All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

West Ham will be looking to make it three wins from three matches when they return to Europa League action this evening.

David Moyes has an interesting dilemma ahead of him as his Irons side face Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, so he may be tempted into some sort of rotation.

The Irons bounced back from their defeat to Brentford before the international break with a narrow victory over Everton at the weekend and that put them firmly back in the race for the top-six, and another three points against Spurs could see them break into the top-four, too.

Therefore, it would then make sense to rest some of the Hammers’ more influential stars and there can’t be a better candidate to do that with than Michail Antonio, who is an injury risk in most weeks.

He has regularly suffered with troubles throughout his time in east London, failing to start more than 24 matches in any of his last four top-flight campaigns.

The 31-year-old talisman is so, so crucial to West Ham’s fortunes, having already netted six goals and provided four assists across nine appearances in all competitions, via Transfermarkt.

In his absence against Manchester United, a game he fortunately missed through suspension rather than injury, the Irons struggled and lost for the first time this season.

Even though Mark Noble could have scored a late equaliser if he had converted his injury-time spot-kick, Moyes and his side still rued the lethal frontman’s presence up top.

Valued at £10.8m by Transfermarkt, the former Nottingham Forest star has previously been lauded as “unplayable” and as the “ultimate number nine” by BBC Sport contributor Premier League Panel.

Whilst Daily Star journalist Paul Brown recently dubbed him a “complete monster” and “absolute revelation” to GIVEMESPORT.

These glowing endorsements only go to show just how important the £70k-per-week beast is to West Ham and as the Hammers have a 100% record in this competition, he can be afforded one game off as a fully-fit Antonio could wreak havoc against Spurs this weekend.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops huge Declan Rice claim…

In a story that feels as if it has now been rumbling on for the best part of a year, Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side have once again been linked with a move to bring Lee Buchanan to Parkhead in the January transfer window.

Indeed, Derbyshire Live reported on Sunday that the Bhoys – alongside the likes of Nottingham Forest and West Ham United – have renewed their interest in the Derby County left-back, while Watford and other unnamed English sides are also believed to be tracking the 20-year-old ahead of a potential move this month.

It is easy to see why Postecoglou would be interested in securing a deal for the England U20 international this January, as Buchanan is undoubtedly a player who boasts a significant amount of potential, and would appear to be available on something of a cut-price deal – considering the fact his current contract at Pride Park expires at the end of the season, in addition to Derby’s rather dire financial situation.

Furthermore, left-back is an area of the Hoops squad that lacks any real strength in depth, as, behind first-choice Greg Taylor, the Greek-Australian manager has only the options of 19-year-old Adam Montgomery and the outcasted 26-year-old Boli Bolingoli.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/?post_type=web-story&p=664142″ title=”Check out the latest Celtic news!”]

And, with the latter of this trio being linked with a move away from Parkhead this month, a January swoop for Buchanan could well prove to be the final nail in the coffin for the £16k-per-week dud who Neil Lennon once dubbed “selfish.”

Indeed, the Derby defender is undoubtedly a player who has a much higher ceiling than the former Belgium U16 international, with Wayne Rooney stating of the 20-year-old: “He’s a top, top player. I’d argue he’s one of the best young left-backs in the country. And he can go to another level as well. He’s a real top player.”

It is not difficult to see why the former England captain feels this way, as, despite his tender age, the £2.25m-rated full-back has already gone on to make 60 first-team appearances for the Rams – 35 of which came in the Championship last time out, when Buchanan played a key role in helping his side survive relegation to League One on the final day of the season.

As such, when taking into account all of the above, it would indeed appear a very wise move for Postecoglou to finally axe Bolingoli this month, before reinvesting the Belgian’s wages and potential transfer funds into a move for the Derby starlet.

In other news: Fee agreed: Celtic close in on £5.7k-p/w gem with “amazing feet”, Ange will be buzzing

Aston Villa have shown fresh interest in Marseille’s defensive midfielder Boubacar Kamara, with Steven Gerrard and Johan Lange travelling to France to scout the player.

What’s the Word?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Mail, who claim that Steven Gerrard was spotted watching Marseille beat Nantes 3-2 on Wednesday night, with the 41-year-old reported to be on a personal scouting mission of the defensive midfielder.

Kamara will become a free transfer in the summer as his contract expires at the French side and Villa is looking to strengthen that area of their squad.

The Premier League side are also reportedly interested in Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips, but there is no doubt that Kamara would be the more attractive signing, especially from a financial point of view.

Gerrard failed to add a defensive midfielder to his squad in the January transfer window and with a key rebuild coming up in the summer, the onus is on for him to improve the team.

Kamara would be a fantastic signing for Aston Villa

Steven Gerrard has had a mixed start to life at Villa Park so far since joining from Rangers in November. Initial signs of progress were halted by a poor run of form.

With the side having lost their last four matches, Gerrard will be aiming to stop the rot against Leicester.

The volume of goals they are conceding is concerning and signing Kamara in the summer could certainly improve the quality of the team in the future.

His former teammate Rolando praised the player, going as far as to label him a “phenomenon” and with his market value currently sitting at £22.5m, signing the 22-year-old on a pre-contract deal would be outstanding business.

Kamara has made 41 appearances for Marseille this season as they aim to secure second spot behind Paris Saint-Germain, and he has been a massive success during his time in France.

The Frenchman has an average score of 7.12 on SofaScore compared to the 6.8 of Phillips this season. Add into the age factor and it’s clear to see why Kamara would be the better signing. Gerrard has some big decisions to make in the summer, that’s for sure.

AND in other news: Source: AVFC’s “difficult” dud could now leave Villa Park, it’s great news for Gerrard

As per Spanish news outlet Fichajes, there has been a development involving Tottenham Hotspur and their fresh links to Juventus striker Paulo Dybala.

The Lowdown: Dybala links re-emerge…

As transfer chief Fabio Paratici eyes ‘quality players at zero cost’ for manager Antonio Conte, Spurs have been eyeing a plethora of potential 2022 free agents.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-updates-5/” title=”Spurs latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Man United star Jesse Lingard and AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie have been mentioned recently, as well as Dybala in this past week, with Corriere della Sera claiming Tottenham’s manager is ‘in love’ with the player.

Going one step further, Fichajes have more on this as they lift the lid on Conte’s transfer demand for Spurs involving the Argentine.

The Latest: Conte green-lights move…

As explained by the Spanish source, Conte has now personally green-lit a move for Dybala and is set to demand Tottenham chiefs ‘do everything possible to get his contract in the next summer market’.

Fichajes go on to explain that the 28-year-old is a player Conte likes ‘very much’ and that he knows could be a ‘great addition’ in north London – with Juve’s ‘jewel’ now firmly a target.

The Verdict: No brainer?

Signing the 31-cap star on a free deal in the summer should come as a real no brainer for Tottenham, especially in their hunt for a striking alternative to Harry Kane.

The £220,000-per-week forward has racked up a brilliant 109 goals and 46 assists for Juve across all of his appearances to date for the Old Lady, backing that he could be a prolific option for Conte.

Amid their links to Fiorentina star Dusan Vlahovic, depending on if Dybala signs a new deal, Paratici could land a completely free alternative with the Serbian’s level of quality.

In other news: ‘This will get Tottenham fans excited…’ – Sky Sports drop big N17 transfer update live on air, find out more here.

Wolves duo Romain Saiss and Joao Moutinho could both extend their respective stays at Molineux, according to reliable journalist Tim Spiers.

The Lowdown: Saiss and Moutinho shine for Wolves

Bruno Lage’s side are enjoying an excellent season, with three Premier League wins in a row taking them to within just four points of fourth-placed Manchester United.

There have been star performers all over the pitch but Saiss and Moutinho have arguably stood out more than most, putting their experience to good use.

The Moroccan has shone in a back-three, making 19 league starts, while the evergreen Portuguese veteran has been superb in midfield, scoring decisive recent goals against Man United and Brentford.

Both players rank in the top seven in WhoScored’s rankings of Wolves players’ performances in 2021/22, illustrating their importance to the cause. However, as it stands, both will be out of contract in the summer.

The Latest: Spiers makes contract claim

Spiers partook in a Q&A mailbag with Wolves supporters for The Athletic on Tuesday morning to discuss the club’s January transfer business, as well as the futures of certain players at Molineux.

He was asked specifically about where things stand with Saiss and Moutinho, with the journalist offering a reassuring update on the duo by saying:

“Saiss turned down a contract offer last summer and it was expected he’d leave the club at that time. However, the general opinion among senior staff is he’s having the best season of his Wolves career and I’d expect them to start talking again in the coming weeks now that he’s heading back from the Africa Cup of Nations.

“Moutinho’s agent is Jorge Mendes, who is so influential in club dealings, so that’s a more difficult one to predict, but he seems happy and Lage loves him. He’s also in fantastic form and I’d imagine Lage will want him to stay.”

The Verdict: Great news for Wolves

Saiss and Moutinho may be 31 and 35, respectively, but their importance to Wolves is still plain to see given the impact they are still having, as evidenced above.

The former is still arguably in his prime years for a centre-back, proving to be an experienced head alongside the likes of Max Kilman and Conor Coady.

A shorter-term deal for Moutinho makes more sense given his age, but he still looks capable of shining in the Premier League for another season or two, especially if his recent heroics are anything to go by.

In other news, one player’s Wolves future has already been sorted. Find out who it is here.

[ad_pod ]

Rangers bounced back from a run of disappointing results in style as they hammered Kilmarnock 5-0 in the Scottish Cup, with Alfredo Morelos hitting four – yes, four – on his return from suspension.

The Gers were forced into a replay having drawn 0-0 with Killie earlier this month but made no mistake in dispatching their opponents at the second time of asking, with Morelos channeling his aggression and desire in the right way to fire his side to victory.

While the Colombian deservedly stole the match ball and headlines, the stellar performance of one of his teammates slipped under the radar in comparison – Daniel Candeias assisted three of Morelos’ four strikes and was Rangers’ conduit of play throughout.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

The 15-cap Portuguese had chalked up five goals and six assists prior to the Wednesday night demolition and surely put in his best performance to date this season, albeit in the shadow of Morelos.

The 5-foot-10 ace has often divided opinion around Ibrox as he tends to struggle for consistency, and he has taken plenty of flak even recently, but the Twitter reactions down below are full of praise…

Celtic have been handed an opportunity to sign reported summer transfer target Fraser Forster once again in January.

What’s the talk?

According to recent reports, Southampton look set to release the 33-year-old goalkeeper upon the expiry of his contract at the end of the current campaign, something which Football Scotland claim could open the door for Celtic to swoop for the former England international, either in January or next summer.

The report added that, with both Vasilis Barkas and Scott Bain expected to leave Parkhead in the near future, Ange Postecoglou may well be in the market for a new goalkeeper in the winter market. A move for the player with whom Celtic were heavily linked during the summer could once again be a viable option for the 56-year-old Bhoys manager.

Postecoglou must move

While Celtic did complete the £1.08m signing of Joe Hart this summer, with the 34-year-old having impressed for the Hoops so far this season, Forster would still be a fantastic signing for Postecoglou to get over the line in January.

Indeed, while the £2.7m-rated stopper is yet to feature in the Premier League for Southampton this term, the 33-year-old has nevertheless demonstrated over his three appearances in the Carabao Cup that he is still a top-level option between the sticks – keeping one clean sheet, making 14 saves and earning an average SofaScore match rating of 7.90 in the competition.

The most impressive of these performances came against Chelsea, with the £72k-per-week ‘keeper making an astonishing 13 stops, saving a penalty and earning a SofaScore match rating of 9.8 in Saints’ victory over the Premier League leaders.

As such, it is clear to see that the man who Bain dubbed an “unbelievable” player would make an excellent addition to Postecoglou’s options in the position this winter. Considering that Southampton would likely be more than willing to offload Forster for a minimal transfer fee, a move for the 33-year-old would appear most advisable for the Hoops manager.

In other news: Ange must ruthlessly axe “exceptional” £16k-p/w Celtic flop as agent claim emerges

West Ham have been name-checked as one of a Premier League sides interested in Arsenal star Eddie Nketiah amid the striker’s uncertain future at the Emirates.

What’s the story?

The England U21 international sees his contract with the north London side come to an end in the summer, and would be able to sign a pre-contract deal with a foreign club in January.

Now, The Daily Mail claim that David Moyes’ West Ham, Crystal Palace and Brighton are among his admirers in the Premier League, who would be able to get Nketiah for a cut-price fee due to his contract status.

The report adds that the young striker remains on course to leave the Emirates in the January transfer window despite Mikel Arteta’s attempts to keep him at the club.

Forget Michail Antonio

While Michail Antonio started the Premier League season off with a bang – he netted four goals and provided three assists in just the opening three league games – his form has tailed off dramatically since his winner against Spurs back in late October.

The Jamaican has yet to score in the league since – a run of eight games – while he’s also had just the one assist in that time-frame too, and it’s exposed one of the big worries Moyes will no doubt have had even before the season started: just how would the Hammers cope if Antonio was out injured, or wasn’t firing?

Well, in Nketiah, they could find someone who could be the answer to all their problems.

Former Leeds striker Noel Whelan has waxed lyrical about Nketiah, claiming that his style of play is very much reminiscent of a certain former Hammers star in Jermain Defoe.

The 46-year-old said: “He reminds me of another Jermain Defoe and look at how well he did at West Ham. He’s very much that similar sort of player. He plays off the shoulder, very dangerous in the box. He’s a player you can’t take your eyes off because his movement’s so good.”

And, Nketiah has shown particularly in recent weeks that he’s very much someone who can deliver the good, recently bagging a hat-trick against Sunderland in the League Cup semi-final, while Mikel Arteta has previously raved about his talents too.

He said: “I want him to keep doing what he’s doing. The way he played last night against those players, in those difficult conditions, for me is extraordinary at his age.

“He has an immense personality to play, confidence, he’s powerful and is developing in every area I think. I have a lot of faith in him.”

The £9m-rated starlet could give the Hammers that much-needed striking alternative to Antonio, and also someone who could potentially take over from their current first-choice number nine.

Meanwhile, West Ham have been linked with this Championship starlet…

A fresh Rangers transfer development has emerged regarding the future of Wales international Aaron Ramsey… 

What’s the talk?

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, the Gers are planning to hold talks with Juventus over a deal to sign him on another deal this summer.

The report claims that the Glasgow giants are keen to keep hold of the midfielder beyond the end of his current loan spell.

Juventus agreeing on a new contract with him is said to be the most likely scenario, with his current wages reported to be £175k-per-week, before attempting to find him a new club before next season.

This all comes after TEAMtalk reported earlier this week that Rangers had not ruled out the possibility of snapping him up ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Bouncing

This update will surely leave Ibrox bouncing for multiple reasons.

Firstly, the supporters will be buzzing with the Italian club’s desire to let him go. It would surely increase the chances that Ross Wilson will be able to negotiate a fresh deal for Ramsey, along with his new contract at Juventus hopefully lowering the wage demands which will be forced upon the Gers.

They will also be delighted as it shows that the Light Blues’ sporting director is being proactive by already planning a transfer meeting to secure a swoop for the midfielder. Instead of waiting until the end of the campaign to decide whether or not they want to bring him in, they have seemingly made their mind up and want to make it happen.

This also shows big ambition from the Gers, as Ramsey is a player with a huge pedigree and signing him for a second stint would be a big coup for the club. He is starting to prove his worth on the pitch this season as he has scored two goals in his last two appearances against Dundee and Celtic.

Ramsey has a vast wealth of experience at the top level, and signing him ahead of clubs competing in Europe’s top five leagues would be a masterclass from Wilson. He has played more than 400 games for Arsenal and Juventus combined, scoring or setting up 142 goals in the process, and this illustrates why it would be a coup to land him as he has proven himself at the top level.

Therefore, Ibrox will be bouncing with Wilson’s plan of action and the fans will be buzzing with the ambition being shown to sign the Wales midfielder.

AND in other news, 100% duels lost: Rangers dud who lost the ball every 1.8 touches v Braga failed his manager’s big test…

West Ham United have been dealt a setback ahead of their upcoming Premier League meeting with Burnley on Sunday.

What’s the latest?

According to BBC Sport, David Moyes are likely to face Burnley defender Erik Pieters tomorrow afternoon, as the Lancashire outfit are now set to welcome the Dutchman back after his recovery from a knee issue.

However, this hasn’t been the biggest bit of news coming out of Turf Moor this week, as, after ten years of service, manager Sean Dyche was relieved of his duties on Friday – with Burnley 18th and four points from safety with eight games remaining.

Therefore, U23s boss Michael Jackson will be in the opposing dugout at the London Stadium as he takes up temporary charge of the visitors, whilst defender Ben Mee will also be a part of the coaching set-up.

However, amid the surprise regarding Dyche’s dismissal, West Ham must continue to prepare to take on a side desperate for points and who will be stronger with the return of Pieters.

Pieters’ return is bad news for West Ham

Prior to suffering his injury in February, Pieters had been playing well with Burnely in decent form.

The left-back played every minute of the Clarets’ seven Premier League matches between late January and late February before being withdrawn away at Crystal Palace after an hour.

From those seven matches, Dyche’s side lost just once, winning twice and drawing the other four matches which gave their survival hopes a boost.

Prior to that run in the side, the 33-year-old had struggled for minutes in claret and blue, making just four league appearances before the turn of the year.

Since Pieters has been out of action, Burnley have been in dire form, winning just one of their last six in the top flight, losing the other five.

However, that victory was a crucial one as the Lancashire outfit overcame relegation rivals Everton 3-2 at Turf Moor before embarrassingly losing 2-0 at bottom side Norwich City, the final nail in the coffin for Dyche.

The Hammers will certainly smell blood as they look to consolidate their place in the top six, which is currently hanging on a thread.

Although, Burnley supporters will be expecting a reaction after a rollercoaster week at Turf Moor and the boost of Pieters’ return could prove awkward for David Moyes to deal with.

AND in other news: West Ham plot bid for £21.6m-rated “leader”, Moyes can now axe “shocking” £61k-p/w dud