All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Many Wolves fans have been left to fume as a transfer update emerged on Samu Costa.

As per Record (via Sport Witness), the Midlands club are reportedly interested in signing the Portugal U20 international in the summer window, and there is a belief that they would be willing to pay the €25m (£21.5m) fee required in order to secure his signature.

While Costa is a very promising player in his own right, having represented his country youth level and helped Almeria reach the La Liga 2 play-offs while on loan from Braga in the 2020/21 season, he is still quite raw at just 20 years of age, and has no prior experience of playing in the Premier League.

Thus, £21.5m does seem a bit steep for someone who is not guaranteed to be a success at Molineux.

Wolves fans on Costa transfer update

These WWFC supporters fumed as the transfer update was shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that it was ‘stupid’:

“If this happens at these prices then it will just confirm who is driving our transfer strategy. Absolute joke”

Credit: @PaulaAdey

“This smells funny”

Credit: @Ry_Oakley

“If they sign this kid for that price Fosun need to drop any pretence of them not being Mendes pocket greasers. Joke”

Credit: @LoneWol99231327

“Poor business that”

Credit: @logan67890

“This is so stupid”

Credit: @Millenwwfc

“Joke of a price”

Credit: @lewis__wwfc7

In other news, find out what transfer update has been slammed by Wanderers here!

Everton will host Leicester at Goodison Park this evening in an important clash that could push Frank Lampard’s side further into safety from the relegation zone if they can take all three points from the game.

In terms of injury news, despite having an almost fully fit squad when Lampard spoke yesterday in his press conference to confirm the return of Yerry Mina and Donny Van de Beek, there has now been a new injury worry in the team that could see a starting player out for the game ahead.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been named as a doubt for selection following a rumoured injury problem according to journalist Chris Beesley from the Liverpool Echo. However, there is no clarity yet on whether he will play against Leicester City and will likely come down to the game itself for official confirmation of the striker’s condition.

With that being said, this is how Football FanCast expects Everton to line up against Brendan Rodgers’ side…

We expect to see three changes in the team that beat Manchester United, with a 4-2-3-1 formation deployed.

The first change we expect to see is Yerry Mina’s instant inclusion in the selection following his long-term injury problems that have kept him sidelined since the beginning of February when he picked up a high-grade quadriceps tendon injury during the game against Newcastle United at St James’ Park.

The Toffees boss confirmed that the 6 foot 3 defender hailed a “monster” by Michael Ball, will “feature” in today’s team, and we predict he will replace Michael Keane to play alongside Ben Godfrey, which will be a huge boost in the back-line.

The second change that we think we will see in tonight’s game is the return of van de Beek but placed in a more attacking role, allowing the Man United loanee to have more freedom to be creative and play a part in troubling the Foxes defence, his attacking attributes are something he is well known for from his time at Ajax.

The third and final change we predict is Demarai Gray coming in on the left wing to replace Richarlison, who will take the centre-forward role in Calvert-Lewin’s absence.

If the rumours are true that the striker is injured again, Lampard will not be wanting to take any chances on his fitness and will likely either bench the forward or remove him from the squad completely ahead of the Merseyside Derby this weekend.

Everton can go six points clear of 18th place Burnley if they can secure their second win in a row against Leicester tonight, and Lampard will surely be hoping his team can carry their confidence from their surprise win over Man United into the game, especially with the added quality re-joining the side in the likes of Yerry Mina.

AND in other news: Lampard must unleash “unselfish” £22.5m-rated Everton star, he’ll terrify Leicester

In an exclusive interview with The Transfer Tavern, Rob Lee, who made 18 appearances for West Ham United, has claimed that Tammy Abraham may prove to be too expensive if Chelsea are wanting £40 million for the striker.

It has been reported that the Blues will look to receive £40 million for their academy graduate who has fallen out of favour at Chelsea since Thomas Tuchel took over from Frank Lampard earlier this year.

West Ham only have one recognised striker after they sold their club-record signing Sebastien Haller to Ajax for £20.25 million in January, but David Moyes decided to not replace him.

Speaking on how £40 million could be too expensive for West Ham and how Abraham has proved himself to be worth that much, Lee told The Transfer Tavern:

“Yeah, that is really expensive and a lot of money but I think he’s done very well and he’s always scored goals whether that be for Aston Villa or Chelsea.

“I’m sure there’ll be other clubs who are interested in him if they’re going to let him go and £40 million does seem a lot of money, but clubs will pay it.”

Last season was the £57,692 per week striker’s breakout Premier League campaign as he managed to score 15 goals, however this season he’s only found the net six times.

Timo Werner was signed for £45 million last summer from RB Leipzig, however he has not been clinical enough in front of goal with just six goals in 32 Premier League games.

Glasgow Rangers dropped what could be two vital points in the race for the Scottish Premiership title at Saturday lunchtime ahead of the Old Firm derby.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team were pegged back deep into injury time by Matthew Wright, after twice taking the lead through debutant Amad Diallo and later Connor Goldson.

James Tavernier had equalised for the visitors after Jordan White and Regan Charles-Cook answered Diallo’s opener with two quick goals before half-time, in what was a really poor defensive display in particular from the Light Blues.

The Transfer Tavern have now used statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who the three worst performers (to have played at least 45 minutes) were for the Gers on the day, and they may now be looking over their shoulder regarding their place in the XI against Celtic…

Cedric Itten

Itten ranks third to last as he was given a 6.7 overall rating by SofaScore.

The Switzerland international was hauled off just before the hour mark for Kemar Roofe with the score still level, emphasising the lack of impact he made on the game.

He lost six of his seven duels, and failed with both of his shots on goal, while he also could not manage a single dribble, and lost the ball a total of 10 times.

Itten was the only Gers starter to have recorded fewer touches than his own goalkeeper Allan McGregor, and fans were particularly critical of his display above others in the team.

Calvin Bassey

Bassey had a poor match by his standards, making a silly mistake that led to the second goal being conceded, and justifiably was only given a 5.9 rating.

The central defender lost out on two of his duels, and also failed to block any shots or make any interceptions, while he was guilty of giving the ball away on seven separate occasions.

Allan McGregor

Unsurprising, McGregor was given the lowest rating (4.6) after his two bad errors which both led to goals.

The Scotsman was simply not himself, recording just a 76% pass accuracy, one of the lowest out of his teammates, while he also lost possession six times in total, and only managed to make one save.

In other news, find out what contract update has Gers gushing here!

Leeds United have reportedly told decided against stumping up the £13m asking price for Sampdoria defender Omar Colley, according to the Daily Express.

The lowdown

The 28-year-old has been with the Serie A club since 2018 and has gone on to make 85 appearances in total for them, 30 of which came last season as they finished ninth in the league.

His strong performances evidently haven’t gone unnoticed, with Leeds reportedly rivalling the likes of West Ham to a potential deal for the Gambia international.

Colley has a transfer value of £5.4m according to Transfermarkt, with four years remaining on his current contract with Sampdoria.

The latest

Club Doria has now claimed (via Sport Witness) that Sampdoria are looking to obtain a fee in the region of £13m for Colley’s services, with the report stating that none of the interested clubs have matched their valuation of the 28-year-old.

With just under a month until the summer transfer window reaches a conclusion, it remains to be seen whether Leeds will submit a formal offer for the defender’s services at this stage.

The Daily Express have now claimed that the Whites aren’t prepared to match Sampdoria’s valuation of Colley as they look at alternative options instead.

The verdict

This will be a frustrating update for Leeds fans and the club’s hierarchy heading into the final three weeks of the summer transfer window.

The Whites could have benefitted from adding strength in depth to their defensive options, with the likes of Robin Koch and Diego Llorente previously struggling for fitness at times during the 2020/21 season.

Therefore, it makes complete sense for Leeds to target Colley, who has experience of playing at a high level with Sampdoria in the Italian top flight. However, if the fee is proving too prohibitive, it’s time to move on from this one and focus on more attainable transfer targets.

In other news: Leeds are in the mix for this ‘really bright’ Championship starlet

Leeds United must seize a golden chance to sign Udinese star Rodrigo de Paul after a major transfer development.

What’s the story?

Reports last summer suggested that Leeds were very much interested in bringing the Argentina international to Elland Road, and The Athletic’s Phil Hay recently indicated that the midfielder wants to come to Yorkshire.

Now, according to Italian publication Milan Live, De Paul’s “farewell” from Udinese seems to be close, with the midfielder pictured in tears on the substitute’s bench after the final Serie A game of the season against Inter.

The report adds that along with Leeds, a number of Italian sides are interested in signing him, with the likes of Milan, Inter, Juventus and Napoli all following him closely.

Kinnear’s golden chance

It was only in recent weeks that Leeds United’s chief executive, Angus Kinnear, dismissed suggestions De Paul was a player they were trying to sign.

But, when you look at the kind of player that he is, and the fact he does appear set to leave Udinese given the recent transfer update, Kinnear must surely seize this golden chance to snap him up.

Udinese coach Luca Gotti said: “Rodrigo is not the only one we have here who has a bright future but he can play for all the top clubs. Any team in the world. I mean, he starts for Lionel Messi’s Argentina. I’ve been able to watch this metamorphosis from up close, the shift in mentality that turns a good player into a top player, a champion.

“He’s become a leader and is the first person to demand more of himself. Rodrigo is able to pass that work ethic on to his team-mates.”

And, the Udinese’s technical director, Pier Paolo Marino, has also spoken highly of the £34.2m-rated midfielder, adding: “Rodrigo is animated by a profound love of football. It’s one of the attributes all top players must have. He’s a tireless worker who mixes quantity with quality, training as hard as he plays. In a nutshell, he’s the ideal player.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/leeds-united-marcelo-bielsa-transfer-gossip-rumours-news-elland-road-rodrigo-de-paul” title=”Read the latest Leeds transfer rumours and news!”]

De Paul’s tears at the weekend seemed to hint at him having played his final game for Udinese, and while Kinnear poured cold water over speculation, it’s time for him to perform a major U-turn and sign him this summer.

Meanwhile, Leeds United are plotting a fresh move for this star…

Southampton look set to miss out on Benfica’s Nuno Tavares this summer as he edges closer to a move to Arsenal, which will surely frustrate Saints fans and Ralph Hasenhuttl.

The south coast club have been regularly linked with the full-back in recent months but he looks set for a switch to the Emirates Stadium, as Italian football journalist Fabrizio Romano confirmed on Twitter: “Arsenal have an agreement signed with Benfica for Nuno Tavares since yesterday. Done deal, no doubt. Fee will be €8m, plus add ons. Nuno will sign until June 2026.”

Although Southampton look set to complete the signing of Brest left-back Romain Perraud in the coming days, they are still quite low on full-back options following the departure of Ryan Bertrand, especially with Jake Vokins expected to go out on loan again in the 2021/22 campaign.

Therefore, Tavares could have been an excellent young back-up to Perraud in Hasenhuttl’s side next season and helped to strengthen the Saints in an area where they are particularly weak, as was emphasised last season when they struggled immensely in the absence of first team full-backs Bertrand and Kyle Walker-Peters.

The 21-year-old defender has featured as a left-back, left midfielder and right-back during his time with Benfica, so his versatility could have been a welcome addition at St Mary’s this summer.

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

The fee which Romano has quoted for Tavares would also have suited Southampton, as Hasenhuttl confirmed that they will target players for £10m or less this summer, so the Portuguese defender could have been an ideal option for the future at the south coast club.

The Benfica man, who is currently valued at £6.3m by Transfermarkt, was touted as one of the brightest prospects in world football by his agent Cesar Boaventura, who suggested that he had the ability to play for any club in Europe after links with Manchester United emerged.

Therefore, if Tavares can realise his potential with Arsenal, then Southampton will surely regret not acting more decisively to sign him this summer. It is also undoubtedly a blow for Hasenhuttl, who must now look elsewhere for a full-back to compete with Perraud and Walker-Peters in his side next season.

In other news… Southampton are keen on this Champions League regular

Liverpool were on cloud nine yesterday after demolishing their bitter rivals Manchester United 5-0 at Old Trafford and sending out a message to the rest of the Premier League that they mean serious business this season.

Even though the prolific Mohamed Salah scored three of Liverpool’s goals on the day, taking his impressive record to ten goals scored in nine Premier League games, we feel that fellow Reds winger Diogo Jota stood out in the win against the Red Devils.

After coming on as a substitute in Liverpool’s 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League in midweek, Jota found himself back in the starting XI ahead of Sadio Mane.

This move from Reds manager Jurgen Klopp seemed to work wonders for the Reds as the Portuguese was very much a thorn in United’s side on Sunday.

After playing the full 90 minutes against the Red Devils, Jota managed to score Liverpool’s second goal with a neat finish from close range.

He assisted their fourth strike and would go on to complete 32 of the 38 passes he attempted. He also won seven out of the 14 duels he was involved in, made two key passes, one tackle and one clearance which ultimately earned himself a strong overall match rating of 8.5/10, making him Liverpool’s joint second-highest rated player on the day according to SofaScore, showing just how useful he was.

Liverpool signed Jota in September 2020 from fellow Premier League side Wolves for a reported fee of £41m.

In his first season in Klopp’s side, the 24-year-old, who is currently valued at £40.5m according to Transfermarkt, bagged 13 goals in 30 appearances across all competitions.

So far this season, the winger, who has previously been described as “intense” by Klopp shortly after he moved to Anfield, has managed to score four goals and provide one assist in eight Premier League appearances, once again proving himself as an important figure for the Reds.

Moving forward, with Liverpool set to take on Championship club Preston North End on Wednesday in the Carabao Cup followed by a Premier League clash against Brighton & Hove Albion at the weekend, we feel that Jota will be involved in both games in some way given how much of a goalscoring threat he is and he should help the Reds keep their unbeaten streak going.

In other news: FSG must land Liverpool swoop for £29.7m-rated beast who’s a “better version of Pogba” – opinion

Football Insider pundit Alex McLeish has been having his say on the injury sustained to Celtic winger Karamoko Dembele during pre-season.

The Lowdown: Dembele’s injury

Dembele scored for the Hoops in the first half of a 2-1 win over Charlton Athletic on July 10.

The 18-year-old was described as ‘hugely talented’ by Ange Postecoglou, who backed Dembele to challenge for a place in his side during the upcoming campaign.

However, in the Hoops’ next pre-season friendly against Bristol City, Dembele and Mikey Johnston were forced off through injury.

Postecoglou labelled the injuries as ‘significant’ earlier this week and expects the wide men to be ‘out for a period of time’.

The Latest: McLeish reacts

McLeish, 62, was talking to Football Insider regarding Dembele, believing the latest injury could be ‘real trouble’.

“Postecoglou’s been raving about him (Dembele).

“We said if he’s good enough, he’s old enough. Sometimes young guys are still developing in terms of their muscles. They can pick up injuries.

“If it’s an injury that is going to blight a career, then that is highly disconcerting and disappointing. It’s real trouble for any individual’s mentality.

“He’s got to get back fit and play through these games to impress the manager again.”

The Verdict: Dembele misses chance to shine

With Postecoglou talking so highly of Dembele in pre-season, he may have been in line to feature in some capacity against FC Midtjylland.

Ryan Christie and new signing Liel Abada were chosen out wide, with James Forrest an unused substitute.

By the time Dembele returns to full fitness, new addition Kyogo Furuhashi may well be established in attack, meaning there’s even more competition for places.

He may have missed a key chance to break through into Celtic’s first-team squad through injury, but hopefully, his time will come again.

In other news: Scott Burns claims £10k-p/w ace once likened to George Best is now Celtic’s top target. 

Sheffield United reportedly pulled out of a last-minute deal to sign Barcelona youngster Alex Collado in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Move looked set to happen

The Blades appeared almost certain that the 22-year-old would trade the Nou Camp for Bramall Lane, only for the deal to collapse at the last minute.

A key update has now been provided regarding the situation, shedding more light on the matter.

The Latest: Collado collapse explained

According to Mundo Deportivo [via Sport Witness], the paperwork had been signed at Barcelona’s end, but United pulled out after Collado’s agent tried to change the agreed personal terms.

The Blades’ decision is thought to have left Barca in ‘disbelief’ and ‘incredulous’, with the attacking midfielder now without an alternative club because there wasn’t enough time to find someone else.

The Verdict: Right decision by Blades

In truth, the agent’s behaviour appears to have put paid to Collado’s move coming to fruition and United were right not to let him dictate the situation.

While the Spaniard may have been a good signing at Bramall Lane – he has made two first-team appearances for Barca – it is refreshing to see the club take a strong stance against a major European club when an agent tries to change the rules.

In other news, a pundit has hailed one piece of Sheffield United transfer business. Read more here.