All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Wolves are still keen on Sporting CP’s Joao Palhinha, though they will face a challenge to bring him to Molineux going by the latest reports.

What’s the latest?

Filipe Dias via Football Daily, revealed that Wolves are “interested” in Sporting CP midfielder Joao Palhinha last summer.

And whilst they were aware of Spurs’ reported interest in the holding midfielder, they may face further difficulties in acquiring their target, with the latest reports from Portugal revealing that Manchester United have been scouting the 26-year-old.

Bruno Lage has been upfront about his star man Ruben Neves’ future at the West Midlands side, claiming that he is unsure as to where the future lies for the 25-year-old. A move for Palhinha could provide a more than viable replacement option for the Old Gold side.

Palhinha could fill Neves-shaped hole

With star midfielder Ruben Neves linked with the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal to name a few, a move for Palhinha would surely be welcomed by Bruno Lage.

A move for the midfielder dubbed “all-round” by Squawka would be an astute deal for Wolves with the fee to prise him away from Sporting CP said to be as low as 30m euros (£25m), which in this market for that calibre of player is an absolute snip.

Despite the links to fellow Premier League outfits, Manchester United and Spurs, Wolves would surely hold an advantage given their Portuguese transfer philosophy, Portuguese manager and links with super-agent Jorge Mendes, having worked closely with his Gestifute agency over the last few years.

Whilst he has been described as one of the “most complete ever” by Copa 90, Palhinha shines brightest defensively speaking, having put himself within the 99th percentile for pressures and successful pressures, showing his best work within the midfield and defensive thirds of the pitch.

Should Neves depart the Old Gold side in the summer, a move for Joao Palhinha could fill the void for a fraction of the potential fee that they will receive.

In other news – Forget Otto: 12-pass Wolves gem proved he’s fulfilling his “enormous potential” v AVFC – opinion 

[ad_pod ]

Loads of Leeds fans have been running the rule over their defeat at Loftus Road, and one post-match image of Marcelo Bielsa is hitting fans right where it hurts.

After recovering from a poor run of form with consecutive 2-1 wins over Swansea and Bolton, this week presented a huge chance for Leeds to try and replicate the winning spree that made them clear title favourites before Christmas.

QPR had not won a Championship game since Boxing Day before Tuesday’s clash, and West Brom, who Leeds play this Friday, just took a wounding 1-0 home defeat to Sheffield United at the weekend.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side were unable to capitalise on the former’s horrific patch of form though, as Luke Freeman popped up with the winner for Steve McClaren’s side just after half time.

The Whites were really poor in the match, controlling 64 per cent of the possession but mustering one less shot on target than their hosts managed, per BBC.

After the game, Bielsa was spotted slouched down on his haunches in the tunnel, and fans are heartbroken by the thought of not earning promotion under their enigmatic gaffer.

You can see the image here, and find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

As per a source close to Flamengo forward Gabriel Barbosa, speaking in an interview with Globo Esporte, there has been more news involving West Ham United and the player.

The Lowdown: West Ham enter talks…

The 25-year-old is a name we keep hearing through the press as David Moyes aims to bolster his attacking options before the January 31 deadline.

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

Sky Sports first broke news of West Ham’s interest in Barbosa as they went on to lift the lid on talks and a loan-to-buy offer for him earlier this month.

Indeed, the Irons and recruitment chief Rob Newman lodged a proposal to take the striker on a temporary spell for 18 months with the option to make his stay permanent for €30m (£25m), according to Sky Sports.

Sharing an update, a source very close to Barbosa has now made a further admission.

The Latest: Agent confirms Barbosa offer…

Speaking to South American news outlet Globo Esporte, the former Inter Milan striker’s representative Junior Pedroso has claimed that West Ham have indeed tabled a formal offer to take Barbosa on loan.

First revealing an approach from Newcastle, Pedroso then went on to confirm West Ham’s involvement, saying: “The other club that actually went about with a formalization of a loan offer was West Ham. And then I didn’t even take that offer to Gabriel, I directed it to Flamengo , who gave a negative.

“Flamengo doesn’t see a loan as a possibility, even paying a fortune, and we wouldn’t consider a loan issue at the moment either.”

The Verdict: Time to move on…

The prolific forward has been nothing short of a revelation in Brazil, having scored a phenomenal 29 goals in all competitions throughout 2021, but he could be a gamble in the English top flight.

Barbosa’s only spell in Europe to date came at Inter, which was a regrettable one to say the least, so you can understand why Moyes and co want to test the waters with a loan deal before discussing any permanent move.

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke, West Ham are still interested in a loan deal for the ‘big name’ striker, as Graeme Bailey worded it. However, after this interview with his agent, it could be time for the Irons to move on to other targets.

In 0ther news: ExWHUemployee claims West Ham are eyeing ‘absolutely incredible’ ace with loan-to-buy move in discussion, find out more here.

Celtic pundit Frank McAvennie believes it is a ‘boost’ that forward Daizen Maeda remained in Glasgow during the international break, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Fitness concerns for Celtic

The Hoops have a crucial Glasgow derby on Sunday and may well be sweating on a number of players for the trip to Ibrox.

David Turnbull made a first appearance since December from the bench before the international break, whereas there is hope that Kyogo Furuhashi could play some part against Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-23/” title=”Celtic updates!!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Maeda remained in Scotland instead of linking up with Japan due to concerns about his fitness, while Tom Rogic pulled out of the Australia squad with an ankle problem.

The Latest: McAvennie’s comments on Maeda

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie actually labelled Maeda staying at Lennoxtown during the international break as a ‘boost’ for Celtic.

He then described the possibility of Maeda, Furuhashi and Giorgos Giakoumakis all being fully fit at the start of 2022/23 as ‘magnificent’, saying:

“So Maeda’s not on international duty which is a boost for him.

“I think everyone expected a little bit more from him, not to say he hasn’t been really good.

“But here’s what I’m thinking, looking at Giakoumakis. It took him ages to settle in.

“Now he’s scoring a couple of goals in every game. Could the same thing happen to Maeda?

“He started a bit better, I know he scored on his debut. He’s not hit Kyogo levels.

“At the start of next season, after a full pre-season with the club, could we see him fully up to speed and scoring loads of goals?

“I think there’s a good argument to say it does happen. So we could be starting next season with Kyogo, Giakoumakis and Maeda all fit and firing, wow, that would be magnificent.”

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

With 34 goals between them already this term, the possibility of the attacking trio all being fully fit next season is an exciting prospect, as McAvennie mentions, but Celtic have bigger fish to fry before the 2022/23 campaign.

They are still on course for a domestic treble in the final stages of the current season, and having Maeda and Rogic available against Rangers on Sunday could be crucial.

Postecoglou appears to be sweating on the condition of both players, and we should know more over the coming days in the manager’s pre-match press conference.

In other news: Update emerges for Ange on Celtic ace stretchered off during international duty

According to Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur have agreed on a new contract with promising midfielder Oliver Skipp and it could be announced very soon. 

The lowdown: Breakthrough season

The 21-year-old came through the ranks at N17 and has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in 2021/22 following a successful loan spell at Norwich City.

Skipp spent the entirety of last season at Carrow Road and helped guide the East Anglia club back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, drawing praise from Daniel Farke, who even wanted to buy him permanently.

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

Having returned to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium though, the £18million valued ace has established himself in the first-team plans, making 28 appearances prior to a pelvic injury that has ruled the defensive midfielder out for 12 fixtures so far.

The latest: New deal set to be announced

According to Spurs sources at FI, despite the ongoing injury issue, Spurs have ‘reached an agreement in principle’ to extend the contract of the England youth international and it could even be just a matter of time before it’s confirmed, with Newcastle looming this afternoon.

Indeed, it’s claimed that the new deal is set to be ‘announced soon’ and contains a ‘major pay hike’ for Skipp – who ex-Lilywhites boss Jose Mourinho tipped to take the captain’s armband in north London.

The new contract had been in the offing for some time as a previous report from football.london Spurs correspondent Alasdair Gold revealed that Fabio Paratici was in discussion with the midfielder, and Spurs fans will now have to wait anxiously to see if it gets announced before the Newcastle match.

The verdict: One of our own…

Securing the future and indeed rewarding players such as Skipp is a wise move from the club.

So far this season the tenacious midfielder – who was praised for his ‘great intensity’ by Antonio Conte – has produced on average 55.6 touches per Premier League outing, as well as 1.8 tackles and 42.3 accurate passes from 18 top-flight appearances (Sofascore).

Whilst some Tottenham fans may prefer to see Paratici’s behind-the-scenes work produce lavish summer spending or perhaps a new deal for Harry Kane, it’s undoubtedly another plus point to tie Skipp down beyond a current contract that expires in 2024 (Transfermarkt).

In other news, Tottenham are eyeing a swoop for EFL free agent! Find out more here…

Tottenham Hotspur colossus Cristian Romero was the only shining light as the north London outfit were held by Brentford on Saturday evening.

Antonio Conte’s side were struck an almighty blow in the race for a top-four finish in the Premier League as they couldn’t find a way past Christian Eriksen and co, failing to even register a shot on target all game.

It now puts the Lilywhites two points behind their arch-rivals, Arsenal, with only five matches left to play – including the derby on May 12th – meaning it is now out of Spurs’ hands completely.

Despite dominating possession (56%), Tottenham failed to create anything of note, whilst their former playmaking Dane effectively ran the show for the Bees.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-levy-conte-paratici-thfc” title= “Read the latest Spurs news!”]

Harry Kane and Heung-min Son were starved of service from the Italian’s wing-backs, the former even putting in a last-ditch goal-line clearance to save the clean sheet, at the very least.

Although it was the Argentine defender, who has been lauded as an “animal” in the past by his teammate Pierluigi Gollini, who ensured that Spurs walked away with a point rather than nothing whatsoever.

The £36m-rated warrior was an absolute rock defensively, often mopping up behind the error-prone Emerson on the right side of the defence.

As per SofaScore, the 23-year-old centre-back earned a ‘Man of the Match’ 8.1 rating, having made a game-high five interceptions, on top of three blocks, two clearances and one tackle.

Not only was he solid at the back, having won 75% of his ground and aerial battles but he was also influential with the ball at his feet, registering 74 touches, which included one key chance created – as many as Kane and Dejan Kulusevski combined – from 51 successful passes (93% total accuracy).

Romero’s performance earned quite the praise indeed, justifiably so.

Alasdair Gold of football.london graded him an 8/10 in his post-match ratings column and claimed that he ‘was by far Spurs’ best player on the day.’

There weren’t many players that could come away from such a display with their head held high but on the above evidence, the Argentina international was a cut above his teammates and without him, they may well have returned to N17 with an even worse result.

Romero was certainly Conte’s one and only positive from such a drab display.

AND in other news, Forget Emerson: “Really poor” Spurs lightweight who lost possession 19x failed Conte…

Leeds United have now sounded out a move for Celta Vigo left-back Javi Galan.

The Lowdown: Orta and Marsch talks

Victor Orta and Jesse Marsch have held talks this week to look at summer targets.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-41/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-04-02T155252Z_391313781_UP1EI421841M9_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-SOU-REPORT.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Whites are still looking to sign Brenden Aaronson from RB Salzburg, while a new striker, midfielder and cover at full-back are thought to be on the club’s wishlist. [The Daily Mail]

Galan, nicknamed as ‘Rooney’ for his stature, was on the club’s radar last year, and it seems as if Leeds are still keen on the full-back who has registered an impressive 18 assists during his career so far.

The Latest: Galan update

Sports Witness relayed a story from Mundo Deportivo on Wednesday regarding Galan and Leeds.

They claimed that the Whites have sounded out the 27-year-old over a move to Elland Road, however, Celta Vigo consider him as ‘untransferable’ after impressing since joining from Huesca.

The Verdict: Ship sailed?

It looks as if Leeds may have to pay over the odds for Galan this time around after his fine start to life with Celta Vigo, so it could be worth looking elsewhere for full-back reinforcements.

Galan can play as a left-midfielder and left-winger as well as his primary left-back position, so it’s easy to see why Orta and co are keen to get him flying down the flank at Elland Road.

However, with Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla also interested, it seems as if the ship may have sailed when it comes to Galan moving to Yorkshire.

In other news: Elland Road source: Marsch and Orta now ready to axe ‘horrible’ Leeds ace after woeful season. 

A major update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in Tottenham outcast Dele Alli…

What’s the talk?

The Athletic’s David Ornstein has revealed that the Magpies are now looking to secure a deal for the England international ahead of one of their Premier League rivals.

He tweeted: “EXCL: Newcastle make dramatic late attempt to pip Everton to Dele Alli signing after losing out on Lingard. #NUFC have enquired to take Dele on loan just as permanent Everton move enters final stages. Unclear if it will succeed.”

St James’ rocking

This move could get St James’ Park rocking, as Alli has the potential to be a stunning addition to Eddie Howe’s squad and possibly help them to secure Premier League survival this season.

They are currently 18th in the table and struggling badly, with two league wins under their belt so far in 2021/22, coming against Leeds and Burnley.

Alli has proven himself at the top level in England, with 67 goals and 61 assists in 269 games for Spurs, This includes 51 goals and 37 assists in 180 Premier League matches for the north Londonders, and he has also managed eight or more league goals in four separate seasons.

This suggests that he could have the quality to come in and offer a real goal threat for the Magpies in the coming months if they are able to secure this deal. Therefore, St James’ Park could be rocking if he comes through the door, as his pedigree will surely come with an anticipation and excitement that he could be the player to pull Howe’s side over the line.

Along with that, the supporters could also be buzzing to see PIF hijacking Everton’s deal for Alli as the Toffees are only four points ahead of them in the table. This means that they could stop a relegation rival from strengthening their squad, whilst duly improving their own in the process, making this a sensational piece of potential business by the club.

AND in other news,  “In the past few minutes”: Sky Sports drop on-air update which will leave NUFC fans gutted…

Keith Downie has now dropped some exciting Newcastle United transfer news on Jesse Lingard live on Sky Sports.

The Lowdown: One to watch?

A lot of the focus on Transfer Deadline Day has been on the potential for the St. James’ Park faithful to wrap up deals for Dan Burn, Matt Targett and Hugo Ekitike.

However, some news has emerged on Lingard that suggests that he too could be one to move to the North East before the deadline hits tonight.

The Latest: Downie on Lingard

Speaking live on Sky Sports (via The Transfer Centre 14:23pm), Downie has revealed that the Tyneside outfit are now ‘pushing’ to sign Lingard:

“We can tell you that Newcastle are pushing to bring in Jesse Lingard from Manchester United.

“He’s a player Newcastle have been keen on throughout the transfer window and we know they have been in talks with Manchester United.

“The talks had reached a bit of an impasse but with the Ekitike deal hanging in the balance, Newcastle are looking elsewhere – but they do have competition from West Ham for Lingard.

“As we understand the situation, Newcastle are very keen on Lingard and pushing hard to bring him in.

“Lingard would be keen on a move but the decision rests with the Manchester United board.”

The Verdict: Exciting

With all of the players that the Magpies seem to bringing in today, it is certainly exciting to see that Lingard could very well be one of them.

With Burn, Targett and potentially Ekitike, they would have covered the centre-back, left-back and striker positions, adding to the signings of right-back Kieran Trippier, forward Chris Wood and midfield maestro Bruno Guimaraes.

The one position that they are potentially missing is an attacking midfielder, and Lingard would fit the bill in that regard.

His nine goals and five assists on loan for West Ham United in the second half of last season show that he is very comfortable in front of goal, and the Toon could do with adding some more goals from the middle of the park, with no midfielder scoring more than two for them this campaign.

In other news, find out what Ekitike transfer worry has emerged here!

Aston Villa could offer Danny Ings to Brighton in a swap deal for Yves Bissouma, according to The Mirror’s Neil Moxley.

The lowdown

Steven Gerrard publicly admitted that Villa had seen a bid for the Mali international rejected in January, and The Guardian reported on Friday that the 41-year-old remains keen to add a defensive midfielder to his ranks ahead of the 2022/23 season.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/aston-villa-latest-developments/” title=”Aston Villa latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Football Insider recently reported that Brighton had identified Ings as a summer transfer target.

It was only last summer that Villa paid £25m to sign him from Southampton, but the Englishman has posted a rather underwhelming tally of five goals so far in the Midlands.

The latest

Moxley wrote in The Mirror that Ings is one of the players who may be deemed surplus to requirements by Villa this summer.

The sources to whom the journalist has spoken have not ‘ruled out’ the possibility of a swap deal, with the 29-year-old potentially being offloaded to Brighton in exchange for Bissouma.

The verdict

According to The Athletic’s Stuart James, straight swaps are ‘unusual’ in football, but such a deal could be feasible here.

Villa’s £25m offer for Bissouma may have been turned down in January, but by the time we reach July, the Malian will have less than year left on his contract. Brighton know that, at the start of next year, he will be negotiate pre-contract terms with clubs from outside the UK, so the pressure may be on to cash in this summer unless they can negotiate a renewal.

Ings is valued at £19.8m by Transfermarkt, so the players’ valuations could be close enough for Brighton to accept a straight exchange deal without demanding cash on top.

Noel Whelan has hailed Ings as a ‘phenomenal finisher’, but he has yet to truly hit top form at Villa, with this season on course to be leanest in front of goal since 2018/19. Therefore, it might not be entirely surprising if the 29-year-old is used as bait to try and land Bissouma.

In other news, Andy Hinchliffe believes this Villa player cost his team on Saturday