All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Merry Christmas, Celtic fans!

Ange Postecoglou’s Christmas came early after he won his first piece of silverware as Celtic manager last weekend following a 2-1 win over Hibernian at Hampden Park in the Scottish League Cup final.

Kyogo Furuhashi, their number eight and record signing under Postecoglou, scored twice as the Hoops won for the first time under Postecoglou after conceding first.

We’ve prepared a Celtic-related quiz for you which will give you the chance to break up your day.

Are you good with player numbers? If so, take today’s quiz and try and see if you can get a full house regarding these former Hoops heroes.

We’ve given you four options for each player – all you have to do is select what number they wore during their time at Parkhead.

Some are fairly recent, while others will test your knowledge dating way back. Good luck, and remember to share your score once completed!

Leeds United are interested in signing Blackburn Rovers centre-back Darragh Lenihan, according to a fresh transfer rumour which emerged on Thursday.

The Lowdown: Lenihan shines for Blackburn

Tony Mowbray’s side are enjoying an excellent season currently, sitting second in the Championship and looking strong to seal promotion to the Premier League.

Lenihan has been an undisputed key man for Blackburn, starting 26 of 28 league games at the heart of the defence and being hailed as ‘special’ by his manager.

The captain’s performances appear to have alerted a host of clubs, however, with a potential move to the top flight now on the cards.

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The Latest: Leeds in the mix

According to a report from TEAMtalk (27/01/22), Leeds are one of numerous Premier League teams eyeing up a move for Lenihan, with Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Wolves and Everton also mentioned.

The 27-year-old’s current Blackburn deal expires at the end of the season, meaning the Whites could snap him up on a free transfer if he doesn’t extend his stay at Ewood Park.

Promotion could be a determining factor in convincing the Republic of Ireland international to stay put.

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The Verdict: Good squad acquisition

While the step up to the Premier League from the Championship is admittedly great, Lenihan’s performances this season suggest he could be a shrewd signing by Leeds.

The Irishman has won an impressive average of 5.1 aerial duels per match in the league this season, not to mention 4.9 clearances each game too.

To put that into context, Liam Cooper leads the way for the Whites in aerial duels with 3.6, highlighting the Blackburn skipper’s prowess in both boxes, while no Leeds player with more than one appearance boasts more clearances than Lenihan.

The fact that he would be available on a free takes out the financial risk element, too, so there is a little about the move that feels negative.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly considering another bid for one player. Find out who it is here.

Southampton face Leicester City at St Mary’s on Friday night and will be hoping to earn three points which would ease any lingering relegation fears this season.

Ralph Hasenhuttl spoke in midweek about how youngsters should be given time to develop, and therefore it seems likely that plenty of Southampton’s academy graduates will be given opportunities to impress in the final few weeks of the season.

One youngster who has established himself in the first team fold this season is Nathan Tella. The 21-year-old, who joined from Arsenal’s academy, was excelling with David Horseman’s B team earlier in the season and was promoted to the senior side as a result.

He has now made 18 senior appearances for the Saints and, whilst he is yet to find the elusive first goal, he did pick up an assist in the FA Cup win against Wolves.

However, these 18 appearances have totalled just 627 minutes, with the majority of his game-time coming as a late substitute, and it is time that Hasenhuttl trusted him to start more often.

The forward impressed in a 2-0 win against Sheffield United earlier in the season and could perhaps be utilised in a number nine role again against Leicester, especially with Danny Ings sidelined through injury.

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Hasenhuttl was full of praise for Tella after he did well in Southampton’s 2-1 defeat against Spurs last time out as he said: “He also showed he can be a threat for the opponent. This is what we need in front.

“With his work against the ball in combination with his quality with the ball – he can be in the future a good alternative for us in the attacking stuff.

“For me, at the moment, he is the guy in the youth that is the furthest in his development so far.”

He also described the youngster as one of the “jewels” of Southampton’s academy earlier in the season, which suggests that he rates him highly and sees him as a big part of the Saints’ future.

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Therefore, Tella deserves to keep his place in the side against Leicester on Friday night, as he deserves a run of games in the Premier League to show what he can do ahead of next season, when he will no doubt be targeting a regular starting berth.

In other news… Semmens headed for transfer disaster over £2.25m-rated target, he’s scraping the barrel 

Everton have the chance to take another step away from the relegation zone tomorrow as they take on Leicester City in the Premier League.

The Toffees’ previous league game saw them beat Manchester United at Goodison Park 1-0 thanks to a goal from Anthony Gordon.

Another win for Frank Lampard’s side would take them six points ahead of the relegation zone before Burnley face off against Southampton on Thursday.

On the chalkboard

One player that didn’t feature against United that should be in the starting XI tomorrow is Demarai Gray.

With 26 league appearances under his belt this season, the winger hasn’t started a game for the Toffees since their 2-1 defeat against West Ham United earlier this month.

In those appearances, the Englishman has found the back of the net five times and provided two assists, showing what a useful attacking option he can be.

To further highlight what an attacking nuisance he is for opposition teams, only Andros Townsend (3.34) has a higher average of shot-creating actions per game in the league than Gray (3.21).

In terms of how the £19.8m-rated attacker can hurt teams on the pitch, no other Everton player has come close to equalling the same number of successful dribble attempts that have led to a shot attempt as the winger (10).

With that in mind, even though he hasn’t been able to deliver a goal contribution in the league since his winning strike against Arsenal in December, the 25-year-old can still be a real threat for his side going forward.

Labelled as an “inspirational” player for Everton by Martin Keown, Gray could also have an extra incentive to deliver a top-notch performance this time out if Lampard picks him to start.

Having left Leicester in January last year and admitting to not feeling like he was valued or wanted there, getting the chance to show the Midlands club why they were wrong to let him go or treat him the way they did could put a fire in Gray’s belly and really rile him up for this match.

With that in mind and the opportunity to get another goal or assist to his record and push his new club even further away from danger, Lampard could pull a tactical blinder by giving the winger the chance to haunt his old club, which he definitely has the ability to do.

In other news: Lampard can now axe “reckless” Everton dud with move for “powerful” £27m-rated machine

Roy Keane has the ‘personality’ required to lead Celtic going forward, according to former Hoops manager Martin O’Neill.

O’Neill, who led Celtic to three Scottish titles and a UEFA Cup final over five years in Glasgow, was speaking to BBC Scotland Sportsound.

Betting was suspended on Keane’s potential appointment on Friday, but The Times reported two days later that the Manchester United legend was ‘unlikely’ to take up the post.

O’Neill seems to fear that it would be a mistake to overlook the 49-year-old, who has worked under the ex-Hoops boss as assistant manager in the Republic of Ireland and Nottingham Forest setups.

£30m Champions League prize on the line for Celtic

“Next season is really big because it’s automatic qualification for the Champions League,” O’Neill said.

“That’s a massive extra prize. It’s the 30 million. Maybe it bolsters the argument that Celtic are taking their time – that whoever is in there is able and capable of facing Rangers in the big contest.

“Roy Keane’s got the personality, for a start. A massive player, iconic figure in the game. He’s also very strong-willed. But he’s got the capacity to motivate the players.

“Roy’s learned a great deal over the years. Dermot [Desmond, Celtic’s principal shareholder] is a strong-willed man himself. He’ll know what is necessary.”

Keane has been out of the managerial hotseat since 2011, when he left Ipswich Town.

Whoever succeeds Neil Lennon at Celtic Park faces a daunting task. The Hoops trail their arch-rivals Rangers by a full 20 points in the table, and Steven Gerrard’s men have not lost a league game all season.

Transfer Tavern verdict

With £30m potentially on the line as O’Neill has outlined, Celtic probably shouldn’t be taking this big a gamble on their next manager.

Eddie Howe, who did a remarkable job at Bournemouth and is now the favourite for the job, would appear a more sensible appointment, given his impressive track record at Premier League level in recent times.

In other news, what will the new boss have to say about this potential transfer?

As quoted in a football.london Q&A, reliable correspondent Alasdair Gold has made an enticing Tottenham Hotspur transfer claim involving Bologna defender Takehiro Tomiyasu.

The Lowdown: Tottenham eye move…

As reported by Sky Sports, Tottenham lodged a £12.9m (€15m) bid, plus £2.6m (€3m) in add-ons, to sign the Serie A powerhouse recently but the offer was subsequently rejected.

As it stands, Spurs are still in negotiations for the Japan international, but both clubs must reach a compromise on his price tag. Sky Sports claimed that the Lilywhites are not far away from his valuation of £17.2m (€20m), with Gold now bringing an update on the situation.

The Latest: Gold makes enticing claim…

As quoted by football.london, there is a promising belief at Tottenham involving Tomiyasu and his price tag. Indeed, Gold has backed that the 22-year-old could be available for less than £20m in a market ravaged by the impact of the global pandemic.

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He also dubbed Tomiyasu a player who would fit Spurs ‘perfectly’, saying: “Tottenham want him and they want him to play in a defensive right-back role.

“The indications are that Tomiyasu will be available for less than £20m and Paratici has held talks with Bologna so I think they’ll try to push this through, amid some competition, for the Japan international.

“He fits their profile perfectly and it’s a good price for him.”

The Verdict: Get it done…

A mainstay for Bologna whilst averaging the joint-most clearances per game (3.3) out of anyone in their squad last season (WhoScored), we believe that signing Tomiyasu is too good of an opportunity for Tottenham to pass up.

That is especially the case for less than £20m, with Spurs needing to adopt a sell-to-buy policy amid difficult financial circumstances.

Indeed, Gold’s claim that Tottenham will try to push this deal through comes an enticing one.

In other news: Tottenham want ‘absolutely phenomenal’ 6 foot 6 beast, his club are already hunting for replacement…find out more here.

Liam Kennedy has dropped an inside claim from sources on James Pallotta and a potential takeover of Newcastle United, revealing that those inside the Toon are ‘surprised’ by the talk from the former Roma chief.

Writing in his latest piece for The Shields Gazette, the football journalist has claimed that Pallotta has ‘yet to contact’ the St. James’ Park faithful following an exclusive interview that he did with The Athletic, in which former chairman and co-owner of AS Roma expressed an interest in buying a club in the Premier League, namechecking Steve Bruce’s side in the midst of it.

However, Kennedy has since squashed down any potential chances of him taking over in the North East, adding that any approach made by the businessman currently would ‘not be welcomed’ by the Tyneside club.

Mike Ashley continues to ‘only have eyes’ for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group, and the news about Pallotta’s potential interest has ‘come as a surprise’ to the Magpies.

Sources believe that the links are nothing more than a ‘publicity stunt’ at this stage, as Ashley remains ‘100% committed’ to selling to the KSA consortium, per Kennedy’s report.

Only one chance for potential Newcastle takeover

With the rumours of Pallotta potentially actively looking to buy the Toon being firmly played down, it seems that there is only one chance of a takeover at NUFC, and that still lies with the KSA group.

However, the KSA’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) will have to come back to the table to have any hope of the original deal with Ashley to be revived, and Newcastle likely need to ensure that they are playing football in the Premier League come the start of the 2021/22 term for that to happen.

Last week, pundit Danny Mills claimed the Magpies’ hopes of a takeover will ‘without a shadow of a doubt’ disappear if they are relegated.

In other news, find out what claim on the potential takeover has been dropped involving Steve Bruce here!

West Ham are reportedly edging closer to announcing David Moyes’ new contract…

What’s the word?

That’s according to The Athletic’s Roshane Thomas, who delivered a fresh claim on a recent episode of the ‘U Irons’ podcast.

Speaking about the 58-year-old’s current situation, he said:

“David was asked about this last week at his press conference, and he said he’s hopeful something will be announced this week.

“I’m hearing that something should be announced, it should be this week, to be fair, and we’re hearing it could potentially be a three-year deal for David Moyes.

“I spoke to Kevin Nolan last Friday, he was saying [it was] in the final stages of negotiations for the contract, so everything’s pretty much all but confirmed really, so that’s great news for the club, great news for the fans.”

Exciting times ahead

Moyes has completely transformed the Irons’ fortunes in the past 12 months or so.

Having steered them to safety with one game to go during the 2019/20 campaign, he has now guided them to the Europa League.

And he’s done so contending with regular injury problems, as well as a lack of backing in the transfer market.

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For instance, the club’s hierarchy sanctioned the exit of club-record signing Sebastian Haller in January but failed to replace him, leaving Moyes with only an injury-prone Michail Antonio up top.

GSB also gave up on him during his first stint, so this is the least he deserves and it’ll merely continue an exciting era at the London Stadium.

Thomas has got his information from about as good an insider source as you could find, Moyes’ first-team coach Kevin Nolan, so something must be on the horizon at Rush Green soon.

This latest development signals a sign of encouragement that the club are moving in the right direction with some much-needed long-term stability, and that, as The Athletic reporter describes, is “great news for the fans.”

It could even give the East Londoners a huge boost heading into a pivotal transfer window. It’s a fantastic move from GSB.

AND in other news, Soucek 2.0: Moyes can deliver West Ham another bargain in £14m gem who “can do it all”…

According to a report by Italian news outlet La Stampa, Tottenham Hotspur now represent the ‘most attractive offer’ for ex-Chelsea boss Antonio Conte as chairman Daniel Levy continues the hunt for a new manager.

The Lowdown: Conte quits Inter…

As announced yesterday evening, the 51-year-old has left Inter Milan and the belief is that the separation was due to differences in moving the club forward.

Conte, on the one hand, desired new signings and a ‘clear project to win again’, while the Nerazzurri need to offload players and recuperate €80 million (£69.1m) through sales to combat their dire financial situation (Fabrizio Romano).

As such, the Italian has departed the San Siro with immediate effect and is now available for hire.

The Latest: Spurs ‘most attractive offer’ for Conte…

Just before Conte decided to part ways with Inter, with it seeming inevitable even before the official announcement, La Stampa dropped a rather promising claim on the links between him and Tottenham Hotspur.

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The Italian news outlet boldly said that Spurs have proposed a lucrative contract offer to the ex-Juventus manager worth close to €20 million (£17.3 million) in a ‘pharaonic engagement’.

Meanwhile, lifting the lid on Conte’s stance when it comes to a possible Spurs move, La Stampa believe that the Lilywhites represent the ‘most attractive offer’ for him.

This is due to Spurs representing a huge stimulus for Conte in terms of turning their results around, with the ‘offer of recruitment’ also an enticing draw.

Levy’s alleged £17.3m salary offer is another reason and is said to be a ‘very convincing argument’.

The Verdict: Huge opportunity…

Now that Conte has officially quit the Inter post, his availability should force Levy to do all he can to bring him to Tottenham.

There will be big clubs across Europe knocking on the door, including Real Madrid given the news on Zinedine Zidane, with Spurs needing a proven serial-winner to turn their fortunes around.

It would arguably be foolish not to lodge a serious attempt for Conte in light of his Serie A exit, especially considering he has won four Serie A titles, two Italian Super Cups, the Premier League and FA Cup (Transfermarkt).

He is also revered by other managers, with Andrea Pirlo dubbing him a ‘demon’ and the ‘best coach’ he has ever worked with (La Gazzetta dello Sport via FourFourTwo).

Meanwhile, Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola lauded Conte as a tactical ‘master’ during his time in England (Reuters).

Conte also has over 300 career wins under his belt as a manager (Transfermarkt) – could he be the saviour for Spurs?

In other news: Alasdair Gold says Spurs may now axe this ‘fantastic player’ who loves the club, find out more here.

Former Tottenham Hotspur star Graham Roberts insists he is not against the club making a move to re-sign Fernando Llorente on a free transfer.

Spurs enjoyed an aggressive summer of recruitment as they looked to refresh the squad of Nuno Espirito Santo.

Spurs have brought in five new players, with Bryan Gil, Emerson Royal, Pape Sarr, Pierluigi Gollini and Cristian Romero all coming in, though Sarr was loaned back to French club Metz for the remainder of the season. Spurs also shipped out Juan Foyth, Toby Alderweireld, Moussa Sissoko, Joe Hart, Danny Rose, Erik Lamela, Paulo Gazzaniga and Serge Aurier.

However, the club did not manage to bring a new striker into the club to provide support for Harry Kane.

Llorente, of course, is a former Spurs star, playing for the club between 2017 and 2019 and playing a key role in their run to the Champions League final, scoring the winning goal in the quarter-final against Manchester City and assisting Lucas Moura’s third goal in the remarkable semi-final against Ajax.

Llorente has left Udinese on a free transfer and remains without a club, and Roberts says he would be open to the potential of him returning in the summer.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “He could do. He’s been around, he knows what the club’s about.”