All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

As per Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol, shared by the broadcaster, there has been another promising update on Tottenham Hotspur’s links to winger Adama Traore.

The Lowdown: Spurs in talks…

In what has been a long-winded transfer saga, with Spurs having been in talks over this last fortnight, reports have suggested that an agreement is near but they haven’t quite wrapped it up yet.

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

Some sources suggest that Tottenham were looking to sign him on loan with the obligation to buy at one stage with reports then emerging of a rejected £15 million bid for Traore.

Wolves apparently want around £10m more than that if Spurs are going to seal a deal with Solhekol now sharing the latest on Sky.

The Latest: Spurs ‘very, very close’…

According to his information, Tottenham are ‘very, very close’ to signing Traore in a deal worth £20 million with a compromise fee on the cards.

“Spurs are getting close to signing him for a compromise fee of around £20m,” Solhehol explained.

“Last week they offered £15m, that was rejected, Wolves want about £25m, I think a deal is there to be done for around £20m.

“I think Adama Traore is now getting very, very close.”

The Verdict: Exciting times…

As Spurs also attempt to conclude other moves, both incomings and outgoings, the Lilywhites may well want this over the line first as they have been in negotiations for a while.

Lauded as a player who ‘could really excite the Tottenham fans’ by pundit Noel Whelan, his impressive average of 4.2 successful take-ons per 90 indicates a real threat who could be of use to manager Antonio Conte in the right-wing back role.

For £20m, he could be a real snip, especially considering he is still just 25-years-old and possesses bags of Premier League experience.

In other news: ‘Never been closer’…Journalist has major Spurs exit news, find out more here.

With the return of the Premier League this weekend, Southampton make the trip to face Norwich City at Carrow Road on Saturday to see if they can continue their solid run of form from before the international break.

During the break, there were some concerns over the fitness of certain Saints players and whether or not they would be able to take part against the Canaries, who are currently sitting at the bottom of the league table with just five points on the board from 11 games.

Fortunately for Southampton, it seems as though one of their key players will be available for the clash.

What’s the news?

After being forced to drop out of the England squad at the start of the international break through illness, it has been revealed by Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl that club captain James Ward-Prowse will be available to play against Norwich after recovering from a bug rather than anything serious.

Given how Ward-Prowse has started nine out of Southampton’s 11 league games so far this season and scored two goals in the process, this shows how important he is to Hasenhuttl and the team.

As well as the number of appearances he’s made this season, the midfielder has also shown just how useful he is with his performances in an attacking and defensive sense.

In the Premier League, Ward-Prowse has racked up an average of 1.2 shots and 1.7 key passes per game, showing that he is a big part of Southampton’s attacking force. Indeed, only Nathan Redmond can better the captain’s average for the latter metric among Hasenhuttl’s squad.

The 27-year-old skipper, who is currently valued at £28.8m by Transfermarkt, has also shown that he isn’t one to ignore his defensive duties, with an average of 1.2 tackles and 1.1 clearances per game this season.

With this in mind, it’s safe to say that Southampton fans will be buzzing to hear that Ward-Prowse will be available to play against Norwich this weekend.

Taking into account that Norwich have only won one game all season, scoring fewer goals (five) and conceding more (26) than any other side in the Premier League, this could be a great opportunity for Southampton to pick up another victory after winning three of their four previous matches prior to the November international break.

In other news: Hasenhuttl must unleash “confident” £53k-p/w Saints gem v Norwich, he’d give Smith nightmares

Newcastle United are eyeing a potential move for Rangers star Alfredo Morelos as reports emerge over PIF’s potential transfer plans.

What’s the story?

Following the completion of their takeover, PIF will no doubt be looking towards the upcoming January transfer window as the perfect opportunity to start their revamp of the Magpies’ squad.

And, according to 90min, the Tyneside club have earmarked Colombia international Morelos as a player they could get, with suggestions that a move could be a “distinct possibility.”

The report adds that the striker is someone they’re closely looking at and that a lot of scouting work on him has been done already.

Newcastle’s new Mitrovic

While Aleksandar Mitrovic may not have been a prolific goal-scorer in his time at Newcastle, he certainly brought a sense of aggression and intensity to the club’s attack.

In the 72 games that he played for the club, the fiery Serbian bagged 17 goals and provided another ten assists, while his hot-headedness saw him also pick up eight yellows and two red cards to boot too.

In Morelos, PIF could find someone who has got that same level of fire and drive, but with a bit more of a clinical touch to his game.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, former Rangers star Michael Ball said: “I think there’s been talk about Morelos maybe for two or three years now about leaving Rangers for many reasons. His goal-scoring is second to none but he’s got that South American bite to him.

“He reminds me of the Suarez situation where, one day he’s fantastic and the next he can let you down because the passion gets too much for him. Being part of Rangers, he’s got to know the club so well, he understands it and sometimes passion does get over him.”

That “passion” is something former Dundee boss Neil McCann has raved about, saying: “I would love to have someone like that in my team. Not just the goals, even though 28 is a quite incredible return given he has missed a number of games. It is his all-round play. He is a proper No.9. He can hold it up, run the channel and is very good in the air despite not being that big. He wouldn’t be much bigger than me but he is powerful. And he loves a fight.

“Centre-backs don’t like a fight. They want to be the ones bullying people. Defenders can almost get caught up with Morelos’ power. So they think about the fight first and all of a sudden he is off down the side of them or dipping off – and bang.”

But it’s not just his personality that marks him out as a potentially exciting signing for Newcastle.

Speaking to The Athletic in 2019, one Scottish Premiership defender hailed Morelos as ‘deceptive’ with his strength on the pitch, saying: “When he goes to shield the ball it’s so difficult. His body strength and ball control are very good, so he makes it very difficult for you. He is deceptive with his physical attributes, but what I’d say he’s best at is when the ball is played up to him. He lets you think that you can nip in front of him and then his timing to put his body in and spin you is excellent.”

The man with 145 career goals to his name could be the exact kind of striker to get people off the edge of their seats at St James’ Park.

Meanwhile, Newcastle are keen on making this landmark appointment…

Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United side head into Tuesday evening’s Premier League clash with Manchester City in something of a slump in form, having won just two of their last ten league outings, leaving the Whites down in 15th place in the top flight rankings.

And, with a considerable amount of injuries currently plaguing his first-team squad, the 66-year-old Leeds manager has once again been left with very little up his sleeve regarding team selection for the trip to the Etihad, with Pep Guardiola’s top of the table City side surely being confident of taking all three points against their depleted opponent.

So, how will the Argentine coach line up his team against Manchester City this evening? Here’s how we think the Leeds starting XI could look, along with the latest team and injury news.

With Bielsa confirming in his pre-match press conference that none of Kalvin Phillips, Liam Cooper, Patrick Bamford, Pascal Struijk, Robin Koch or Rodrigo Moreno have recovered from the injuries that saw them sit out the Chelsea game on Saturday, we predict that the 66-year-old will make three changes to the team that started at Stamford Bridge last time out.

The first of these comes in the back four, with 19-year-old centre-back Charlie Cresswell – who Joe Wainman claimed should be a “mainstay” in the Leeds side – coming in alongside Diego Llorente, a switch which also sees Luke Ayling move back to the right-hand side of the defence.

In the middle of the park, both £60k-per-week Jack Harrison and Jamie Shackleton drop out of the XI after relatively poor showings against the Blues, with Stuart Dallas moving from right-back to central midfield, while Mateusz Klich also makes a return to the side.

Finally, in attack, the £22k-per-week Tyler Roberts – who Gabriel Agbonlahor dubbed “shocking” – makes way for 19-year-old sensation Joe Gelhardt – who is more than deserving of a start following his display against Thomas Tuchel’s side last weekend – while Daniel James and Raphinha move back to more familiar positions on the left and right-wing respectively.

In other news: “Never seen an injury like that” – Bielsa drops big Leeds update that’ll terrify fans

Liverpool could be set to have a bidding war on their hands this summer for striker Divock Origi – a battle that The Reds will be the victors from.

It is reported by El Gol Digital that Real Sociedad are interested in acquiring the services of the striker as a replacement for Alexander Isak.

However, the Spaniards face competition for the Belgian’s signature with Aston Villa, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Newcastle United all thought to be admirers of a player who the Reds are reported to be happy to let go.

As it stands, Origi is rated at £14.4m and has over three years left to run on his current contract.

The more clubs that show an interest in the 25-year-old though, the more Michael Edwards can develop a bidding war around the player, with the club then consequently able to drive his price up even more.

Should they do that, then the Reds would be in line to claim a considerable profit on a player that they signed for approximately £10m from Lille in 2014.

It would be quite a benefit then to see that fee bolster the club’s transfer budget, and they would only lose a player that has served a bit-part role at Anfield since his arrival.

In all, Origi has made 157 appearances for Liverpool, when considering he has been at the club for five full seasons, that averages just 31 appearances per season with just under an average of 13 of those being starts.

His goal record is also not the most inspiring having netted just 35 in all competitions for the Reds.

Considering that, it will surely benefit Jurgen Klopp to sell and the more interest that Edwards can generate, the more Liverpool will be able to rake in.

The battle then for his signature will leave only one winner: The Reds.

AND in more news, read why Liverpool should reinvest some of the Origi fee into a Championship-bound star…

Tottenham Hotspur could look into signing Nicolas Gonzalez this summer, according to emerging reports…

What’s the word?

Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas claims Spurs have been monitoring the 22-year-old forward for quite some time and could look to make a move when Gareth Bale returns to Real Madrid at the end of his season-long loan.

It’s thought that the Bundesliga outfit would want around €30m (£26m) for his signature. Gonzalez still has three years remaining on his current deal, which was only renewed in November.

Dream Mourinho player

Valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, the Argentine forward has been in fine form – when fit – providing six goals and two assists from only 15 appearances, including strikes against Champions League clubs in Dortmund and Gladbach.

That’s a direct goal contribution every 116 minutes.

And the glowing endorsement from his manager, Pellegrino Matarazzo, could hint towards why Jose Mourinho would be so keen on securing him this summer.

“He’s got a lot of qualities, but what I like best about him is that he’s a winner. He wants to win at all costs. He always gives 100%, and gets stuck in. He’s very important for us,” the American said to Bundesliga.com.

We know from Spurs’ mooted interest in RB Leipzig captain Marcel Sabitzer that the Spurs boss loves a competitor – transfer guru Fabrizio Romano told the Que Golazo CBS podcast: “He has quality but he’s a fighter, so he would be perfect for Jose Mourinho.”

The same would surely have to be said for Gonzalez, going by Matarazzo’s praise.

“He reminds me of Mario Kempes,” claimed the 22-year-old’s former coach, Alfredo Berti.

Those comparisons to the Argentina legend reinforce such a view, the 1978 World Cup and Golden Boot winner was a perfect mix of pace and power, often breaking through the defensively lines with brute force and acceleration.

Kempes, aged 30, once had a trial at Spurs in 1984, featuring in a 7-0 pre-season win over Enfield but was never signed permanently.

Gonzalez sits top for shots at Stuttgart, managing 4.43 attempts per 90 minutes, over one more effort than any other player and similarly, he ranks fourth for goal-creating actions (0.67 per 90), as per FBRef.

Likewise, he’s clear for touches in the opposition’s penalty box too, managing 7.21 per 90, and the combination of the above certainly suggests he’s able to break free to create chances – not just for himself, but for others too.

Mourinho would certainly love this sort of presence in attack, which is why Daniel Levy must open the chequebook this summer. Gonzalez and the ‘Special One’ could be a match made in heaven.

AND in other news, Spurs star dealt “significant” blow on international duty…

Celtic reestablished their six-point lead at the top of the Premiership table as they won 2-0 away from Parkhead on Sunday.

Ange Postecoglou’s men continued their march towards the title with a comfortable win as Kyogo Furuhashi and Jota scored the only goals of the game.

The Hoops dominated the match and had the majority of the chances but were unable to make the most of their opportunities as they were forced to settle for just the two goals.

Despite the positive performance overall and the win, not every player on the pitch caught the eye in the right way. One dud who struggled for the Hoops was central midfielder Reo Hatate as he failed to give a good account of himself in the middle of the park.

Ally McCoist noted in the Sky Sports commentary of Celtic’s Scottish Cup semi-final clash with Rangers that he was “absolutely spent” in the second half and that is how he looked again in this match.

On and off the ball, he was not up to the standard required. He was unable to make a big impact in the final third when he had possession and was completely outmuscled off of it as he was carried by his teammates throughout the match before being taken off in the 74th minute.

Defensively, Hatate was a lightweight. Via SofaScore, he lost 100% of his individual duels as he lost all three of his battles on the ground and both of his ones in the air. He also failed to make a single block, interception or tackle in the game as he found himself being second-best to everything in midfield.

In possession, he did very little. As per SofaScore, he only created one chance and did not have a single shot on target, whilst failing with both of his attempted dribbles, his one cross and losing the ball 14 times. This shows that he offered almost nothing with the ball at his feet, which meant that he did nothing to offset his awful display off the ball.

Therefore, he let Postecoglou down badly in the end as he struggled at both ends of the pitch. Just as he did against the Gers in the last Old Firm clash, he looked spent and it may be time to drop him from the starting XI until he can prove that he deserves to be playing regularly.

AND in other news, Source: Celtic on course to seal “immense” summer signing, Ange will be buzzing…

Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite will have thrilled Carlo Ancelotti after producing a brilliant performance during his Blackburn Rovers debut at home to Stoke City on Saturday.

Branthwaite only moved to Ewood Park  on Thursday after agreeing to a half-season loan deal to become the Championship side’s first signing of the January transfer window.

The 18-year-old described the deal as a “no-brainer” as Tony Mowbray’s side was the only club he wanted to leave the Toffees for, after making only one first-team outing at Goodison Park this term due to an early-season ankle injury.

Branthwaite played the full 90 minutes as Blackburn rescued a point at home to Stoke on Saturday, in a game that saw the Potters’ influence grow throughout the second-period as Rovers struggled to find their rhythm.

Stoke took the lead late in the first half courtesy of a Nick Powell header but were pegged back by Adam Armstrong, who saved the Lancashire outfit’s blushes against a 10-man Potters side with his 16th goal of the Championship campaign.

Despite Stoke’s pressure, Branthwaite offered a reassuring presence at the back with strong and assertive challenges, and Rovers have been lauded by Lancs Live for bringing a ball-playing centre-half to Ewood Park, even if the £15,000-per-week titan’s inexperience occasionally came to the surface at set-pieces.

Rovers supporters also flooded a club tweet praising Branthwaite for an assured display, with some describing the 6 ft 5 colossus as their Man of the Match for his brilliant efforts.

Branthwaite deservedly earned the praise of Blackburn supporters following his debut, as his performance offered Mowbray a key figure beside Rovers captain Darragh Lenihan that will have undoubtedly delighted Ancelotti back at Everton.

The teen talent, making his first senior appearance in any competition since September, attempted one additional tackle compared to his experienced central defensive partner Lenihan, with each man boasting a 100% tackle success rate with in each of their three and two respective tackles, per WhoScored.

Branthwaite further stood firm to provide his side’s second-most clearances (3) to help protect Thomas Kaminski’s goal, was never dribbled past, and offered two interceptions to thwart Stoke’s frontline consisting of six-goal striker Powell and Jacob Brown, who has offered 0.8 shots per game on average this season as a frequent attacking threat.

Ancelotti will also have been impressed to see the Blues’ prospect contest a game-high five defensive aerial duels with a 60% success rate, as he held down the left-side of defence beside full-back Barry Douglas, winning more aerial duels than Everton’s current centre-half options have averaged per game in the Premier League this season.

Branthwaite was also far safer in possession than 26-year-old Lenihan, with an 84% completion rate from 41 of 49 passes, compared to his teammate’s 74%, while losing possession 10 times compared to 19, and never shying from taking the ball to register 62 touches, per SofaScore.

Had Branthwaite’s performance been in an Ancelotti backline during a top-flight fixture, his efforts would likely have stood out, with only Ben Godfrey offering a greater haul of successful tackles per game (3.3) when fielded centrally for Everton, per WhoScored.

It was a good start to his team at Blackburn, hopefully for Everton, Branthwaite can continue to play in such a manner for the rest of the season and come back to Goodison Park as a player who is ready to battle for a regular place in Ancelotti’s starting line-up.

AND in other news, Everton are monitoring a £9m defensive titan ahead of a potential January transfer.

According to a report by Bild, via Sport Witness, Tottenham Hotspur are now ‘intensively considering’ Borussia Dortmund boss Edin Terzic for the managerial role – with the German set to depart his current club at the end of this season.

The Lowdown: New candidate emerges…

There have been several names linked to the Tottenham Hotspur vacancy over the last month, but Dortmund boss Terzic has emerged as a new name.

The likes of Graham Potter, Roberto Martinez and Scott Parker have been repeatedly mentioned as main candidates but the emergence of Terzic could throw a spanner in the managerial works and give chairman Daniel Levy a fresh dilemma.

The Latest: Spurs now ‘intensively considering’ Terzic

Bild (via Sport Witness) emphatically claim that Tottenham and Levy are now seriously eyeing the 38-year-old as an option, coming after reports suggested they want someone ‘young’ and ‘dynamic’ (The Daily Mail).

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

Terzic is set to leave Dortmund in the summer, prompting this Spurs interest, and it is said that he could well opt for a move back to England.

The fact he is ‘young’, ‘eloquent’ and ’emotional’ is apparently a huge draw for Spurs – as well as the fact he speaks English fluently and ‘knows the Premier League’.

He once worked under Slaven Bilic at West Ham United and the success of both Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel has led to coaches from the Bundesliga becoming more and more popular.

Spurs are now seriously considering his appointment as a result, but face competition from both Newcastle United and Crystal Palace.

The Verdict: Credible candidate?

Having also worked with Klopp during his time in charge at Dortmund, Terzic is fairly new to assuming the head coaching role at any club.

All of his previous jobs have been working as an assistant or scout, but as interim boss of Dortmund for a portion of the 2020/2021 season, he has arguably displayed his metal.

Terzic has guided BVB to a German Cup triumph this season and you can argue his tenure under Klopp is an attractive incentive to consider his appointment.

Dortmund midfield ace Mahmoud Dahoud, speaking to SPORT 1 (via archyde.com), lauded Terzic as a ‘passionate’ and ‘crazy’ manager who ‘works meticulously’ to ensure his sides play perfect football.

As Tottenham attempt to start a new era and put the Jose Mourinho days behind them, Terzic could be exactly the kind of manager to assist them.

In other news: Spurs could now be offered this £250,000-per-week ace for Kane, find out more here.

Sabri Lamouchi is reportedly a leading contender to take over from Nuno Espirito Santo at Wolves.

The Lowdown: Nuno to leave Wolves

It has been confirmed that Nuno will leave the Midlands club after taking charge of his final game against Manchester United at Molineux as the Premier League season draws to a close today.

Interestingly, it has been reported that Fosun initiated the end of his reign and moved to take action after what has been a very disappointing campaign overall.

It is understood that the Chinese ownership thought that him leaving is the way forward after months of tension behind the scenes, having been left frustrated by some poor performances and results, while there have also been arguments over the transfer policy and Nuno’s communication.

The Latest: Lamouchi a leading contender

As per Football Insider, Lamouchi has emerged as a leading contender to replace Nuno.

A source from the club has told the news outlet that the 49-year-old was lined up a year ago to take over from the Portuguese manager when it was feared that he would leave Molineux at the end of the 2019/20 campaign.

Agent Jorge Mendes had already laid down the groundwork for Lamouchi to join Wolves from Nottingham Forest, whom he has since left for his current role at Al-Duhail SC, only for his move across the Midlands to be kiboshed by the first lockdown last year.

The Verdict: Wolves should not rush into things

Wolves should not rush into getting a new manager just yet, as other potential candidates may emerge from now until the start of next season – for example, they have been recently linked with former Benfica coach Bruno Lage.

Although Lamouchi has had past Transfermarkt). Indeed, Forest blew a seemingly nailed-on play-off place last season under him, while a dreadful start to the current campaign saw him given the bullet in October.

His overall CV flatters to deceive, in truth, and so Wolves should really be waiting for a better candidate to come forward.

In other news, this big contract update has had many Wolves fans talking!