All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

A big Sunderland transfer development has emerged on interest in the club’s top scorer Ross Stewart…

What’s the talk?

According to The Northern Echo’s Scott Wilson, Scottish giants Rangers are now lining up a swoop to land the centre-forward.

The reporter has claimed that the Premiership side want the Scotland international to replace Alfredo Morelos if they are forced to sell their striker.

He Tweeted: “TRANSFER LATEST: Rangers make SAFC striker Ross Stewart their ‘number one option’ to replace Alfredo Morelos, with contract talks with the Colombian stalling. Sunderland will be offering Stewart a new deal, but there’s been no formal talks yet…”

Kristjaan Speakman will be scrambling

The Black Cats chief will now be scrambling to pin the club’s number nine to a contract extension in order to ward off interest from the Gers.

Stewart will be a crucial player for the club in the Championship next season and is not a player Speakman or Alex Neil will be wanting to replace this summer. He enjoyed an outstanding campaign in League One and has shown that he has the potential to make the step up to the second tier.

In the third division, the striker produced 26 goals in 49 games as he proved that he can find the back of the net on a regular basis at that level. He also created nine ‘big chances’ and made 1.3 key passes per game for his teammates, showing that he can create as well as score.

A concern for Sunderland is that Rangers are in with a shot of qualifying for the Champions League and will be competing for trophies in their domestic competition, whilst also reaching the Europa League final last term. This may be a tempting prospect for Stewart and that is why Speakman will be rushing to agree a new contract with him.

If the Black Cats can pin him down to fresh terms before the Light Blues decide what they are going to do with Morelos then they will have a better chance of keeping him as they will be in a healthier position to negotiate with Rangers.

Therefore, Speakman will now be scrambling to start negotiations with Stewart and will be attempting to convince the Scot to extend his stay at the Stadium of Light instead of pushing to sign for Gio van Bronckhorst’s team.

AND in other news, Scott Wilson delivers big SAFC transfer development that’ll leave Speakman scrambling…

BBC pundit Alan Hutton has claimed that Liverpool will be ‘raging’ after news has emerged that Mohamed Salah has turned down the opportunity of an injury scan whilst away on international duty.

The Lowdown: Salah rejects Liverpool request

It was reported by BBC Sport earlier this week that the 29-year-old had rejected the Reds’ request for him to have tests on a mystery injury before participating in Egypt’s match against Guinea on Sunday.

In a post-match interview, manager Ehab Galal confirmed that the forward did indeed have a problem before the game kicked off, but that he decided to ‘play through it’, rather than getting it checked out by the medical team.

The Latest: Hutton’s ‘angry’ Salah claim

Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton claimed that Liverpool will be far from happy with Salah taking any unnecessary risks ahead of the start of the new season.

“Liverpool will probably be raging. It’s things I’ve seen throughout my own career, this kind of battle between club and country.

“The player wants to play for this country, which is obviously great, but for the club, they obviously pay him the big wages. They expect him to be ready for pre-season and fighting fit.

“If he needed an operation, for talking sake, and he’d miss four, five weeks because of it, you could get that done now. He’d be back in time.

“Hiding the scan results or not showing Liverpool what’s going on, it masks over all that. They’re left in the dark.

“Of course, you’re going to be angry about that. It’s just natural you want your best players fit and ready to go for the start of the new season.

“It’ll be interesting to see what comes out from it. It’s not ideal hiding it from the club.”

The Verdict: Durable as ever

Salah did sustain a groin injury during the FA Cup final against Chelsea which saw him forced off the pitch, but was able to make a return before the conclusion of the season, having featured in the final day Premier League victory against Wolves to then going on to play the full 90 minutes of the Champions League final prior to leaving for international duty.

The 5 foot 9 talisman is an extremely durable player for Jurgen Klopp, having missed just three games through injury in his entire Reds career, so we don’t see this as a major issue.

He currently finds his future at Liverpool very much up in the air as he enters the final 12 months of his contract at Anfield, but if he is to remain on Merseyside, the Reds will expect their star man to be fully fit ahead of the start of the new season, while Egypt’s absence from the World Cup will force him to rest in the usually hectic winter period.

In other news… Liverpool are reportedly in talks with one of their first-team starlets over a possible new deal.

Manchester United have reportedly made a bid to sign Benfica striker Darwin Nunez ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Correio da Manha (via Sport Witness), the Red Devils have been in talks over a move and have put an offer worth €105m (£90.1m) on the table to try and convince the Portuguese club to sell their star striker.

After bagging 16 goals in 32 appearances for Almeria, the 22-year-old joined his current employers for a reported club-record fee of €24m (£20.4m) in 2020. During his time with Benfica, the centre-forward has racked up 47 goals in 84 appearances across all competitions, delivering 16 assists along the way.

The 2021/22 season saw the Uruguayan really burst onto the scene and announce himself as one of Europe’s top attacking talents by scoring 34 goals in 41 appearances.

Six of those goals came in the Champions League against the likes of Barcelona, Bayern Munich and eventual finalists Liverpool, highlighting just how capable the youngster is of playing on the biggest stage at club level and scoring against some of Europe’s top teams.

Fans will be delighted

In the Portuguese top flight, Nunez ended the most recent campaign with the joint-highest number of shots on target (44) out of all players in the division.

This not only shows why the Red Devils have reportedly tables a hefty bid to Benfica to try and sign the 22-year-old, but also makes it easy to assume that lots of United fans would be thrilled to hear this update and would love to see him at Old Trafford.

In fact, former United striker and fellow Uruguayan Diego Forlan recently said that a move to Manchester would be “spectacular” for the Benfica hotshot.

Taking into account how the Red Devils scored fewer Premier League goals (57) than the likes of Arsenal (61), West Ham United (60) and Leicester City (62) this season, adding a deadly striker like Nunez could be just what Erik Ten Hag needs in his side.

If this latest report is accurate, then United and their fans will have to wait for Benfica to make a decision as to whether or not they will accept this bid, with those in Manchester surely hoping that the Portuguese club will go for it.

In other news: Imagine him and Varane: MUFC must swoop for “fantastic” star, he’s what Ten Hag is missing

Celtic not only secured the Premiership title during Ange Postecoglou’s debut season in charge of the Hoops, they also ended the campaign with the best defensive record in the league.

In 38 top-flight matches, the Bhoys only conceded 22 goals in total, nine fewer than the next-best defence.

One man who played a massive part in the Hoops’ title-winning campaign from a defensive point of view is Carl Starfelt.

Throughout his debut season at Parkhead, the centre-back made 49 appearances across all competitions and ended up playing more minutes in the league than any other outfield player in Postecoglou’s ranks.

Starfelt ended the campaign with the second-highest number of interceptions (42) and tackles won (30), as well as the joint-second highest average of clearances (3.5) and joint-highest average for aerial duels won per game (4.2) at Parkhead.

Taking this into account, it’s safe to say that the summer recruit had a rather successful debut season with Celtic, who undoubtedly made the right decision in signing him from Rubin Kazan for a reported fee of £4m.

With the season now over and the Premiership title in the bag, the focus can now move to the upcoming summer transfer window as Postecoglou looks to improve on Celtic’s success from this campaign.

In terms of their potential summer recruitment, one man with whom the Hoops have been linked and who could slot seamessly into the team next to Starfelt is Taylor Harwood-Bellis.

Imagine him and Starfelt

A product of Manchester City’s youth system, the £6.3m-rated centre-back has had loan spells with clubs such as Blackburn Rovers, Anderlecht and Stoke City.

During his recent time with Stoke during the second half of the recently-concluded season, the 20-year-old ended the campaign with the joint-highest number of interceptions per game (1.9) and second-highest number of clearances per game (3.5) out of players currently at the Championship club.

Described as a player with “a defensive instinct” and a “warrior attitude” by his former Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray, Harwood-Bellis could be just what the Bhoys need in order to add some extra strength and depth to their squad at the back.

This shows just how important he quickly became for the Lancashire club and how capable a defender he is at such a young age.

It also makes us think that he could be a solid addition to Celtic’s squad, and he could give Postecoglou the opportunity to form a scary duo at the back next to Starfelt, which could make the Hoops even tougher to play against in 2022/23.

In other news: Big blow: Worrying behind-the-scenes development emerges, it’s bad news for Celtic

Liverpool are interested in making an audacious move for Benfica striker Darwin Nunez in the summer transfer window, according to a new report.

The Lowdown: Nunez excels for Benfica

The 22-year-old has emerged as one of the most highly-rated young strikers in Europe, having caught the eye with some sensational performances for Benfica.

Nunez ended the season with an incredible 26 goals in just 24 Primeira Liga starts, also finding the net six times in the Champions League, including two efforts against Liverpool.

The Reds have been linked with a move for the Uruguayan in the recent past and it appears as though their interest hasn’t gone away.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-34/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Latest: Liverpool keen on move

According to Record [via Sport Witness], Liverpool and Real Madrid are both battling to sign Nunez, with the winner of the Champions League final potentially proving key.

It is claimed that he is ‘on their radar’ ahead of a possible summer move and that while Benfica are demanding a whopping €100million (£85m) for his services, the Reds are ‘aware’ of the price, implying they are willing to pay it.

Liverpool’s Greatest European Nights! Click here to OWN yours now!

The Verdict: Potential Mane replacement?

With Sadio Mane strongly linked with a move to Bayern Munich, it could be that Liverpool are already looking at replacements for the Senegalese superstar.

Nunez could fit the bill to perfection, admittedly costing a huge amount of money but arguably justifying it, given his long-term potential and record of 47 goals in 84 appearances for Benfica, as well as an ability to play left-wing or up front, just like Mane.

Jurgen Klopp himself has described Nunez as a ‘top, top boy’, suggesting that he admires him greatly as a player, and he could be the next Uruguayan superstar after Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani.

In other news, one Liverpool player has committed his future to the club. Find out who it is here.

With Leeds United heading into the final day of the Premier League season knowing that, whatever happens elsewhere, they simply must pick up all three points against Brentford if they are to have any hope of securing survival, Jesse Marsch will undoubtedly already be plotting out his potential starting XI for the trip to west London.

And, with all of Stuart Dallas, Adam Forshaw, Tyler Robers and Crysencio Summerville being ruled out of Sunday’s fixture due to injury, while both Luke Ayling and Daniel James will also be sidelined as a result of suspension, it is true that some of the 48-year-old manager’s team selections pick themselves.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more-2″ title=”Read the latest Leeds news, transfer rumours and more!”]

This is not the case in attacking midfield – a position which the £58k-per-week Rodrigo usually fills. However, following the 31-year-old’s disastrous performance in the 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion last time out – not to mention a number of further disappointing displays in the weeks prior – whether or not Marsch will stick with the Spaniard this weekend is very much up in the air.

And, with Sam Greenwood sitting on the bench – a player who it is well known that Marsch is a huge fan of – it would seem as if the American coach not only possesses the answer to his attacking midfield conundrum for the Brentford game, but also following Rodrigo’s touted departure from Elland Road this summer.

Indeed, while it is true that the 20-year-old is naturally a centre-forward, he has often been deployed in the number 10 role for the U23s this season, striking up a deadly partnership with fellow Whites prodigy Joe Gelhardt in attack, with the duo having racked up a combined 16 goals and eight assists over 29 appearances for the Premier League 2 side.

And, regarding the positioning of Greenwood and Gelhardt, Marcelo Bielsa commented on the former’s ability to play a slightly deeper role, stating back in December: “His main position is as a centre forward. Normally he plays in conjunction with Gelhardt in the team.

“Gelhardt is a player that when he is close to the box is very dangerous and Greenwood is a player who has a lot of capacity to arrive into the free spaces. They can play either with Gelhardt in front and Greenwood behind or the other way round.”

As such, with it looking likely that Gelhardt will once again be deployed at centre-forward in the potential absence of Patrick Bamford this weekend, Marsch could well take advantage of the chemistry developed between the youngsters by deploying the “phenomenal” 49-goal Greenwood behind his U23 striking partner.

Indeed, with Rodrigo having been “non-existent” – in the words of Michael Dawson – in recent weeks, Greenwood would very much appear to be the man to take Leeds forward in attacking midfield – not only on Sunday but for the foreseeable future.

AND in other news: Huge blow: Leeds dealt fresh setback in relegation fight, supporters will be gutted

Celtic have just one game left to play this season in the SPFL before their campaign finally draws to a close.

Last night, after getting a 1-1 draw against Dundee United, the Bhoys were crowned league champions in Ange Postecoglou’s debut season in charge at Parkhead.

While the title celebrations have begun and will continue at the weekend when they take on Motherwell at Celtic Park, it seems as though things have been going on behind the scenes at Lennoxtown in terms of the upcoming summer transfer window.

What’s the news?

When asked about Celtic’s plans during the summer window in terms of recruiting new players, Postecoglou had this to say on the matter:

“The work has already started, we’re already planning and I’ve already had conversations with the club about the kind of players we want to identify and bring into the club.

“Our priority is to try to get that done early so that come pre-season, with us hopefully winning the Premiership and getting straight into the group stage, we know we’ve got a really good opportunity in pre-season to work with the group of players without the pressure of competition.

“It would be great if we could have all the new players in by that time. Sometimes these things are taken out of your hands a little bit, but our intent is to try to get our business done early.”We know what we need, we’ve already identified the areas we need to improve, so we’ve already started work on that.”

Great news for Celtic fans

Taking this into account, the fact that conversations and planning have already begun over the club’s potential summer transfer business will undoubtedly be very pleasing for a lot of Celtic fans.

After all, the club paid the price last summer when they were dumped out of the Champions League having barely signed a single player.

Looking at last summer’s transfer window, the club and Postecoglou showed how ruthless they can be when it comes to moving players in and out of the club but it came too late.

What that does mean, however, that some current figures in the squad may not necessarily be guaranteed to be at the club next term if the 56-year-old doesn’t have them in his plans.

In terms of potential incoming transfers, it’s hard to see where the Hoops may need to strengthen considering they have the best attack and defence in the league.

Although, with the Bhoys having a number of players in their ranks with deals set to expire in the summer, particularly Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers, these figures will need to have their futures sorted out in the coming months.

If they can get as many players in as they need as quickly as possible, this would put the entire squad in the best shape possible to be ready to take on their next campaign.

In other news: Fewer touches than Hart: “Scary” Celtic dud with 0 shots failed to repay Ange’s faith

Everton’s woes this season are ‘nonsensical’, ESPN Editor Alex Shaw says. 

The lowdown

With just two games to go, Everton’s Premier League status remains in the balance.

Frank Lampard’s side had the chance to banish their relegation fears on Sunday by beating Brentford, but after twice taking the lead, the nine-man Blues wound up losing 3-2.

A victory over Crystal Palace on Thursday would also be enough to mathematically secure safety but anything less and they may be required to get something away to Champions-League-chasing Arsenal on the final day.

Everton finished 10th under Carlo Ancelotti last season and haven’t ranked outside the league’s top 12 since the 2003/04 season.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-5/” title=”Everton news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The latest

Shaw tweeted that he was bewildered by Everton’s plight, arguing that relegation for the Toffees would be almost as big a shock as Leicester City’s title win in 2016.

He believes Everton have the players to be competing for a top-half finish, rather than mere survival.

“Honestly, Everton are blowing my mind,” he said. “To me, this is 5,000-1 Leicester territory. I don’t understand it whatsoever: they have some decent players.

“Why on Earth are they where they are? It’s nonsensical. There’s at least 5-10 teams worse than them.”

In a follow-up tweet, he added that they ‘should be 6-10th. Not this!?’

The verdict

One large reason why Everton have, in Shaw’s assessment, significantly underperformed is injuries.

As of 4 April, they had suffered a Premier League-high 34 injuries, sidelining their players for a total of 1,255 days.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s absence may have been particularly costly. The striker top-scored for Everton last season with 21 goals, eight more than his nearest challenger Richarlison.

But a fractured toe saw him sidelined from the end of August until the New Year, and he’s only been fit enough to start 13 Premier League matches.

Everton have, partly as a consequence, averaged less than 1.1 goals per game this season, with 39 from 36 matches.

In other news, a medical expert has shared another injury update.

Wolverhampton Wanderers under-23 manager Jamie Collins has again heaped praise on Old Gold academy star Luke Cundle.

The 20-year-old found the net twice as the club’s under-23s sealed a Premier League Cup win over Middlesbrough on Wednesday night.

Speaking to Wolves TV, Collins gave Cundle all the plaudits after his match-winning performance, saying: “I thought he was excellent tonight, he’s got his goals, but he was missing some as well, so I thought he could’ve got even more goals and I’ll be challenging him to do that.”

The under-23 boss hailed the starlet’s attitude for wanting to play for the reserves despite being called up to the first-team, revealing: “He texts me to ask if he can play and you don’t get that often with players who go up to the first-team.

“They’re not desperate to play for the under-23’s, but he just wants to play football. We could get a ball out now and have a five-a-side on the car park and he’d want a game, and when you’re a coach, you love players who are like that because they love the game.”

 Moutinho replacement

With Portuguese veteran Joao Moutinho – who hsa been slammed for some “rubbish” performances by Tim Spiers – linked with a move away from the Molineux, Bruno Lage may well be looking for an adequate replacement in the middle of the park.

Despite making most of his appearances in Premier League 2 as a defensive midfielder for Wolves, Cundle has earned comparisons to Manchester City and England star Phil Foden.

The 20-year-old’s versatility is just one of the reasons that he has earned this comparison, with the Wolves youth product capable of operating as a central midfielder and even as a false nine, having occupied the role in a reserves game against Newcastle United.

Speaking after that match in mid-April, Collins said: “We took a little risk with the change of shape and the ‘false nine’ with no centre-forward. We played Luke [Cundle] up there, ‘Phil Foden-esque’, and I thought he played really well.”

Lage knows all about the Molineux youngster, having raved about his first-team performance against Spurs in mid-February by saying: “Maybe Luke [Cundle] can be a key man because it allows us to play with four midfielders. He was there against top players playing like he is in the playground.”

Having achieved eight goal contribution for Wolves’ under-23s this season, Cundle poses more of an attacking threat than Moutinho, who has registered an underwhelming average of 0.6 shots per game, with two goals and one assist to his name this season.

Promoting the 20-year-old starlet to the first team on a more regular basis would duly enable Lage to let the veteran midfielder bring the curtain down on his time in the Black Country, particularly with his contract expiring over the summer.

In other news – Forget Semedo: Wolves can unearth new Doherty in rarely-seen 18-year-old who’s a “top player”