All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Marcel Brands could deliver Carlo Ancelotti his new Arjen Robben by launching a pursuit for Everton to sign Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon Bailey.

What’s the word?

According to the Liverpool Echo, the Toffees are eager to add depth to Ancelotti’s wide options in the summer transfer market. It is expected that a left-footed player will be preferred, and that Everton’s Director of Football Brands will focus efforts on those aged between 20 and 25/26.

Everton currently have three natural wide players in Richarlison, Alex Iwobi and Bernard, while James Rodriguez, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Joshua King can play on the wings and Anthony Gordon is due to return from a half-season loan with Preston North End.

The Goodison Park natives have prioritised improving Ancelotti’s options in attack and at right-back this summer, and will only chase a new centre-forward should King leave and Moise Kean be sold amid reported interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus.

Brands is considered to have great scope for wide options to target, which is not replicated at right-back with Everton feeling that there are few players available who meet all of Ancelotti’s requirements.

Everton have been linked with Max Aarons but are loath to pay Norwich City’s £30m asking price, while Ancelotti is thought to covet a tall right-back, which may rule 5 ft 5 Tariq Lamptey of Brighton & Hove Albion out of the running.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-everton-news%2c-views-and-gossip” title=”Latest Everton news, views and gossip!”]

The Blues are also expected to make a raft of sales to raise funds and clear a bloated wage bill in the off-season, with Bernard and Jonjoe Kenny among those facing uncertain futures and Yannick Bolasie, Southampton-linked Theo Walcott and Reading-linked Mo Besic set to leave at the end of their contracts.

Should Everton revive their Bailey interest?

With Everton claimed to be on the search for a young, left-footed winger this summer, Brands should look to formalise the Goodison Park club’s interest in Bayer Leverkusen star Bailey.

Reports by the Daily Mail linked the Toffees with scouting the Jamaican earlier in the season with a view to a potential summer swoop, having proven to be the biggest contributor to the BayArena club’s efforts at the start of the campaign.

It was expected that any club who wished to sign Bailey would have to pay £36m after the Bundesliga outfit snubbed Leeds United’s approaches in the last summer market, while Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United joined Everton in scouting the 23-year-old.

Tottenham and Everton were also linked with the Jamaica international in the last off-season after he allegedly expressed desires of testing himself in the Premier League.

Brands now seeing that he gets that chance at Goodison Park could see the Dutchman hand Ancelotti his new Robben, to whom Bailey has previously been considered as the heir in the Bundesliga. Pace has been noted as one of his strongest assets, having once clocked a sprint speed of 21.4 mph.

The ex-Chelsea winger featured 45 times under Ancelotti at Bayern Munich during the 2016/17 and 2017/18 seasons, which saw him score 18 goals and offer 15 assists as the Bavarian powerhouse won the Bundesliga title and two German Super Cups.

Leverkusen coach Peter Bosz had also lauded Bailey as an “immense” talent, while Die Werkself’s sporting director Simon Rolfes believes that a move to the right-wing has done him “a lot of good” by playing in a Robben-esque way of cutting inside onto his stronger left foot.

That style saw Bailey strike a wonder goal against Hoffenheim in December, one of 14 goals that the eight-cap speedster has hit in all competitions this term, while offering 10 assists – no Leverkusen player has scored more while only Moussa Diaby (13) has more assists.

It remains to be seen whether Everton’s scouts reported back glowing endorsements of Bailey which will see Brands step forward with a bid this summer, but the Jamaican – who Bosz believes “gets better with every game” – could be the Toffees’ ideal wide option to target.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti set to make shrewd Everton appointment with “hugely popular” coach…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Marlon Harewood, who scored 54 goals for West Ham, believes Tomas Soucek has been the signing of the season in the Premier League.

Soucek has become a fan favourite at West Ham since arriving on loan from Slavia Prague last January, before making his move to London a permanent one in the summer for just £15 million.

This season has seen Soucek establish a formidable partnership with Declan Rice in the centre of midfield and the Czech Republic international has been able to add goals to his game this season as well, netting nine in 33 Premier League appearances this term.

Speaking on whether Soucek is the signing of the season and how his stats back up his opinion, Harewood said:

“Yeah, best signing of the season by far and he’s got everything. His stats say everything really when you compare them to anyone else in the league.”

David Moyes has previously admitted that the club will have to listen to offers for both Rice and Soucek in the summer, even if they successfully complete a surprising bid for a top-four finish.

The £67,308 per week midfielder has recently been linked with Bayern Munich after a season of solid performances for the Hammers.

Wolves’ shambolic showing at Turf Moor on Sunday lunchtime provided Nuno Santo with plenty to think about.

First of all, it showed that their defence still leaves plenty to be desired and secondly, it summed up why they need more potency in attack. Losing 4-0 on the road to a relegation-threatened team wasn’t very impressive at all.

What’s the word?

This will be a pivotal summer for Wolves after they ultimately splashed the cash unsuccessfully last year.

The Old Gold have an option to buy Willian Jose in a few months time but after scoring just once, it feels unlikely they’ll do so.

Instead, Wolves could find themselves turning their eyes to Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah.

Nuno’s men were linked with a move for the young forward in January but they ultimately settled on Jose.

However, it looks as though the Gunners are keen to shift Nketiah again this summer.

A fresh report from The Sun over the weekend states that Arsenal are looking for £20m in order to part company with the 21-year-old. With that, Wolves should revive their interest.

Goals galore

Back in January, Wolves needed a proven experienced striker in order to replace Raul Jimenez whilst he was injured. The arrival of Jose looked an astute one on paper as he signed on loan but after netting one goal in the space of a few months, it’s not gone according to plan.

It’s unlikely Jimenez will be back before the end of the campaign but hopefully, he’ll be fit and raring to go before the new season rolls around.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-wolves-news-and-views-lingard-leao-jimenez-mir” title= “Read the latest Wolves news and views!”]

With that in mind, signing another experienced forward might not make as much sense.

Fortunately, this is where Nketiah comes in. Not quite as young as Fabio Silva, the Englishman has had a habit of troubling opposition defences up and down the country for years.

He has only scored six times for Mikel Arteta’s side this term but he is the definition of a penalty box poacher. You only need to look at his late goal against Fulham last week where he stole in at the back post before poking the ball home.

Dubbed a “powerful” player by the Arsenal manager, he possesses the ability to get in behind and run the channels; something Wolves don’t really have with Jimenez.

The Mexican will work hard but despite being a fox in the box, he isn’t blessed with enormous pace.

Nketiah, on the other hand, has speed and acceleration in abundance. If you don’t get stuck into him early in the game, he can run you ragged.

The youngster scored 28 times in only 39 games for the club’s U23 side and at international level, he has thrived.

Described as a “goal machine” by Michael Owen, no one has scored more goals for England U21s than Nketiah; he has 16 in 17.

The attacker now has a few years of experience under his belt which is more than Silva can offer at the moment. He is proven in England and also has plenty of leadership skills; he was the U21s captain during the recent European Championships.

Like a lot of Jeff Shi’s signings down the years, this would be one where Wolves can develop and craft a player for the future.

AND in other news, Worse than Boly: Nuno surely fuming with Wolves gem who lost possession 24x…

Many Everton fans have been flocking to a transfer update on Hwang Hee-Chan as Sport1 have reported that they are particularly keen on him.

However, as per the news outlet, that is also the stance of West Ham United, and both teams were interested in signing him in the winter break.

The Goodison Park faithful could do with another striker to compete with Dominic Calvert-Lewin up top for the 2021/22 term, and Hwang would certainly offer a different option given his ability to run in behind with his pace.

However, the South Korea international has not been very prolific for RB Leipzig so far this season, scoring just two times in 21 games in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt).

The update has certainly split the fanbase of the Merseyside club in terms of whether the 25-year-old would be a good signing for them or not.

Everton fans on Hee-Chan transfer update

These Toffees supporters flocked to the transfer update after it was shared on Twitter:

“Let’s gooooooooooooo!!!”

Credit: @jaehl33

“Thought we should of looked at him in January. He’s not bad, versatile. Sell Kean for £40m plus and get him for around £15m and it’s really good business imo”

Credit: @AidyDews

“A lot of fans here looking his goals per game and just that. He’s got a well-rounded game, plenty of potential and brings more than just being a “striker””

Credit: @Lukazioo

“Please no”

Credit: @davidh_5_

“2 goals in 35 Bundesliga games. No thanks.”

Credit: @irvine75

“Isn’t he like scoreless in 15 games?”

Credit: @TheBenji1878

In other news, find out what transfer update has been lauded by Blues here!

The 2020/21 Championship regular season came to an end on Saturday afternoon and a current Leicester City player rounded off his campaign in a promising way.

Starting in midfield for temporary employers Luton Town, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall equalised against Queens Park Rangers despite the Hatters going on to lose 3-1 at Loftus Road.

Following the match, Luton boss Nathan Jones suggested that he would be doing his utmost to bring the “magnificent” midfielder back to the club next season.

However, considering his performances throughout the campaign, Brendan Rodgers should certainly be looking to keep Dewsbury-Hall at the King Power Stadium and hand him first-team opportunities.

In 40 appearances for Luton in all competitions, the 22-year-old has scored three goals and notched six assists.

That form built on another highly impressive loan spell at Blackpool where the midfielder scored four goals in just ten league appearances.

Considering those two campaigns have been his only seasons within senior league football, his adaptation and progression has been highly impressive.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-leicester-city-news%2c-transfer-rumours-and-more-abraham-demrial-maddison-rodgers-mckennie” title=”Latest Leicester City news, transfer rumours and more…”]

His eye for goal and offensive nature could certainly come in handy in the East-Midlands next season.

The likes of James Maddison, Dennis Praet and Ayoze Perez have all struggled with injuries throughout the current campaign, leaving Rodgers’ midfield attacking midfield options looking depleted at times.

Bringing Dewsbury-Hall into the fold would certainly strengthen the depth within the club’s current squad.

Whilst it might be harsh to expect the midfielder to cope with the demands of Premier League football immediately, he has already displayed his promise with the Foxes.

He has already been afforded a couple of first-team opportunities at the King Power Stadium; an FA Cup appearance against Brentford and an EFL Cup outing versus Arsenal back in September.

Following his excellent season at Kenilworth Road, he will surely be keen though to build upon those promising signs.

Rodgers must keep him around next season though and not let him leave once again if Dewsbury-Hall is to achieve that.

Even if he’s kept around to play in a backup role, he could be unleashed in domestic cup games, or perhaps from the bench in league games. That could be better for his development than spending another year out on loan.

AND in more news, the Foxes have been handed a huge boost in their pursuit of Boubakary Soumare…

A number of Celtic supporters have hit out at Jonjoe Kenny on social media for his first half display against Hibernian on Saturday lunchtime.

Interim boss John Kennedy made two changes from the side which beat St Johnstone 4-0 on Wednesday, with Greg Taylor and Callum McGregor coming in for Adam Montgomery and James Forrest respectively.

It looks set to be Kennedy’s final game in temporary charge, with recent reports suggesting that Eddie Howe is in line to take over as manager for the 2021/22 season.

However, it was Kenny‘s performance in the opening stages at Easter Road which had a number of Celtic fans talking online, and not for the right reasons. The 24-year-old was making his 10th Scottish Premiership start since joining on loan from Everton and 16th appearance in all competitions.

He was coming up against Hibs winger Jamie Murphy in Edinburgh, but some fans clearly think he is struggling on what is his final appearance of his temporary Parkhead stay. He went into the referee’s notebook after just 10 minutes, being yellow-carded for an early foul on Murphy, and failed to win a first half duel.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-3/” title=”Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Celtic fans react

Here is what these Hoops supporters had to say about Kenny, with one describing his display as ‘so bad’ and another calling him a ‘donkey’, with this not being the first time that he has come under fire from the Parkhead faithful:

“Kenny has got to be one of the worst right-backs I’ve ever seen”

Credit: @NorthKoreaCSC

“JJ Kenny is still the worst player I’ve saw in a Celtic top”

Credit: @BrianMc81

“Man Jonjoe Kenny is a terrible player”

Credit: @paulandrewmart2

“Jonjoe Kenny is so bad”

Credit: @GlasgowFIFA_

“He’s had less impact than Marvin Compper.”

Credit: @KierenLaverty

“Get him out my club”

Credit: @DylanIsOnFire

In other news: Celtic looking at two big-money transfers; presented targets to Howe, find out more here. 

It doesn’t look as if Celtic will be making Diego Laxalt’s loan spell at Parkhead permanent this summer.

The Lowdown: Laxalt’s Celtic Park struggles

Laxalt made the move to Glasgow on a season-long loan back in October from AC Milan, however, he didn’t exactly cement his place in the Hoops side at the expense of Greg Taylor.

The South American started just 13 Scottish Premiership fixtures and was absent from John Kennedy’s squad for the final game of the season last weekend.

Taylor outperformed Laxalt in the Premiership, as per WhoScored, with the Uruguayan averaging a match-rating of just 6.82/10.

The Latest: No permanent deal

According to Il Milanista, cited by Sports Witness, there was a point where AC Milan were ‘ready to negotiate’ a permanent transfer to Celtic for the left-back.

However, the report adds that the Hoops ‘abruptly changed their mind’ at the end of the campaign, with a full-time switch to Scotland now off the table.

Frank McAvennie labelled a possible permanent transfer as a ‘smart move’ back in January, but it doesn’t look as if that will materialise going off the latest reports.

The Verdict: The right call by Celtic

In our opinion, Celtic have made the right decision by changing their mind on the defender.

His AC Milan deal is thought to be worth around £57,000-a-week, and his displays at Parkhead haven’t warranted him becoming one of the club’s top earners.

Those funds, in our view, could be put to better use under the new Hoops manager this summer.

Plenty of areas need strengthening, and splashing the cash on a left-back may have not been the best idea. A new striker to replace Odsonne Edouard appears crucial, while more attacking flair following Mohamed Elyounoussi’s return to Southampton could also be handy.

In other news: Report believes Eddie Howe to Celtic is done, find out more here. 

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, former Premier League midfielder Lee Hendrie believes concerns over Celtic’s transfer budget could be holding up Eddie Howe’s move to the club.

Howe has long been linked with Celtic as they look to replace Neil Lennon but nothing has yet been made official.

The former Bournemouth boss may be holding out for a Premier League opportunity, with some reports suggesting that he could be in line for the Crystal Palace job.

Hendrie also thinks the possibility of not being able to bring in the players he wants could be causing issues.

Discussing Celtic’s pursuit of Howe in an exclusive interview with TT, the Sky Sports pundit said:

“I think that’s why it’s taken a little bit longer to get a manager back into the door. You know, ‘What have I got to go and bring new players in? What have I got that I can [use to] compete against Rangers?’

“It seems to be that there’s a problem or there isn’t enough that is attracting managers in to say, ‘Well, I can bring new players in, we’re going to rebuild this football club’ and that possibly will be why there isn’t a manager in that door at the moment.”

Given how far off Celtic were from their city rivals this season, it is probably to be expected that any incoming manager would want reassurances regarding the transfer budget. So it would not be a surprise if an issue surrounding that was holding up Howe’s move to the Bhoys.

Whoever the new manager at Celtic is, they will face a huge rebuilding job in order to take the Hoops back to their former glories.

They will, however, potentially have to do that without players like Odsonne Edouard.

The Frenchman is one of a number of individuals at Parkhead touted with the exit door.

On the chalkboard

Another face who will definitely be heading for the departure lounge is Scott Brown.

The 35-year-old’s time at Paradise is coming to an end this summer as the midfield veteran winds down his career in Glasgow and heads to Aberdeen.

Brown will become a player coach under Steven Glass at Pittodrie but will leave behind a considerable void in the middle of the park.

The Celtic skipper’s performances were mediocre this term but one area of his game that remained unquestionable was his leadership.

Even if now feels like the perfect time for him to depart, the Hoops will miss his tough tackling nature and his commitment to the cause.

The replacement

The natural successor in the middle of the park feels like Ismaila Soro.

The Ivorian has struggled for game time since penning terms in January 2020 but like Brown, his tenacious attitude is infectious.

There are few better tacklers in the entire Celtic squad with Soro registering as many as ten successful challenges in one game against Lille last year.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-howe-favre-mcgregor-mccann-tierney” title=”Read the latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

Liam Shaw could also arrive and fill the spot in midfield but there are other unorthodox options that the incoming Hoops boss has to consider.

One of them needs to be Kristoffer Ajer. The Norwegian could leave for the Premier League this summer but if he stays, he should be well suited to stepping up into midfield.

Ajer came through the ranks as a defensive midfielder and although he’s now been moved into the backline, he could become a genuine star playing further forward. After all, it’s a position he’s played in on 19 occasions throughout his career to date.

The 23-year-old is a marauding figure from centre-half, ploughing forward with an unrelenting amount of energy. He can beat players for fun and push them over in a devastating fashion.

In the words of ACSOM presenter Paul John Dykes, Ajer is a “man mountain” at the back for Celtic but it feels like he’s more than equipped to play further forward.

A commanding figure, his defensive attributes would still be important but it would give Ajer more of a platform to rampage forward and carry the ball; two attributes that define his play style.

The 6 foot 6 pillar would also be allowed to do so knowing he has cover behind him, something that evidently isn’t the case when he plays at centre-back.

With a pass success rate of 87.5%, he’d also be able to keep things ticking over safely. If there’s one area that never fails to let him down, it’s his ball-playing capabilities.

The Norway international might not be as tough in the tackle as Brown but his tall figure would do enough to scare plenty of opponents. He’d be a perfect fit for the midfield.

AND in other news, Celtic must sign “outstanding” 21-goal animal, he terrorised Scott Brown this season…

For two long, arduous months, it appeared that Eddie Howe would become the new manager of Celtic.However, we should know by now that, when it comes to the Hoops, things are never done the easy way.The Bhoys had been in advanced talks with the 43-year-old and a deal was already done according to reports, but on Friday, a move collapsed at the 11thÂhour.

What’s the word?

Celtic have wasted no time in assessing their alternatives. Their plan B is to lure Australian boss Ange Postecoglou to Parkhead instead.

The 55-year-old is currently managing in Japan and is believed to be in advanced talks with the Bhoys over moving to Scotland.

Considering that he’s never managed in Europe, it would be a gamble from Dermot Desmond and co to hire him. That being said, it would appear that Celtic have performed their due diligence on the manager.

According to the Daily Record, the Bhoys have been tracking Postecoglou ever since Neil Lennon resigned back in February. The Yokohama F Marinos boss is reportedly very keen on becoming the Hoops’ new manager and Dominic McKay is now treating the matter with great urgency.

A good appointment?

Although Postecoglou has never ventured onto European shores, it’s hard to deny his outstanding qualities.

When he won the Japanese top flight back in 2019, Marinos’ wage budget was one-seventh of the richest team in the division. In Scottish terms, that would be the equivalent of an Aberdeen taking home the Premiership.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-ajer-howe-lampard-wilshere-gauld” title=”Read the latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

Effective on a shoestring budget, his football is also particularly eye-catching. During the course of the current campaign, his team have registered the most possession of anyone in the division, with a tally of 64.7%.

Celtic are a team used to dominating possession but even the Hoops enjoyed less of the ball than Marinos in 2020/21, averaging 61.9%. Already you can start to work out why Postecoglou is so highly coveted by the Bhoys.

Another impressive aspect is the way he gets his teams to press from the front. Marinos are relentless in the way they hound and hassle the opposition, leading a pressing charge of several players.

Postecoglou seems to thrive on that modern style of football and it has proven incredibly successful for him.

Described as “infectious†by former Everton star Tim Cahill, he has caught the eye of both Pep Guardiola and Raheem Sterling.

Following a match against Manchester City, Guardiola was left impressed, saying: “Yokohama played some incredible football and they were an incredible test for us.”

After a friendly between England and Australia, Sterling echoed his club manager’s thoughts, commenting: “They’re probably one of the best teams I’ve seen play out from the back and they played some great football so it was a great test for us.”

Adept at getting from one pitch to the other with quick passing and relentless pressing, there are huge positives to agreeing a deal with Postecoglou.

It’s a gamble from the Celtic board but, if his brand of football comes off, they should undoubtedly look a more impressive outfit next season, assuming he is handed the reins.

AND in other news, Celtic must sign 49-goal gem who left a “huge impression” on Neil Lennon…