing accuracy v Everton

Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg has revealed Aston Villa have made contact over a deal for Borussia Monchengladbach defender Matthias Ginter.

The Lowdown: Ginter profiled

Ginter has been with Monchengladbach since 2017, making 177 appearances for his current employers.

The 28-year-old, who shares the same agent as Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey, is out of contract at the end of June.

The World Cup winner can also turn out as a right-back or in a holding midfield role, and it looks as if Steven Gerrard is keen on Ginter’s services.

The Latest: Plettenberg’s post

Plettenberg took to Twitter on Monday evening to provide an update on Ginter’s future. He revealed that Gerrard wants the centre-back, with Villa officials contacting the player’s representatives.

“News Ginter: Gerrard wants him! Aston Villa officials have spoken to his management. But Ginter has not made a decision yet. He waits for other options.”

The Verdict: Shrewd move?

It looks as if Gerrard is going to be in need of multiple defensive reinforcements over the summer, with recent reports suggesting that both Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa could be made available for transfer. Should both depart, Villa would be left with just Calum Chambers and Kortney Hause as senior centre-back options.

A move for Ginter could be a shrewd one due to his international and Champions League experience, something that could help Gerrard as he looks to take Villa to the next level in his first full season in charge.

Who knows, a deal may also be fairly straightforward, should the player want to move to England, as his agency was in positive talks with Villa last year when Ramsey penned a new long-term deal at Villa Park.

In other news: Gerrard and Lange ready to accept PL giants’ bid for Villa star who’s ‘a joy to watch’. 

West Ham have ‘in recent hours’ shown an interest in Paris Saint-Germain defender Layvin Kurzawa, according to Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna.

The Lowdown: Left-back options

West Ham have been hugely reliant on Aaron Cresswell for many years to hold down the left-back position. The defender has made an astonishing 239 appearances for the Hammers in the league, placing him second in the Irons’ table for most Premier League appearances, behind Mark Noble, who totals 407 matches.

However, Cresswell is now 32 years old, and he has just 18 months left on his contract.

Arthur Masuaku is the club’s alternative option at left-back. The 28-year-old has made 11 top-flight appearances this season, seven of which have come off the bench. Despite this, fans would likely be reluctant to see him replace Cresswell in the starting XI, as the player has received some criticism for his recent performances.

Pundit Ian Wright singled Masuaku out for the ‘poor game’ he had in the Hammers’ defeat to Southampton, suggesting that he is a defensive liability.

As Cresswell doesn’t have long left on his current deal and with Masuaku failing to show why he should play a part in David Moyes’ starting XI, it is clear to see why West Ham have been searching for a left-back to bring into the club.

[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 Latest: Hammers interested in Kurzawa

According to Foot Mercato journalist Aouna, West Ham have ‘shown interest in recent hours’ for PSG defender Kurzawa.

The Frenchman has not played any part in the current season for PSG; with just one appearance in all 2021/22 competitions, which was off the bench for nine minutes in the Trophée des Champions.

Therefore, this could be ‘a way out’ for the left-back, with Newcastle United also said to be interested in the player.

The Verdict: Poor choice

Kurzawa was previously linked with a deal to fellow London club Arsenal, with reports suggesting that he even agreed a deal to move to the Emirates Stadium in January 2020.

However, with the deal failing to materialise, questions have been asked as to the reason why. The 29-year-old has a lengthy injury history, which has seen him sidelined for weeks at a time; the longest of which was a herniated disc which kept him out for three months.

With suggestions that he also has a bad attitude, this does not seem like the sort of player that Moyes should be pursuing, even despite the player’s incredible trophy haul of 18 domestic competitions won in Paris.

In other news: West Ham United: Phillips bid officially rejected

Celtic have seen a significant number of players join the Parkhead club over recent years, either on loan or permanent deals.

While the club have been active in the transfer market, this always increases the chances of having the occasional deal not go as well as they may have hoped.

One particular deal that looks to have been a let-down for the Hoops is their 2020 swoop for midfielder Ismaila Soro.

During the January transfer window in 2019/20, Celtic secured a four-and-a-half-year deal for the midfielder worth £2m from Israeli side Bnei Yehuda.

Despite signing in January, the Ivorian didn’t end up making his debut for the Bhoys until September 2020, in a 5-0 SPFL win over Ross County – having been out with a knee injury in the months prior.

Overall, the 23-year-old has made just 43 appearances for the Hoops across all competitions, scoring just one goal and providing one assist in the process.

Back in February last year, former Celtic manager Neil Lennon admitted that the midfielder was “struggling with a bit of fatigue” as a result of the number of games he was playing at the time.

This doesn’t seem to be the case this season under Postecoglou, as the midfielder has only started six of the 19 games he’s appeared in across all competitions.

According to Transfermarkt, Soro’s current market value stands at £810k, which is significantly lower than the £2m that the Bhoys splashed out to bring him to Celtic Park.

Given his lack of action in this campaign, it’s hard to suggest that he’s been justifying that transfer fee.

Even when he has been given the chance to play in the league, the midfielder hasn’t done much to convince Postecoglou he has what it takes to be a regular member of the team.

With eight league appearances to his name, Soro has earned himself a rather underwhelming overall WhoScore match rating of 6.25, making him the lowest-rated Celtic player to play in more than two league games.

Taking all of this into account, unless the 23-year-old can turn his fortunes around sooner rather than later and start helping the team out, then the club will start to have some regrets over bringing him to Parkhead in the first place – with his signing already appearing to have been something of a nightmare.

AND in other news: Huge blow: Celtic suffer major injury setback, it’s terrible news for Postecoglou

Newcastle clawed themselves out of the bottom three with an emphatic 3-1 win over Everton in the Premier League on Tuesday night.

Jamaal Lascelles’ own goal put the Toffees ahead in the match, but Mason Holgate returned the favour by putting the ball into his own net a minute later.

Goals from Ryan Fraser and Kieran Trippier then sealed the three points for the Magpies, with the latter scoring his first goal for the club.

Forget Trippier

Whilst Trippier was sensational again for Newcastle with his goal and his sublime set-piece delivery, huge credit must go to central midfielder Joe Willock.

FFC published an article in the build-up to the game highlighting his poor form this season and suggesting that he should be dropped to the team. However, this performance was the perfect response to our criticism of him and any critics from elsewhere as he put in an excellent showing on and off the ball.

Willock may have now kickstarted his career at St James’ Park on a permanent basis as he could soon become a fan favourite if he puts a string of displays together in the same vein as this season.

Off the ball, he was all over the pitch for Newcastle. As per SofaScore, he won a whopping 12 duels in his 89 minutes on the pitch, making one block, one interception and winning four tackles. One of those challenges resulted in Fraser’s goal, as Willock pinched the ball off Dele Alli just inside the Everton half – starting the move that ended in Allan Saint-Maximin’s cross falling to the Scot’s feet from close range.

This shows that he put immense effort in defensively, in terms of both his passive defending in a low blow and his aggressive pressing in the final third. Howe will surely be delighted with the tenacity he showed throughout the match and the bite he added to his game.

He also offered quality in possession. Via SofaScore, he completed an impressive five of his six attempted dribbles, losing the ball just nine times all match. This shows that he was reliable with the ball at his feet and was able to progress the play by taking it past opposition players effectively.

Therefore, the £80k-per-week gem’s overall performance was superb as he made an impact at both ends of the pitch. He can now kick on and have a strong end to the campaign by putting together a run of displays of the same quality in the weeks and months to come.

AND in other news, Keith Downie issues exciting NUFC transfer claim that’ll leave fans buzzing

Leeds United midfielder Adam Forshaw is expected to return from injury for the Whites’ Premier League clash with Aston Villa next week.

The Lowdown: Forshaw absent again

The 30-year-old missed almost two years of action with a serious hip injury, having been a key figure during Leeds’ Championship days.

Forshaw made a triumphant return to action earlier this season, however, and he has started ten Premier League matches in 2021/22 to date.

Unfortunately, the midfielder has again been sidelined with a hamstring issue in recent weeks, but his return now appears to be imminent.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

The Latest: Back in time for Villa

According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Forshaw is expected to be back in contention to start next Wednesday’s taxing-looking trip to Villa Park.

Leeds go into the game sitting 15th in the table and just seven points clear of the relegation zone.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-33/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Huge boost for Leeds

This is a massive boost for Leeds at a time when Kalvin Phillips is also missing with a hamstring injury of his own, therefore making Forshaw even more important.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side will come up against a strong Villa midfield featuring the likes of Douglas Luiz, John McGinn and Jacob Ramsey, so the returning Forshaw will need to be at his best.

He has won an average of 2.3 tackles per game in the league this season, which is only bettered by McGinn (2.9) in Villa’s midfield, suggesting he will be a good match for his opponents when the challenges start flying in.

In other news, Leeds are still thought to be plotting a deal for one player. Find out who it is here.

Celtic are reportedly in advanced talks with Cameron Carter-Vickers over a permanent move to Parkhead this summer, in what would be a big piece of business.

The Lowdown: Carter-Vickers excelling on loan

The American joined the Hoops on a temporary basis last summer, coming in on loan from Tottenham in order to enjoy more regular playing time.

Carter-Vickers’ switch north of the border has been a match made in heaven, with the 24-year-old becoming a key part of Ange Postecoglou’s defence in the Scottish Premiership.

The centre-back’s future remains up in the air – a number of other clubs want to sign him this summer – but a promising update is now doing the rounds.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/key-latest-celtic-updates-3/” title=”Key latest Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Permanent move close?

According to SBI Soccer, an American source has revealed Celtic are now in ‘advanced talks’ to sign Carter-Vickers permanently at the end of the season, with Spurs still valuing him at £6million.

The report states that Wolves, Leicester City and Watford have all shown an interest, too, but the Hoops appear to be in pole position for his signature.

The Verdict: Huge news for Celtic

Carter-Vickers may already be part of Celtic’s squad but clinching a permanent move for him this summer really would feel like a big signing, given his influence.

The USA international has been an increasingly colossal performer at the heart of the defence, averaging 3.2 aerial duel wins and an 89.8% pass completion rate in the Europa League this season, showing he is more than capable playing at a higher level.

At 24, he is primed to improve in the coming years, becoming an even more formidable player, and he could play a big part in Celtic’s future, potentially then being sold for a hefty profit after some years of sustained success.

In other news, a pundit has bemoaned something that will affect Celtic next season. Read more here.