All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Romano drops exciting Son update

Writing on Twitter, Fabrizio Romano has made an exciting Tottenham Hotspur contract claim involving Son Heung-min. 

The Lowdown: Son new deal?

Tottenham have been touted with offering a new deal to Son for quite some time, with reports emerging as far back as October last year.

At one point, it looked a certainty that the South Korea star would put pen to paper on an extension in north London, but financial worries caused by coronavirus delayed the process (Evening Standard).

Links then emerged to a possible move away for Son amid the contract saga, with European powerhouses Bayern Munich even said to be eyeing a move at one point.

The Latest: Romano lifts lid on exciting Son development…

Now, writing on Twitter, reliable journalist Romano has made an exciting claim involving the 28-year-old.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-updates-2/” title=”Spurs latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Indeed, he believes that Son is ‘expected to sign soon’ and he is now ‘staying at Tottenham’ despite all the unrest surrounding superstar Harry Kane.

“Heung-min Son is expected to sign soon his new contract with Tottenham, negotiations going on since December and now all parties confident to complete the agreement,” Romano explained on social media.

“Son is staying at Tottenham, higher salary and new long-term agreement.”

The Verdict: Big boost for Spurs…

The threat of losing another star name alongside all the Kane links would have come as a worrying one for supporters, so this Romano claim comes as a big boost for Spurs.

Bar the Englishman, Son was arguably Tottenham’s player of the season over 2020/2021 – racking up 17 goals and 10 assists in 36 Premier League starts (WhoScored).

Tottenham keeping hold of Son will prove vital to their eventual new manager and any hopes of clinching silverware or qualifying for the Champions League next season.

It could also help convince other players to join the Lilywhites – a mass exodus of both superstars in Kane and Son would have potential transfer targets scratching their heads about the club’s future ambitions.

In other news: Spurs will now swoop for this £31.5m-valued ‘leader’ with Paratici calling, find out more here.

Predicted Manchester City XI vs Everton

Manchester City take on Everton on Sunday afternoon in the final Premier League game of the season, with Pep Guardiola’s side to be handed the trophy in front of City supporters at the Etihad.

The Citizens have enjoyed a superb campaign and wrapped up the Premier League title earlier this month, whilst they also tasted success in the Carabao Cup.

Although the Spanish manager will undoubtedly have one eye on the Champions League final against Chelsea later this month, his team have lost two of their last three games now, so he may well revert to his strongest eleven when his side take on Carlo Ancelotti’s side this afternoon.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Guardiola to line his side up against the Toffees, with six changes from the team that started in the 3-2 defeat against Brighton last time out…

Ederson keeps his place in goal after wrapping up the Golden Glove award in midweek, despite the defeat against Graham Potter’s side.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-manchester-city-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read the latest Manchester City transfer rumours and news!”]

There are two changes in defence, as Kyle Walker comes in for the suspended Joao Cancelo at right-back, whilst Aymeric Laporte replaces John Stones at centre-back, with the Englishman rested for the final.

In midfield, Fernandinho replaces Rodri, as the “perfect” Spain international has disappointed in recent performances, and is arguably behind the Brazilian in the pecking order after his excellent displays against PSG recently.

Kevin De Bruyne also earns some much-needed match fitness in attacking midfield, with Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez supporting him on the wings.

[freshpress-quiz id=“577936″]

The final change sees Sergio Aguero replace Ferran Torres up front, in what will be his final appearance for the Citizens at the Etihad, so he deserves an almighty send-off.

And, in other news… Imagine him and KDB: Txiki should seal Man City swoop for “spectacular” £39.6m-rated beast

West Brom not interested in Rafael Benitez

West Bromwich Albion are not considering a move to appoint Rafael Benitez at The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Telegraph, who claimed that the Spaniard has not been considered for the vacant managerial position at The Hawthorns despite the 61-year-old currently being without a job after leaving Chinese Super League side Dalian Professional back in January.

Fans will be furious

Considering just how successful Benitez has been in his long managerial career, reports that the Baggies’ hierarchy have not approached the Spaniard about taking over from Sam Allardyce this summer is somewhat baffling, and it’s a development which must be infuriating to West Brom fans.

Indeed, in addition to having won an astonishing amount of trophies, including La Liga, the Champions League, UEFA Cup, Europa League, FIFA Club World Cup, FA Cup and Coppa Italia, Benitez also has a proven track record of hauling a team out of the Championship following their relegation from the Premier League.

After dropping down to the second tier in 2016, he stuck with Newcastle United, guiding them to the Championship title at the first time of asking – winning 29, drawing seven and losing 10 games in the 2016/17 season, picking up a grand total of 94 points.

Subsequently, despite the rather stingy ownership of Mike Ashley, Benitez then went on to establish the Magpies as a solid Premier League side once again, securing a top-half finish in the club’s first season back in the top flight before a further mid-table finish in the 2018/19 campaign.

As such, exactly why West Brom are not believed to be considering a move to appoint the former Liverpool, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Chelsea and Napoli manager at The Hawthorns this summer is rather confusing. He would appear to be an excellent candidate to ensure that the Baggies return to the top table of English football as quickly as possible, as well as comfortably keeping them up in subsequent years.

In other news: West Brom handed transfer boost over “fantastic” £8m beast that’ll have fans buzzing

Chansiri set for disaster as claim emerges

Sheffield Wednesday could well sell a number of their star players if Dejphon Chansiri receives a suitable bid for them this summer.

What’s been said?

That’s according to the Yorkshire Live journalist Dom Howson, who claimed he wouldn’t be surprised if, in order to balance the books at Hillsborough this summer, the club’s owner will seriously consider selling any of the Owls’ contracted players in the upcoming market, regardless of their importance to the team.

Speaking on the Singing The Blues Podcast (as reported by Football League World), Howson said: “You have to say that the revenue hit that they’re going to take now from relegation, there are genuine concerns about [Chansiri’s] ability to continue financing the football club and there’s no sign of him walking away or looking to sell up.

“But Wednesday, this summer, when it comes to some of their playing assets, such as Josh Windass, Barry Bannan, Dominic Iorfa, those three players who are under contract for next year – I tell you what, if they get some decent offers on the table, for any of their players, they’re going to have to seriously look at it this summer to again try and make ends meet.”

Fans will be furious

It is inevitable that, following the club’s relegation to the third tier of English football, the Owls will have to make financial cutbacks in a number of areas this summer in order to make up for the lost revenue that Championship football brings.

However, if Chansiri attempts to make up for this loss in revenue by selling the club’s most influential players, Wednesday very much run the risk of finding themselves stuck in League One for a great deal longer than just one season – something that would be yet another grave mistake on the part of the 53-year-old.

Furthermore, with the businessman already struggling to pay the wages of his players, the drop in division is only going to tighten the financial strain on the club, and, if Chansiri cannot afford to stump up the cash to pay players’ salaries, rather than selling off key assets this summer, the question must be raised as to whether he is fit to continue running the club.

However, as Howson states, with no sign of the owner selling up any time soon, in addition to this latest news regarding the potential sales of players such as Windass, Bannan and Iorfa, the future of Wednesday does not look overly bright at present, something that is likely to leave the Hillsborough faithful understandably furious.

In other news: 67% passes completed: Sheff Wed passenger who lost possession 22x cost Moore dearly – opinion

Palace must move for Randal Kolo Muani

Crystal Palace have been linked with a move for Nantes striker Randal Kolo Muani ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to French outlet Le10Sport, the Eagles are amongst a number of clubs interested in signing the 22-year-old after an impressive season at the Stade de la Beaujoire.

Kolo Muani has scored nine goals and provided a further nine assists in all competitions throughout 2021/22, with the likes of Eintracht Frankfurt and Lyon set to rival Palace for the youngster’s signature.

Heir to Zaha

With changes expected to be aplenty at Selhurst Park this summer, the capital club need to ensure their recruitment is an unequivocal success, otherwise, a fight to ensure their Premier League status could be on the cards.

Over a dozen first-team players are approaching the end of their current contracts at the capital club, while Eberechi Eze and Nathan Ferguson have been ruled out with Achilles injuries until the new year, at the earliest.

Meanwhile, the club’s talisman Wilfried Zaha has once again opened the door to a possible exit. It means Palace chairman Steve Parish and Roy Hodgson’s successor have an almighty task on their hands over the coming months.

One man who could make that assignment somewhat easier is Kolo Muani. The £6.3m-rated forward (as per Transfermarkt) has earned an impressive reputation for himself this season, despite finishing in the bottom three with Les jaunes et verts.

The France Under-21 international particularly caught the eye in an outstanding 2-1 victory over former Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes back in March.

Kolo Muani was unplayable on the day, bullying centre-back pairing Marquinhos and Presnel Kimpembe all game long, recording a WhoScored rating of 8.23 as he scored the opening goal before setting up Moses Simon for the memorable winner.

Although the youngster’s efforts weren’t enough to prevent Nantes from entering the relegation play-off, he showcased his top-class potential in a struggling side, and Palace must sanction a move over the summer.

When comparing Kolo Muani’s statistics to Zaha’s it’s clear the Frenchman shares many similarities with the Ivory Coast international’s game.

As per WhoScored, Zaha managed 0.4 dribbles and 0.4 shots per league game more than Kolo Muani, and also managed 1 more key passes per league game and outscored the Nantes man by two goals.

However, Kolo Muani provided two more assists than Zaha and miss controlled the ball on 0.5 fewer occasions per game than the 28-year-old.

Considering Kolo Muani is six years Zaha’s junior, the potential for the young striker to grow and potentially succeed the former Manchester United man’s ability is clear for all to see.

Palace need attacking reinforcements ahead of 2021/22, and Parish is going to have to make some tough decisions over the comings months, but deciding whether to sign Kolo Muani or not isn’t one of them.

And, in other news…Fewer touches than Guaita: Palace flop who lost 67% of his duels let Hodgson down 

Ex-Baggie striker urges Pereira to stay

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Bull, who played 561 times for Wolves, has urged West Brom star Matheus Pereira to stay at the Hawthorns, even if they are relegated.

Pereira was a standout performer for the Baggies last time they were in the Championship as he registered eight goals and 20 assists in just 42 league games as West Brom finished second.

The £6,000 per week midfielder has once again been a shining light for West Brom in a relatively poor season, but it has been reported that the Baggies could look to sell their star midfielder.

Speaking on why Pereira should stick with West Brom and what he owes them after being given a chance to prove himself, Bull told FFC:

“I don’t know what will happen because it’s one of those where you don’t know his contractual situation either.

“I’m not sure whether Pereira will stop there but I think West Brom have put faith in him this year so he should stick with them next year and help get them straight back out of the Championship.”

Despite the Baggies spending the majority of the season in the bottom three, Pereira has been able to show he can cut it in the Premier League with seven goals and five assists in 26 games.

It has been reported that Sam Allardyce has a break clause in his West Brom contract for if they get relegated, however, it’s still unclear if he will walk away or not.

Darlow and Schar out for Newcastle v LFC

Steve Bruce has dropped a double injury blow for Newcastle United before their away trip to Liverpool in the Premier League at Saturday lunchtime.

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match against Jurgen Klopp’s men at Anfield , the former Aston Villa and Sunderland boss has confirmed that Karl Darlow will be ‘out for a few weeks’ after having to have a small operation on his knee, while the game ‘might come a bit too early’ for Fabian Schar.

Double Newcastle injury blow

While Darlow has ‘awesome’ in back January when he had to fill in for the then-injured Slovakia international.

In the rare case that Dubravka were to find himself injured once again or even potentially sent off against the Reds, the North East club have now lost the opportunity to be able to call on Darlow from the bench, or of course give Bruce the choice of selecting the Englishman from the off.

Schar is a very important player for the Tyneside club, having averaged more interceptions (1.6) than any other central defender for the Magpies so far in the top flight in the 2020/21 term, as well as a highly respectable 3.1 clearances per match (Whoscored).

Nonetheless, the Toon will have to try and find a way to get something out of the game without the pair, with Schar’s continued absence perhaps more likely to have a big impact.

In other news, find out what big EPL claim Ben Jacobs has dropped on arbitration and the potential takeover here!

De Ligt tipped for move to Man City

Juventus centre-back Matthijs de Ligt has been tipped to move to Manchester City in the future by former Ajax man Bryan Roy recently, and if he were to make the move to the Etihad Stadium, it could be bad news for Aymeric Laporte in Pep Guardiola’s side.

A report from Sport Witness has included some quotes from Roy from his recent interview with Tutto Juve, where he discussed the future of De Ligt.

He said of the 21-year-old: “He will make his last year, he will close the three years with the Juventus shirt and then he will go away. This is my thought. Where? I don’t know, I believe in one between Barcelona and Manchester City.”

Both City and Barcelona were linked with a move for the young defender after his superb campaign with Ajax in 2018/19, when he captained the Eredivisie side to a Champions League semi-final, but he ended up joining Juventus in a deal reportedly worth £67.5m.

Since then, the Dutch international has gone on to make 63 appearances for the Old Lady, in which he has contributed four goals and one assist.

Injury problems, as well as the current viral outbreak, have meant that De Ligt hasn’t really been a regular in Andrea Pirlo’s side so far this season, but there is no doubting his quality and potential to become one of the best defenders in the world.

During his time with Ajax, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher was full of praise for the youngster’s performances both on and off the pitch, saying: “I saw him giving a speech at the end of the season on a stage, speaking like he was 29, not 19. To be captain of Ajax and with them getting to where they got to this season, he’s clearly a leader and top-class.”

Although City arguably have three top-class centre-backs already in John Stones, Ruben Dias and Laporte, if they were to sign the £67.5m-rated De Ligt, he would surely demand a regular spot in Guardiola’s defence.

Therefore, when you consider that Laporte has often been third-choice this season as a result of Stones and Dias’ excellent partnership, you worry that the Frenchman would be the one to depart if De Ligt made the move to the Etihad.

However, given De Ligt’s impressive performances with both Juventus and Ajax in recent seasons, City’s sporting director Txiki Begiristain should definitely consider signing him if the opportunity arises.

In other news… City could be set to lose Aguero heir who “creates fear”, Guardiola won’t be happy.

Leeds keen on signing Kyron Gordon

Leeds United have joined the race to sign exciting Sheffield United youngster Kyron Gordon, according to fresh reports.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side are still basking in the glory of Saturday’s amazing 2-1 victory away to Manchester City in what was one of the results of the season. Stuart Dallas’ last-minute winner was a memorabnle moment for Leeds supporters as their team continue to thrive back in the Premier League.

Leeds don’t want to rest on their laurels in the summer transfer window, though, with Bielsa likely keen to make new signings.

[freshpress-quiz id=“351040″]

Leeds enter the race to sign Gordon

According to the Daily Mail, the Whites are now in the race to snap up Gordon from the Blades, with Manchester United also believed to be interested.

The 18-year-old is a highly-rated prospect who has been in and around the first team at Bramall Lane this season, albeit without being given his senior debut.

Transfer Tavern take

Signing talented homegrown talent tends to be exciting for any club, so Leeds’ rumoured interest in Gordon should be considered a positive. The hope is that Bielsa is looking towards the future and not just the present, eyeing up individuals who can take take the team forward when current stars drift past their best.

Gordon could fit into that category, and the fact that the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool are monitoring the situation speaks volumes about his potential.

Also, in a season which has seen Diego Llorente, Liam Cooper and Robin Koch all succumb to injuries, it is little surprise that Bielsa wants to add centre-back depth at Elland Road, even in the form of a raw youngster in Gordon.

In other news, one Leeds defender has come in for huge praise after his display against Manchester City. Find out who it is here.

Celtic: Marsch won’t join Hoops

Red Bull Salzburg boss Jesse Marsch won’t be the next Celtic manager, according to reliable reporter Christian Falk.

The American recently admitted it was an “honour” to be linked with the Celtic job, describing the role as “interesting”.

That led to several Celtic fans urging the Hoops to seal a deal for the 47-year-old, with Parkhead chiefs admirers of Marsch, but those fans will now be disappointed after the latest update.

Marsch makes Celtic contact

However, Falk simply ended a tweet on Thursday morning claiming he has ‘confirmation’ that ‘Jesse Marsch won‘t join Celtic FC’.

Falk’s earlier post claimed that Marsch told the Celtic board that the interest is an honour, but he will not be available in the summer for the vacant job.

Transfer Tavern take

Even though Marsch is now out of the running to succeed Neil Lennon, we feel that the club can take heart in the fact that a boss with an impressive record was full of praise for the club and the available position.

The Hoops, we feel, should now be full of optimism over the coming months in their pursuit of a new manager.

The successful director of football candidate will also have a role to play in that search, and if the club get both appointments spot on, fans could well see an immediate response in the 2021/22 season following this season’s disappointing campaign.

In other news: In-demand Scot ready to quit Celtic as unlikely transfer destination emerges, find out more here. 

Game
Register
Service
Bonus