All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side will undoubtedly be heading into Wednesday night’s Premiership fixture against St. Mirren in fine spirits, having just won the 56-year-old manager his first trophy as the Bhoys boss – defeating Hibernian 2-1 at Hampden Park in the League Cup final on Sunday afternoon.

However, while Kyogo Furuhashi and Mikey Johnston both returned from injury to play a part in the cup final last weekend, Postecoglou looks as if he will still be without the services of Jota, James Forrest, Giorgos Giakoumakis, Albian Ajeti and the newly injured David Turnbull for the trip to St. Mirren Park tomorrow evening – all of whom appear to be continued absences due to various knocks.

Although, with the games coming thick and fast for Celtic at present, a fixture against the team who currently sit ninth in the Premiership table may not be the worst time to rest a couple of the Hoops’ more regular starters, while simultaneously presenting the 56-year-old Bhoys boss with the opportunity to field a number of his exciting up and coming youth prospects – arguably the most talented of whom is 19-year-old, Owen Moffat.

Postecoglou must unleash Moffat

Having been brought on in both the 2-1 Premiership win over Ross County and the 2-1 League Cup final victory over Hibs last week, the teenage left-winger is undoubtedly a player who will be pushing for a starting spot in Postecoglou’s side over the coming weeks.

And, considering how impressive the youngster has been for Celtic’s B team side so far this season, it would very much appear as if Moffat is worthy of a shot from the off against St. Mirren on Wednesday evening.

Indeed, the forward is the reserve side’s top goalscorer in the Scottish Lowland League, having bagged 11 times in the division already this season – five more than any of his teammates.

As a result of this form, as well as Celtic’s crippling injury list, Postecoglou called the 19-year-old up to first-team training last week, and the 56-year-old appears to be incredibly impressed with the way the youngster has performed at Lennoxtown.

Speaking about Moffat, the Bhoys boss said: “Life is about opportunity. Not just being in the right place at the right time, but also being ready for it. Moff probably wasn’t in the calculations two weeks ago, but we just had so many injuries and we brought him into training and he has looked bright.

“We brought him on the other night and he looked good. That, to me, is a lesson for every player out there. You have to be ready for that opportunity.”

And, although the Hoops’ injury list has been slighted shortened by the return of both Kyogo and Johnston, should Postecoglou wish to keep as many of his first-team players as possible fit over the coming weeks, he must start rotating his squad more efficiently – leading us to believe that the Greek-Australian coach simply must start Moffat against St. Mirren tomorrow night.

In other news: Alan Nixon drops exciting Celtic transfer update that will have fans buzzing

Leeds United fans won’t want to hear what The Athletic’s Phil Hay has to say about deadline day at Elland Road…

What’s the word?

Speaking on Twitter, the ever-reliable reporter delivered a gutting claim about the likelihood of the Whites conducting any sort of business before the 11pm deadline.

“As for incomings at Elland Road, still expecting a quiet day,” he revealed.

In just 11 words, Hay has surely ruined the hopes and dreams of many supporters around west Yorkshire with just a few hours left to go.

Gutting news

Much of the Leeds faithful have been desperate to see Marcelo Bielsa handed some reinforcements to his decimated squad this month but it appears as if it just isn’t going to happen.

Their attempts to bring a new midfielder to the club have fallen short after seeing bids of £15m and £20m rejected by RB Salzburg for their star maestro Brenden Aaronson.

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That’s a deal that is expected to happen in the summer instead, meaning Leeds haven’t signed anyone for the engine room for four years now when Adam Forshaw joined from Middlesbrough in January 2018.

That area of the pitch has been a pressing need with influential England international Kalvin Phillips, who was subject of interest from West Ham United in the past few days, absent through injury until March at the earliest.

He along with skipper Liam Cooper and last season’s leading talisman Patrick Bamford have been huge absentees for the Yorkshiremen.

There have been times where Bielsa has been without as many as 11 first-team players in the Premier League, leaving him to fill the bench with academy players who simply aren’t ready for a crack at the big time.

This latest bombshell from Hay will leave many around Elland Road absolutely furious, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Enquiry made: Leeds submit last-ditch “offer” on deadline day, Bielsa badly needs him…

Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford could be fit for the final two Premier League games of the season despite initial fears he would not return this campaign.

The Lowdown: Bamford’s torrid season

The 28-year-old was arguably the Whites’ star man last season, scoring 17 league goals, but things have panned out very differently this time around.

Bamford has been hampered by injury problems throughout the campaign, being limited to just seven league starts, which has played a part in the Whites’ struggles.

The striker is currently out with a foot injury which was initially expected to make him miss the rest of the campaign, but Jesse Marsch has revealed he could now miss just the next three weeks.

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The Latest: Hay shares good news

Providing his thoughts in a Q&A for The Athletic on Monday ahead of Leeds’ trip to Crystal Palace, Phil Hay claimed that Bamford could return for the last two league games of the season, which are at home to Brighton and away to Brentford.

The journalist shared a prospective return date from the Whites manager which essentially means missing the next three weeks, claiming:

“Still no Patrick Bamford [v Palace] but Jesse Marsch thinks he might make it back for the last two games of the season.”

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The Verdict: Could be massive for Leeds

This is a potentially huge boost for Leeds, as they find themselves in danger of getting sucked back into a relegation battle between themselves, Everton and Burnley.

Bamford’s finishing ability means that just one chance could be needed in one of those final two matches, should Marsch’s side still not be safe at that point.

In many ways, the hope is that Leeds have avoided relegation by then and Bamford doesn’t need to be risked, but having him in contention would feel significant, providing the Whites with proven Premier League firepower.

In other news, Hay has dropped a Leeds transfer claim. Read more here.

Jannik Vestergaard has enjoyed an excellent season with Southampton and the centre-back continued his impressive form with Denmark at the weekend, as they defeated Moldova 8-0 in a World Cup qualifying game.

The former Borussia Monchengladbach man has been one of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s top performers in the Premier League so far this season, with his 7.09 average rating in the Premier League only second to James Ward-Prowse in the Southampton squad.

As a result of his performances, Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a move for the 28-year-old recently, and Jose Mourinho may well have had his eye on the defender as he impressed for Denmark at the weekend.

As per SofaScore, Vestergaard would earn an impressive 7.6/10 rating for his display in what proved to be a comfortable win for Kasper Hjulmand’s side.

During the game, the colossal centre-back would have 113 touches of the ball and would complete 101/105 of his passes during the game, resulting in an excellent 96% pass accuracy.

This emphasises that, although he is renowned for his ability in the air, Vestergaard is an excellent passer of the ball and is capable of big switches of play, as eight of his 11 long balls would find a teammate against Moldova.

Although you can argue that the standard of opposition made things easy for the Danish defender, his average pass accuracy rate of 83.9% in the Premier League rates him third of any Saints player who has made more than five top-flight appearances.

The 28-year-old was also his usual imperious self in defence against Moldova, as he won all four of his duels during the game, whilst he also contributed three tackles, one interception and one clearance during the 90 minutes.

Despite his lack of pace, Vestergaard also wasn’t dribbled past once, which demonstrates his excellent defensive ability and shows how he has improved his game during his time at Southampton, especially this season.

Therefore, should Spurs, or any other side, make an official bid for Vestergaard in the summer, they should be wary that if he continues to produce displays similar to this one for both club and country, then his current value of £16.2 million will soon be on the up.

And, in other news… Shades of Schneiderlin: Southampton could repeat transfer masterclass with 19 y/o gem

Fans of West Ham United have been reacting to a post on Twitter, in which the Hammers’ relayed footage of Jesse Lingard in action for the club.

Since making his loan move to West Ham from Manchester United back in January, Lingard has proven something of a revelation for David Moyes’ side, with the 28-year-old scoring five goals and providing two assists over his seven Premier League appearances for the Hammers, as well as averaging a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.34 – ranking him as the club’s best performer in the top flight.

In recognition of his fine form for the side, West Ham posted footage of the England international’s highlights for the club thus far on Twitter, accompanied by the attacking midfielder’s impressive statistics.

And, in reaction to the footage, fans of West Ham flocked to have their say on the matter, with many begging the club’s board to make Lingard’s loan deal a permanent move in the upcoming summer transfer window.

So, what exactly did these West Ham United fans have to say in reaction to the footage of Jesse Lingard?

“Been involved in 8 goals in 7 games! Mad!”

@Josephsimon007

“Sign him permanently lads.”

@WestHamViews_

“Class, class and more class as a player and as a man in how he treats others.”

@IronessWest

“Sign him permanently.”

@whulucas_

“Jesse please please please pleeease sign da ting.”

@WHUBanter

“Incredible.”

@_ghzst

In other news: This pundit dropped a claim on GSB’s £82k-p/w West Ham summer target – find out more here!

Dean Windass doesn’t think that Patrick Bamford would turn down the chance to sign for Liverpool.

The striker enjoyed an outstanding first season in the Premier League, scoring 17 goals despite a slow end to the campaign.

However, according to The Athletic, the former Chelsea youngster is ‘admired’ by the Reds, with his form last year not going unnoticed from those at Anfield.

Bamford’s first goal of the campaign came at Liverpool in Leeds’ 4-3 defeat on the opening day in, which allowed him to end up with 17 in total – more than both Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, whilst only five behind Mohamed Salah.

Reds manager Jurgen Klopp even picked the frontman out for individual praise following the return fixture at Elland Road back in April.

He said: “What a player, Bamford! I can remember, I’m pretty sure before the season I heard on talkSPORT, people saying that Leeds need a proper goalscorer, Bamford is not good enough, stuff like this. I’m so happy that he could prove them all wrong!”

Meanwhile, whilst Bamford is widely expected to sign a new contract, he’s entered the final 12 months of his current deal – which could potentially see Liverpool sign him for a cut-price fee.

Should they push for his signature, Windass exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that Bamford would find it hard to stay loyal to Leeds:

“He’s a hard-working kid, he’s an honest lad, a good finisher, but if Liverpool come calling, I don’t think anyone would turn it down.

“Would he score goals for Liverpool? Yes. No disrespect to Leeds’ front-three, but Liverpool’s is better. So, if he got an opportunity to go to Anfield, he wouldn’t turn it down.”

Leeds United are trying to tie down Marcelo Bielsa to a new two-year deal at Elland Road, according to former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson.

The Argentine has been a revelation since taking charge of the club back in the summer of 2018, guiding them back into the Premier League. Not only that, but he has comfortably avoided relegation on Leeds’ return to the top flight, with his team currently ninth in the table.

The 65-year-old’s current deal expires at the end of this season, though, and he is yet to commit his future to the club, no doubt concerning many supporters.

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Robinson makes claim over Bielsa’s future

Speaking to MOT Leeds News, Robinson who played for Leeds and Tottenham among others – claimed that the Elland Road club are doing their best to tie down Bielsa for another two years in the hot seat in what would be a significant development. He said:

“This is a really difficult one for me because it’s two clubs really close to my heart. I can’t decide who I want to win when the two teams play each other.

“But I have a huge amount of respect for Bielsa and what a good manager he is. I know Leeds are trying to sign him on a two-year deal and they need to do that as quickly as possible.

“After that, they need a contingency plan where he’s involved in finding his successor.

“He’s got a huge role to play at Leeds and from their point of view it’s hugely important that he stays for however many years he wants to be there.

“When he does leave another manager will come in and no one works like Bielsa. He’s a unique man. To find someone else like him would be almost impossible.

“I think they should go for [Mauricio] Pochettino. Let him win some trophies at PSG and then in a couple of years bring him to Leeds.

“For Tottenham, though, Bielsa would be an absolutely fantastic appointment.”

Transfer Tavern take

The hope is that Bielsa will sign on the dotted line – he hasn’t suggested otherwise, which must be considered a positive. He comes across as a loyal person who won’t want to leave Leeds at a point when they are only growing as a club during a rich period in their history.

It could be argued that only Bielsa staying on will allow the Whites to continue on their current trajectory, such is his quality and influence as a manager, highlighting the importance of the next few months.

In other news, a world-renowned attacker linked with Leeds has reportedly make a decision over his future. Find out who it is here.

Tottenham Hotspur have made Joachim Andersen their top summer transfer target but only once they resolve their managerial situation…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who dropped a fresh claim on Twitter earlier this week, where he suggested that the Fulham loan star is firmly on Spurs’ radar.

He wrote:

“Tottenham are working to resolve the manager situation then the board will decide on new signings. Joachim Andersen is the main target as centre-back – he wants to stay in Premier League, #THFC want him. Many European clubs are interested too.”

The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke has also revealed that the Danish defender has “chosen that he would like to come to Spurs” but the North Londoners are yet to open negotiations with his parent club, Lyon.

Andersen is expected to cost around £25m, as per the Telegraph, though as Romano states, there will be stern competition from right across Europe.

Imagine him under Pochettino

This off-season is certainly going to be an interesting one for the Lilywhites as their search for Jose Mourinho’s successor rumbles on. And one claim this week has linked Mauricio Pochettino with a sensation return to the club.

The Argentine was sacked over 18 months ago and is currently at Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain, though he’s thought to be open to coming back to the club.

Andersen is the sort of player that Pochettino would love in the heart of defence, especially as that is where Spurs need an overhaul the most.

As explained perfectly by The Athletic earlier this campaign, defensive issues and a lack of cohesion has been the defining theme of Tottenham’s terrible season.

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Mourinho couldn’t settle on a backline, using over 16 different combinations, but you can hardly blame him when you’ve got to pick between Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez in the middle.

If Levy does manage to secure the 49-year-old, then he’ll only have the exact same problems, which is why a move for Andersen makes a ton of sense.

Despite being relegated with Fulham, the 24-year-old colossus has impressed massively, leading to praise from those in and around Premier League football.

For instance, ex-Wimbledon star Robbie Earle dubbed him “absolutely sensational” to his ‘The 2 Robbies’ podcast, whilst the Daily Mirror’s chief football writer John Cross hailed him as “magnificent” earlier in the campaign.

When comparing Andersen to Dier, there’s a clear standout, too.

The 6 foot 4 giant vastly outperformed the Spurs defender, yet it is he who tasted relegation. That says more about the Englishman than it does the Lyon loanee.

As per WhoScored, Andersen won more aerial duels (3.2 per game), registered more interceptions (1.4 per game), made more tackles (1.2 per game), and was more successful in finding the opposition offside (1.1x per game) than Dier.

His passing range is phenomenal too, having averaged a whopping 5.8 long balls per game, and that’ll please Pochettino and his system even more.

It means he not only reads the game better than the Spurs star but he also performed better, despite tasting relegation, in comparison to Spurs’ seventh-place finish.

Evidently, the £26m-rated centre-back is a huge upgrade on Dier, who was snubbed from England’s European Championship squad this week.

Levy could begin to turn things around in N17 if he were to land both Pochettino and Andersen as his first two pieces of business this summer. He must get this deal done.

AND in other news, Spurs surely risk losing Harry Kane after talks with “pathetic” ex-PL man with 30% win rate…

Southampton have been linked with both Junior Firpo and Brandon Williams recently, but who would be the better addition to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side this summer?

Brandon Williams

Southampton were heavily linked with the Manchester United full-back during the January transfer window and, whilst that deal fell through, The Athletic have suggested that Hasenhuttl’s side will return for him this summer ahead of a potential loan deal.

The 20-year-old defender has dropped down the pecking order at Old Trafford this season due to the signing of Alex Telles and the impressive form of Luke Shaw, which led to him making just four appearances in the Premier League.

Whilst it is likely that the £9m-rated youngster would initially join on loan, it could prove to be a repeat of the deal which saw Southampton sign Kyle Walker-Peters on a temporary basis in January 2020 before being convinced to make his stay a permanent one last summer.

Junior Firpo

According to ESPN, Southampton have asked about Firpo’s situation at Barcelona ahead of a potential summer move, with the former Real Betis man having struggled for regular game-time at the Nou Camp due to the form of Jordi Alba.

Barcelona are reportedly keen to sell the 24-year-old as they attempt to raise funds through the sales of deadwood in Ronald Koeman’s squad, although they may be keen to recoup a significant percentage of the £16.3m they paid for him in 2019.

This season saw the Spaniard make just seven appearances in La Liga for the Catalan side, but his previous form at Real Betis suggests that he could be a good addition at St Mary’s this summer.

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Who would be the better signing?

Given that Hasenhuttl has claimed Southampton will target players under £10m this summer and Firpo is also valued at £9m, it seems as if both are viable options for the Austrian this summer.

However, Williams allows for a trial period if he joins on loan with no obligation to buy, whereas the Spaniard would have little resale value if he signed permanently and failed to impress.

Williams is also younger than Firpo, can feature as a right-back so has more versatility, and has the added bonus of being English which helps with registration issues, so it seems as if he would be the better addition this summer at least.

Therefore, Martin Semmens should forget about signing Firpo and instead focus on bringing Manchester United’s “exciting, young English talent” – in the words of Gary Lineker – to St Mary’s.

In other news… Semmens must seal Saints swoop for “exceptionally talented” ace, he won’t cost a penny

West Ham United appear to be interested in signing Jed Wallace in 2022 after a very reliable source dropped a fresh claim on the situation…

What’s the word?

Over the weekend, Football League World reported that the Irons were among several top-flight clubs eyeing up a potential swoop for the 27-year-old Millwall attacker as he’s out of contract in the summer.

Club insider ExWHUemployee has now confirmed that he’s a player that the Hammers have looked at previously, also suggesting that these reports to have some substance.

On a recent episode of ‘The West Ham Way’ podcast, he revealed:

“Interesting[ly], there is a guy at Millwall. He’s 27 – Jed Wallace.

“I know that we’ve watched him in the past and the fact that outlets are reporting about our interest suggests that the interest is still there. So that will be an interesting one because his contract is up at the end of the season.”

Should they swoop?

After signing some big-name players for substantial transfer fees, this latest development may seem a little underwhelming. After all, they have just brought in Champions League and Premier League winner Kurt Zouma for £29.8m, as well as the playmaking Nikola Vlasic for a similar amount.

However, it’s a prospective signing which should leave much of the London Stadium faithful excited as the Hammers have enjoyed plenty of success when dipping their toes into the Championship.

You only have to look at the success of Aaron Cresswell, Jarrod Bowen, Said Benrahma and Michail Antonio to realise that.

Wallace would surely join them in that list eventually, given his undoubted and impressive ability.

The £6.3m-rated winger has already started the 2021/22 season on fire, scoring three goals and providing two assists in the Lions’ opening six league games, adding to his ten goals and eight assists in all competitions last term and ten goals and 12 assists in 2019/20, as per Transfermarkt.

Furthermore, as per WhoScored, he has averaged 1.9 shots, 1.6 key passes and 1.5 dribbles every game since 2015/16, proving to be a mark of consistency in attack.

He’s a player who has been lauded as a “game-changer” by his current boss Gary Rowett as recently as August this year and you can never have enough players of this ilk to either start or come off the bench.

The fact that ExWHUemployee is confirming that the club have followed him in the past and is even suggesting that the interest still remains is a hugely encouraging sign heading into the January transfer window and beyond.

Wallace could well be available for a bargain given his contractual situation and if they’re willing to wait a little longer, he’ll be free to join for absolutely nothing, so it certainly seems like a low-risk signing for the Irons.

Therefore, the West Ham fanbase should be buzzing by this fresh claim.

AND in other news, Moyes must now axe his favourite from his West Ham starting XI…