All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Tottenham have been brilliant this season and although it’s a longshot, still have a chance in both the Premier League and Champions League.

Without spending a single penny and suffering badly from big injuries, Mauricio Pochettino and his players have just got on with things, not worrying about anything else apart from doing the business on the pitch.

There have been a number of terrific showings from Tottenham recently that have since brought them back into the Premier League title debate, whilst their Champions League aspirations are also very much alive and kicking.

Yet, whatever success they may or may not enjoy this season, Spurs cannot stand still in the transfer market again and must look to replenish their squad.

Whether he would want to play second-fiddle or Tottenham somehow integrated him within the starting line-up, Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic could be a brilliant summer coup.

Mitrovic, (who is valued at £22.5 million on Transfermarkt) is far greater than the Championship striker he could become if Fulham are to be relegated and would arguably good enough for Tottenham’s squad.

With the chance to play with a much greater surrounding of quality, Mitrovic could be looking at bettering the ten goals he has scored this season so far.

The Serbian international is still only 24-years-old as well, meaning that his career with Tottenham could be very long lasting and full of success eventually.

Tottenham have a squad full of young and exciting players, which Aleksandar Mitrovic would also fit the criteria of being too.

He is a bullish striker that is superb in the air and on the ground knocking the ball around. He would be far better than Fernando Llorente and would ultimately improve Tottenham’s choices massively.

Do you agree… Let us know!

West Ham failed to sign any new players in January despite a strong top-four race and Europa League challenge in a decision that could haunt them this season, however, they could make up for it this summer as they are linked with a huge chance of signing a very in-demand player.

What’s the word?

Speaking on talkSPORT, European football expert and journalist Andy Brassell, has made a huge claim on the potential of West Ham signing Darwin Nunez this summer, after showing interest previously.

Brassell said: “West Ham were very interested in signing him, but wouldn’t go up to the €60m (£50m) that Benfica wanted in winter.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up there at some point.”

Haller replacement

There is no doubt that Sebastian Haller’s departure left a big hole in West Ham’s attacking prowess and although David Moyes’ current side are achieving to a high level, especially in their Europa League run, it would benefit them massively to finally replace their former forward, and Nunez could be the perfect replacement.

The £31k-per-week gem who was hailed “electric” by Micah Richards, has been linked to a number of clubs this season with Manchester United, Atletico Madrid and Newcastle United all reportedly interested in signing the striker this summer according to The Telegraph, and for good reason when you look at his output.

The 22 year old has scored 28 goals and contributed three assists in 35 appearances for his Portuguese side Benfica this season across all competitions, with goals scored against Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Ajax and Liverpool in the Champions League so far proving he is a real threat even against the biggest European teams in the world right now.

Alongside his impressive G/A, Nunez is further displaying how much of a nightmare he can be for opponents looking at his attacking statistics for Benfica in the Primeira Liga this season, with eight big chances created, 1.1 key passes per game and is successful in completing the majority of his dribbles (52%) whilst scoring every 71 minutes on average, according to SofaScore.

Moyes will need to do everything he can to tempt the Uruguayan striker especially as he is linked to so many other clubs and only gaining more attention thanks to his incredible form. The promising comments made by Brassell should surely be capitalised on by the powers at the London club.

In other news: Insider drops early West Ham team news hint ahead of Lyon, David Moyes will be buzzing

Celtic have been dealt a potential blow in their bid to seal the permanent signing of Jota.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Scotsman, who claim that, despite Ange Postecoglou’s side possessing a £6m option to buy clause in the Portugal U21 international’s temporary contract at Parkhead, the winger’s representatives have sought to keep the 23-year-old’s options open ahead of the summer transfer window.

The report goes on to state that the Benfica loanee has refused to comment on whether or not he would be keen on a permanent switch to Celtic at the end of the current campaign, as well as claiming that the Bhoys’ clause for the forward is only relevant should the player himself agree to a move.

In summary, The Scotsman state: “There may be nothing Celtic can present to him that would make him stay.”

Unforgivable error

Considering just how impressive Jota has been for Celtic since his temporary switch to Parkhead last summer, the argument that failing to secure the forward’s permanent signing this summer would be a disaster for Postecoglou is a rather easy one to make.

Indeed, over his 22 Premiership appearances this season, the £4.95m-rated winger has been in breathtaking form for the Hoops, scoring seven goals, registering seven assists and creating nine big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.7 shots and making two key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £18.5k-per-week sensation average a quite exceptional SofaScore match rating of 7.50, ranking him as the fourth-best player in the top flight of Scottish football.

The Portuguese youth international has also highly impressed over his ten appearances in both domestic and European cup competitions, bagging a further three goals and three assists – taking his total haul for the season to 10 goals and 10 assists over 36 fixtures.

As such, it is clear for all to see that Postecoglou simply must do all he can to convince Jota of a full-time switch to Glasgow this summer, as the signing of the 23-year-old would not only provide Celtic with an incredibly gifted player next season and beyond, it would also secure the club an extremely sellable asset.

And, with the bonus of automatic qualification to the Champions League group stage being on offer for the champions of the Premiership this season – something that are Celtic currently in a strong position to go on and secure – it would be something of an unforgivable error on the part of the club if they were to miss out on Jota’s signing this summer.

AND in other news: Signed for £540k, sold for 8 figures: Celtic struck gold on 23 y/o “Roy of the Rovers”

Glasgow Rangers have now been gifted a big boost in their hope of tying Scott Arfield down to a new deal at the club.

The Lowdown: van Bronckhorst wants him

Speaking to the media before their 3-3 draw away at Ross County (via The Glasgow Times), manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst admitted that he wants to keep Arfield beyond his current contract with the Teddy Bears, which will run out in the summer.

As the Dutchman says, the central midfield player has been ‘really important‘ to the side, as he has played 27 matches in total across all competitions for them this term, scoring four goals (Transfermarkt).

At 33 years of age with 19 international caps to his name, he is one of the most experienced players in the dressing room.

The Latest: Arfield speaks out

Speaking to the media in a pre-game press conference ahead of their match at home to Hearts in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday afternoon, Arfield has now revealed that his agent is talking with the club about a potential new deal:

“My agent is talking to the club, this is a club I want to be a part of.

“I love being part of this football club.”

The Verdict: Big boost

Called a ‘very clever’ player by former boss Steven Gerrard, Arfield is someone who can still thrive under another coach in van Bronckhorst, and there is no doubt that he is still a key part of the team.

Yes, there will be a time when the Light Blues will have to start thinking about phasing him out given his age, but the Canadian should be given at least until the end of next season in order to help stabilise the ship under the new boss.

Nonetheless, he is someone that the fans want to keep at Ibrox too, and so a new deal will work out for all parties involved.

In other news, find out what big Gers transfer update Fabrizio Romano has dropped here!

Spanish outlet Sport have provided an update involving Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale. 

The lowdown: Bale in Madrid

Out of contract at the end of the season (Transfermarkt), it now seems inevitable that the 32-year-old will finally leave Spain this summer.

Despite being an integral part of a successful time in the history of the La Liga giants, the Welsh forward has been castigated by fans and media alike in recent years at the Bernabeu due to an ongoing battle with fitness issues.

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Having spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan at Tottenham – scoring 16 times and providing three assists – a fresh claim has now emerged from Spain…

The latest: Spurs keen

As per the report from Sport, Spurs, and by extension Fabio Paratici, are among the clubs plotting to offer Bale a contract should the Welshman indeed decide to continue with his career.

Hometown club Cardiff City, Newcastle United, Rangers and a move to the MLS are also cited as possible destinations for the man once hailed as ‘one of the best in the world’ by former interim Tottenham boss Ryan Mason following a hat-trick against Sheffield United.

However, it’s suggested that the 102-cap ace may yet hang up his boots should Wales fail to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar later this year.

The verdict: Still got it

If there was any doubting whether the enigmatic Welshman still has the quality to perform at the elite level, a recent stunning brace for Wales in the World Cup playoff against Austria put the questions to rest.

Managing Director of Football Paratici will attempt to strengthen the squad at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer and a move for Bale, who Antonio Conte actually tried to sign whilst at Inter Milan, would be an interesting option.

Whilst a return would excite supporters, since moving to Madrid in 2013 Bale has missed an eye-watering 134 matches through injury and fitness woes. Therefore, to make this move a feasible option certain assurances would either need to be in place over fitness or it would need to come at a low financial cost.

In other news: Report makes swap deal claim as Spurs open talks! Find out more here.

Leeds United youngster Crysencio Summerville is reportedly Hamburg’s ‘preferred’ target to join the club before the January transfer window closes.

The Lowdown: Summerville struggles for playing time

The 20-year-old may be one of the Whites’ most exciting young players but he has had to make do with a peripheral role this season.

Summerville’s only start of the campaign to date came in the Carabao Cup, so it could make sense for Leeds to loan him out for the rest of the season.

As deadline day approaches, that still looks to potentially be on the cards, with reports from Hamburg delivering more news on that front.

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The Latest: Hamburg keen on move

According to Hamburger Morgenpost [via Sport Witness], Summerville remains the 2. Bundesliga club’s primary target, as they continue to chase a temporary deal.

It is stated that ‘talks with Leeds are increasingly difficult’, however, so it may be tricky to get it completed before Monday’s deadline.

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The Verdict: Makes perfect sense

In terms of Summerville’s development, it makes perfect sense for him to seal a loan move away from Leeds this month, having been described as ‘superb’ by Noel Whelan.

It would hopefully allow him more regular football in Germany’s second tier and the experience of playing abroad could help him mature as an all-round footballer.

There seems little benefit for anyone if Summerville ends up staying put in January, sitting on the substitutes bench or playing for the Under-23s.

All that said, with such little depth in attacking areas already at Elland Road, perhaps part of the trouble with the deal is Leeds’ desire to secure their own attacking signing first.

In other news, Leeds have been boosted in their quest to sign one player. Find out who it is here.

Everton have been hit with a double injury blow ahead of the Merseyside Derby on Sunday afternoon.

What’s the word?

Frank Lampard has taken to his pre-match press conference (via Liverpool World) to deliver an update on two fresh injury issues at Finch Farm, with Donny van de Beek and Andre Gomes now both ruled out of the derby, alongside Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Lampard told the press: “We’ve got a couple of small injuries. Donny van de Beek won’t be fit, he’s got a small injury, in his groin/ pelvic area. Andre Gomes the same. That keeps him out of the weekend.”

Lampard will be gutted

There is no doubt that the Toffees boss will be gutted to lose two players to injury at this stage of this season, especially considering the position they have found themselves in – battling against relegation from the Premier League.

With seven games to go, Everton are only above the relegation zone by one point following Burnley’s victory over Southampton on Thursday, and it will certainly cause a headache for Lampard to lose players at such a delicate time – with both midfielders’ injuries weakening his squad depth in midfield yet again.

Van de Beek had only just returned to fitness a little over a week ago after sustaining a thigh injury, but has not featured since the Wolves defeat in March – with the Man United loanee only making six appearances in total since he joined the club in January.

Meanwhile, Gomes has only played three times since Lampard joined the club, so, although he will be a miss in terms of depth on the bench, it shouldn’t make a huge impact on the starting side unless there are further injuries to the midfield.

Finally, Calvert-Lewin has only made 14 appearances this season and hasn’t scored a single goal since August last year.

Indeed, despite returning from a long term quad injury in January the star striker has failed to refind his goal-scoring form, and could now potentially be sidelined again until the end of the season.

With that being said, all three have made minimal impact on the side as of late so Lampard should have enough quality to continue to pick up points in the league, with the 43-year-old manager undoubtedly be hoping his side can get a much-needed result at Anfield.

AND in other news: Frank can finally axe “out of control” EFC flop by signing “outstanding” £18k-p/w star

Sunderland have reportedly now been gifted the chance to land Neil Warnock as their next permanent manager.

The Lowdown: Temporary appointments made

Following the departure of Lee Johnson, the Stadium of Light faithful have now confirmed that Mike Dodds will lead the first-team preparations alongside Phil Jevons and Goalkeeping Coach David Preece, assisted by Michael Proctor.

Their next game is at home to Doncaster Rovers in League One on Saturday, and so it looks like Dodds will take charge for now until a permanent replacement is brought in.

The Latest: Warnock contact

Writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, journalist James Hunter has revealed that Warnock has expressed an interest in the vacant job, and has even made contact with the Black Cats over the role, potentially until the end of the season.

Hunter also writes that the 73-year-old was in the frame for the SAFC job in the early 1990s, and Warnock himself has previously revealed that he was ‘very close’ to taking the role back in 2020 before Johnson was appointed.

The Verdict: Get him in!

Warnock is the perfect man to steady the ship and guide Sunderland to promotion, and his CV proves it.

He has been promoted on no fewer than eight separate occasions with two of those coming from the third tier of English football (The Chronicle).

Lauded as an ‘absolute hero’ by local Huddersfield Town journalist Doug Thomson after Warnock got the Terriers to Wembley and promoted, he is someone that the fans can warm up to straight away, and some Black Cats even called for him to be appointed before Johnson was.

Nonetheless, the board should look no further than the Englishman for their promotion push.

In other news, find out what transfer update has Black Cats delighted here!

As per Portuguese newspaper O Jogo, via Sport Witness, Liverpool are interested in signing FC Porto midfielder Vitinha. 

The lowdown: Vitinha at Wolves

The Reds have been credited with an admiration of the creative ace for some time now and it appears that the interest remains.

A graduate of the Porto academy, Vitinha moved to Wolves on loan before returning to Portugal in 2021 having failed to score in 19 Premier League appearances during 2020/21.

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Now it appears that Liverpool could be set to attempt to bring the midfielder back to England…

The latest: Liverpool in pursuit

According to O Jogo, as translated by SW, the Reds are following the Portugal international ‘with a lot of attention’ ahead of the summer transfer window.

The report also cites interest from Bayern Munich and Lazio in the man recently hailed as ‘fabulous’ by manager Sérgio Conceição following a standout display in a 4-2 victory over Paços de Ferreira.

Previously, a report from the same source has claimed that Liverpool assistant coach Pep Lijnders is personally scouting the one-cap star, who has a €40million (£33.2million) release clause.

The verdict: Get it done

Having witnessed the impact Luis Diaz has had since arriving from Porto in the January transfer window, it’s no surprise that the Jurgen Klopp and new sporting director Julian Ward would be considering adding the Colombian’s former teammate to the Anfield ranks.

So far this season Vitinha has earned an outstanding 7.54 average Sofascore rating from 25 Primeira Liga outings, which is actually better than the Diaz’s 7.47 rating prior to heading to Merseyside, whilst boasting an impressive 90% passing accuracy.

Predominantly operating from a central midfield role, the 22-year-old has scored three times and provided four assists in 40 appearances across all competitions so far this season, and it appears as though Ward, Klopp and Lijnders are growing quite fond of the Porto talent production line.

In other news: French source claims Liverpool are interested in talented youngster

Benfica are optimistic about bringing Celtic loanee Jota back to Portugal in the summer, The Daily Record report.

The Lowdown: Celtic’s option

The Hoops brought the 22-year-old to Parkhead on deadline day on a season-long loan with an option to buy.

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Jota has been a revelation in Scotland following his Scotland switch, contributing to 14 goals in 19 games.

He recently returned to his parent club to have his hamstring injury assessed, and it seems as if the Primeira Liga giants think they can keep hold of the winger despite reports suggesting Celtic are closing in on a £6m permanent deal.

The Latest: Journalist reacts

The Daily Record shared a story Thursday, leading with a title that Jota to Celtic is now in ‘doubt’.

They then relayed comments from journalist Alex Goncalves, who claimed that there is a ‘decent chance’ of Jota staying with Benfica. He also labelled a £6m option to buy fee from the Portuguese giants as ‘an absolute travesty’.

“Benfica obviously remain keen to keep hold of João ‘Jota’ Filipe, hence why Celtic still haven’t managed to sign him permanently. It’s all still up to Jota, but Benfica would like him to return to his boyhood club.

“There’s a feeling that there’s a decent chance it’ll happen.

“Even if Jota chooses to stay at Benfica, it’s an incredibly lucky escape. The fact that Benfica included a £6m option fee for Celtic is an absolute travesty and incredibly poor management.

“Benfica have made some impressive sales over the years. This one would be atrocious.”

The Verdict: All in Jota’s hands…

As Goncalves mentions, it is all down to Jota when it comes to his next destination – if the Hoops trigger the option in the original deal, there’s not much his parent club can do.

It seems as if he is loving his football at Parkhead, too, and you’d like to think that the Hoops would be happy to guarantee him regular football in the long run and include various clauses to seal a permanent deal.

Even if a move isn’t finalised this month, Celtic still have months to get a full-time transfer in place ahead of the summer, so even though this latest update now thinks a move could be in ‘doubt’, there shouldn’t be panic amongst the Hoops hierarchy.

In other news: ‘Think that will happen soon’ – Pundit says Celtic will now sign defender after O’Riley.