All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Leeds United are closing in on their second signing of the January transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic’s Phil Hay, a deal for Hoffenheim striker Georginio Rutter was on course for completion that would break the Whites’ current club record of £27m, which they spent on Rodrigo back in 2020.

The Daily Mail believe this fee to be around £35m plus add-ons and also claim that a medical is scheduled for this week.

Rutter has been excused from the Bundesliga outfit’s recent friendlies ahead of the league’s return in just over a week’s time, meaning the door has opened for Leeds to make their move.

Rutter can take Leeds to new heights

The young forward could be the answer to Jesse Marsch’s woes and one that may well benefit the club for years to come, given he’s just 20.

A pure no.9 to fill Patrick Bamford’s shoes is arguably the no.1 priority right now and will be for the next few seasons should they fail to resolve it. And Rutter is just that, a complete and all-round talisman capable of performing through the middle.

Past targets such as Cody Gakpo and Charles De Ketelaere were never out-and-out strikers but more versatile options that could feature anywhere along the frontline – a bit like summer signing Wilfried Gnonto.

Whilst 10 goals and four assists in 57 league appearances aren’t the eye-catching statistics that Leeds fans will be hoping for in their new forward, it is surely hoped that he can blossom into a well-oiled attacking machine under the stewardship of Marsch, the man who took Erling Haaland to a new dimension early in his career at RB Salzburg.

Rutter, who has been dubbed a “huge talent” by journalist Ronan Murphy, appears to be a surefire fit for the American’s pressing system too, with Hay also highlighting that the Frenchman’s “running on the ball, dribbling and take-ons, is very good.”

As further described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the 20-year-old is also a “complete” and “clinical finisher” with “blistering pace” and these are all attributes that should serve him well in the Premier League, particularly as a natural successor to Bamford, who proved in 2020/21 that when fully fit he’s a talismanic centre-forward with 17 goals and seven assists.

Also dubbed “physical” by journalist Joe Donnohue, it’s more clear as to why Leeds chief Victor Orta is prepared to pay a club-record fee for a relatively inexperienced player with a lack of figures to back it up.

As such, Rutter could genuinely be a big missing piece in the Whites’ puzzle and one that should still serve them well for many seasons from now.

AND in other news, Beren Cross drops Illan Meslier injury update…

Manchester United were wrongfully denied a penalty in the second half of their 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace, says Jamie Redknapp.

The Lowdown: Palace point

Erik ten Hag’s side were forced to settle for a frustrating point in their midweek Premier League clash at Selhurst Park after an outrageous Michael Olise free-kick in added time cancelled out Bruno Fernandes’ first-half opener.

The point took the Red Devils above Newcastle United, while had they held on for all three, it would’ve seen them jump up to second and only six points behind Arsenal, who they play on Sunday.

To add salt to the wounds, United were denied a penalty after a coming-together between Scott McTominay and Chris Richards with the score at 1-0.

The Latest: Redknapp’s reaction

Speaking as a pundit on Sky Sports following the game, Redknapp couldn’t believe that VAR had not sent referee Robert Jones to the monitor after he originally waved significant United complaints away.

He said: “He’s chopped it away from his right foot, it’s a lovely touch, you can tell by the reaction of McTominay as well.

“What I don’t understand [is] sometimes there’ll be something that’s quite innocuous and VAR will look at it for 5-10 minutes, but something that is actually so clear and obvious and so vitally important for a team, why they just didn’t spend a little bit more time?”

The Verdict: VAR mistake

In real-time, it looked as though McTominay was fouled by Richards, and reviewing the replays, it is very difficult to make any case for it not to have been awarded as a penalty.

There seems to be no contact with the ball from Richards at all, with a tiny nick the most you can argue, but what can’t be debated is how the defender’s right leg comes across and trips the Scotsman, who had knocked the ball away from the Palace man.

The decision seriously came back to haunt Ten Hag’s side, who were denied the opportunity to all but kill the game with just over 15 minutes to go.

Instead, they’ve been left feeling deflated ahead of a huge match-up for United’s title credentials against Arsenal now being entered into with a morale-damaging result just days before.

Leeds United are back in action on Wednesday evening as they welcome Cardiff City to Elland Road, where a place in the FA Cup fourth round is up for grabs.

The two teams drew nearly two weeks again, with manager Jesse Marsch needing a stunning comeback from his side after they were two goals down by half-time.

A favourable clash with either League One outfit Accrington Stanley or non-league minnows Boreham Wood awaits, so it’s in the American’s best interests to end the Whites’ third-round hoodoo tonight.

It was his second-half substitutions that inspired the Premier League giants to earn a replay against the Championship side and with a full squad available – bar new signing Georginio Rutter – he has the freedom to deploy his strongest XI.

There may well be bigger fish to fry than a run in the FA Cup, given Friday’s 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa put them just two points above the relegation zone, but the former RB Leipzig boss will be under even more intense pressure if he were to lose to lower-league opposition.

If Marsch is not only wanting to win this encounter but also keep his role in the Elland Road dugout, then his blind and unrelenting faith in £25m summer signing Brenden Aaronson would be a good place to start.

His fellow countryman has struggled to replicate his early season form and as such, hardly warrants his place in the starting XI right now.

As a versatile attacking midfielder, often deployed as the no.10 or out on the right flank, the 22-year-old dynamo has provided just one direct goal contribution in his last 14 appearances, all of which have been starts. His other five outings at the start of the 2022/23 campaign drew double those returns, per Transfermarkt.

His downward spiral in influence and form is also highlighted by the fact that he has struggled to register a Sofascore rating above 6.8 since the 3-2 defeat to Fulham back in October.

In that run, he’s had some stinkers against West Ham United (5.9) – where pundit Jay Bothroyd described him as “sloppy” [Sky Sports News, 4th January, 20:51] – and the aforementioned Villa game (5.9) – where journalist Joe Donnohue claimed he “struggled.”

Meanwhile, against the Bluebirds in the original tie, he struggled to do much in his 86 minutes on the pitch as he lost possession 14 times from 47 touches and he lost 56% of his duels up against a struggling second-tier outfit.

Despite all the negatives, Aaronson has still kept his place in the lineup every game and that’s a cause for concern because he’s simply not delivering on his hefty price tag.

Therefore, if Marsch wants to keep his job, he must make the bold call to ditch the American from his starting XI, starting with this evening’s FA Cup third-round replay against Cardiff.

AND in other news, Orta could replace Klich at Leeds by securing January move for “unbelievable” £25m maestro…

Manchester United are seemingly unstoppable at the moment, enjoying a rich vein of form that has seen them unbeaten since way before the World Cup began.

Most of their success is owed to the cutthroat attitude of Erik ten Hag, who has slowly worked his way through the squad, brutally removing those who do not align with his philosophies.

That, therefore, makes David De Gea’s continued presence somewhat baffling, considering his lack of proficiency with the ball at his feet.

For context, the Dutch manager’s main goalkeeper at Ajax was Andre Onana, who, in his penultimate season in the Eredivisie, recorded an immense 80% pass accuracy.

Meanwhile, the Spaniard has only managed a 67% pass accuracy.

It is for this reason that surely the 32-year-old will start to be phased out eventually, with Jordan Pickford potentially poised to take that mantle.

That was per the claims of Fabrizio Romano, who spoke on Wednesday morning about the Red Devils’ reported interest in the 28-year-old.

The England goalkeeper is the quintessential modern shot-stopper, which is evidenced by his 6 foot 1 stature.

His performances for a struggling Everton side have been admirable, and his continued presence in the starting side for his country is indicative of his ability to perform on the big stage. 

Such was his displays at EURO 2020, he spurred Sky Sports editor Simeon Gholam to dub him a “legend”, and encouraged The Athletic’s Stuart James to laud the “crucial saves” he had been called upon to make.

This season, despite the Toffees languishing at the bottom of the table, he maintains a 7.04 average Sofascore rating alongside a 72% save success rate. Although his pass accuracy may look poor at 57%, the way his current side play often negates his true qualities.

The defenders rarely ask for the ball, and there are few runs with which he could try and thread a pass towards.

Despite this, he has managed to get one assist, and his 18.3 accurate passes and 7.8 accurate long balls are far greater than the 17.2 and 4.7 that De Gea puts up in those respective metrics.

A capable pair of hands in goal with a magic left foot to boot, his addition could be imperative in Ten Hag finally getting his vision across to the whole squad.

Few other ‘keepers can find a pass like Pickford can, and the pinpoint accuracy he can display with his long kicks is stunning. His quality merits him being far above his current predicament with the struggling Merseyside outfit.

With just 18 months left on his £100k-per-week deal, and United already included in an unexpected title race, perhaps Pickford could be the final piece of the puzzle to see the Manchester giants return to their perch at the top of English football.

Sky Sports contributor and writer for the Rangers Review Joshua Barrie has claimed that Antonio Colak can play a ‘big role’ for Michael Beale’s side.

The Lowdown: Hitting the target

The Croatian forward is the Scottish Premiership side’s top scorer this season in all competitions with 11 goals. Colak is three goals ahead of Gers captain and right-back James Tavernier in second place.

All of the 29-year-old’s goals so far have come in Scotland’s top flight, where he’s featured on 15 occasions so far this season.

Colak arrived in Glasgow last summer, signing from Greek outfit PAOK Thessaloniki for £1.8 million plus add-ons.

The Latest: A big role to play

Barrie claims that the forward could be an important player under Beale and raved about his current goal tally this season when speaking on the Rangers Review’s YouTube channel.

He stated (24:57), “For me, Colak is gonna still have a big role to play under Michael Beale, he might not be the starting striker for every week.

“If Morelos goes in the summer, as is the case at the moment because he’s not signed a new contract, we’ll need to replace him, definitely.

“But Colak’s 11 goals and 14 starts is a number in a poor team. At the start of the season, who weren’t playing well.

“It’s the type of numbers that we just haven’t had in a while and what it will also give Beale is something he had at Hampden which changed the game, is the ability to bring on a goalscorer.”

The Verdict: A great striking option

We believe that Colak is a great option for Rangers to have up front, as he was brought in to get goals and he’s certainly done that.

Current Blackburn Rovers boss Jon Dahl Tomasson managed the striker when the two were at Malmo, before joining the Gers. Speaking with The Scottish Sun ahead of his move to the club, he labelled Colak as an “excellent player” and someone with a “great attitude”.

Beale will likely be thinking of a potential replacement for Alfredo Morelos, as his deal at Ibrox runs out this summer. For now, he knows that he has a reliable option until the end of the season in the form of Colak.

There are other players in the squad they can turn to in the form of Kemar Roofe and Fashion Sakala, but neither have proven to make a huge impact in the 2022/23 campaign.

Rangers could have one of two approaches in the summer, the first being they bring in a striker who’s ready to start from the get-go.

Alternatively, they bring in someone younger and opt to use Colak as the main man up top, as we certainly believe that the 29-year-old is making a great case for himself with his goal return so far this season.

Everton in their current state would not have been a good move for Conor Gallagher in the January transfer window, insider Dean Jones has claimed.

What’s the word?

The England international was the subject of late interest from the Toffees following the sale of Anthony Gordon, but a move never happened and he stayed put as the deadline passed.

The appointment of Sean Dyche as manager was not enough to convince him to move to Everton, who are currently in a relegation battle, as the Toffees failed to make a single signing in the January window.

Speaking to Football FanCast, Jones claimed that the toxic atmosphere around the club, as well as Frank Lampard’s exit, meant that it was not the right place for Gallagher to move to.

He said: “Everton was never going to be the right move for him.

“If it was ever going to be the right move, it was when Frank Lampard was at the club, not when he has left the club. So that was an issue.

“And he’s obviously heard enough about the state of things there that he’s not interested.”

Disastrous window

Everton started January in desperate need of reinforcements to help battle against relegation and ended the window weaker than they began it.

Although Gordon’s departure brought in a lot of money, with a reported fee of around £45m, a lack of replacement has meant that they have lost firepower up front, having already struggled in that area with just 15 goals in 20 league games.

The failed loan signing of Arnaut Danjuma, in addition to their failure to land Gallagher, meant that Everton did not bring in a single new body, and Dyche will now have his work cut out in helping the current squad improve to try to avoid a first-ever relegation from the Premier League.

Sacking Lampard during the window was arguably always going to have repercussions as far as doing transfer business was concerned, and perhaps the board would think twice if they had the time again, having failed to improve their short-term fortunes in the period since.

Injury expert and Sky Sports contributor Ben Dinnery has given his verdict on the current injury sustained by Arsenal’s Thomas Partey. 

The Lowdown: FA Cup knock

Partey suffered an injury for Mikel Arteta’s side against fellow Premier League club Manchester City in the FA Cup. Indeed, he was taken off in the 45th minute and replaced by Albert Sambi Lokonga.

The Ghanaian has been a mainstay in the Gunners midfield, playing 16 league fixtures and starting all of those games for the north London outfit.

This season joining from Atletico Madrid in October 2020 for £45 million.

The Latest: Question marks

Dinnery claimed it’s hard to know for certain about the status of Partey, if he’s available he could end up wearing some form of protective clothing on his ribs when speaking on Premier FPL Injuries.

He stated: “In midfield Thomas Partey, this is a big question mark. That was a rib injury, he’ll need to come through a sole training session on Friday or at least take part in a full contract session.

“There is a possibility that he could wear some kind of protective shield for that rib. Just given the nature of that problem. and obviously, he needs to be able to be comfortable and breathe.

“It’s a difficult one, so it’s going to be a good balance between protecting that area and for him to be able to slowly function and move around the field. So it remains to be seen the big question marks here with that one.”

The Verdict: Gunners have depth

We believe that if Partey is ruled out for Arsenal’s clash with Everton, then Arteta does have a sufficient backup option in midfield.

The Gunners signed Jorginho from Chelsea on deadline day for a fee of £12 million, the Italian signed an 18-month contract with Arsenal.

In our view, the 31-year-old will add experience to Arsenal’s ranks, due to the fact he’s played in the Premier League for a number of seasons as well as top European competitions, which include the Champions League and Europa League.

However, if it’s the choice between Partey and the ex-Chelsea man to start, Arsenal’s number five gets the edge for us.

Glenn Murray heaped praise on the Ghanaian for his performance against Nottingham Forest when speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live (via GhanaWeb.com), he claimed ‘everything’ that Arsenal did came ‘through’ the work of Partey.

In our view, the fact that the 29-year-old is in an ongoing who’s the better player debate with a multi-time Champions League winner in Manchester United’s Casemiro, says all you need to know about the level of his ability.

An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers attacking midfielder Ianis Hagi and when he could return from injury…

What’s the latest?

The 24-year-old has revealed that it could take him up to a month before Michael Beale will be able to utilise his talent for a full 90 minutes of action.

Speaking to Romanian media, via the Daily Record, the midfielder said: “For me to play 90 minutes? I would say in three or four weeks. But of course, it doesn’t just depend on me, I have to be called to do it.

“I have to show I can play well. I feel fine physically and mentally as well. Now I’m trying to play as many minutes as possible and get ready as quickly as I can. I don’t feel old, but I feel experienced compared to Alex Pitu for example, who has just signed for Bordeaux. I have my whole career ahead of me, I hope to play another 15 years at least.”

Hagi recently made his comeback off the bench in the 2-0 win over St. Johnstone and was an unused substitute against Ross County last weekend in the Premiership.

Big boost

This news should come as a big boost to the Light Blues head coach as the Romania international has the quality to be a key player for Beale in the coming months of the campaign.

The 24-year-old missed a whopping 69 competitive outings for the club after needing knee surgery in January 2022 and the claim that he will be able to play full 90-minute games by the end of February, or in the early part of March, is fantastic news and a credit to the work the gem has done during his rehabilitation.

It also means that the winger could be ready to play a significant role, if selected, in the League Cup final against Celtic on the 26th of February. Whilst he may not be ready to play a full match by that point, Hagi should be fit enough to either start or play a good chunk of minutes off the bench as he closes in on 100% fitness.

This is a big boost given what the playmaker has shown over the course of his Rangers career. The dynamo has proven himself to be a difference-maker on more than one occasion having scored 15 goals and provided 21 assists in 86 appearances in all competitions for the club.

The Romanian is capable of providing goals and assists from an attacking midfield or wide position and his contributions at the top end of the pitch could win matches for the Gers this season if he is able to get back to his best.

The above statistics show that Hagi has the quality to consistently deliver quality performances and end product from midfield for the Gers when at his peak fitness, which is why having the midfielder fit and ready to play in the coming weeks and months is a huge boost for Beale.

Aston Villa full-back Ashley Young has been ‘passed fit’ for this afternoon’s trip to Manchester City, according to Ashley Preece.

The Lowdown: Injury scare

The veteran has played his part under Unai Emery this season, making 20 appearances in all competitions. The 37-year-old has lined out at right-back and left-back and was enjoying a run in the team in the former position in recent weeks (Transfermarkt).

However, he was forced off against Leicester City last weekend with an apparent injury, but it looks as if the experienced Villa man is in line to make a swift recovery.

The Latest: Young ‘passed fit’ for City clash

Reliable reporter Preece took to Twitter on Friday afternoon to share an update from Emery’s pre-Manchester City press conference.

He said that Young has been ‘passed fit’ to feature today, adding that Bertrand Traore could also be included in the matchday squad following his recent return to training.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/aston-villa-latest-news-6/” title=”Aston Villa latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Good news for Villa

Young has been Villa’s best-performing defender this season according to WhoScored metrics, so knowing that he is available is positive news for Emery ahead of this afternoon’s trip to the Etihad Stadium.

He notably impressed in the meeting against Pep Guardiola’s side at Villa Park in September, with Gregg Evans describing his performance as ‘excellent’ after replacing Matty Cash. Having won four tackles and four duels and made six clearances (Sofascore), that praise was very much justified.

It’ll be interesting to see who Emery selects at right-back at the Etihad today, and having strength in depth can only be good news for the Villa manager.

Chelsea have crafted an enticing team of many hues since Todd Boehly took the reins as owner last year, outspending every team in Europe, but performances on the pitch have not been the resplendent display of authority the club demands thus far.

Indeed, more than £550m has been pumped into the Stamford Bridge squad since last summer, piling onto the already talented crop of players, many Champions League winners in 20/21, but with tenth place currently the Blues’ abode in the Premier League and just three wins from the past 13 matches across all competitions, something needs to give.

And while their domestic form has fallen acres wide of the mark, the Blues, led by Graham Potter, clinched first place in the Champions League group phase and now face a two-legged tie against Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund, and the clash could indeed be a watershed moment to kickstart the new era at the west London side.

With fourth-placed Newcastle United’s ten-point advantage over Potter’s side an illumination of the gulf that Chelsea find themselves at the pit of, a return to Europe’s premier competition looks like a steep obstacle to overcome and while not an insurmountable task, especially given the wealth of first-rate acquisitions, the Champions League could indeed be the best path to success this season.

Will Kai Havertz start vs Dortmund?

The Yellow Wall welcomes Chelsea for the first leg of the imperative encounter between the respective teams on Wednesday night, and the Blues must rekindle their former verve if they are to bypass the deafening roar of the Signal Iduna Park and take an advantage back to England.

In order to attain this, Potter must now ruthlessly ditch Chelsea forward Kai Havertz, who has been at the epicentre of his outfit’s woes this term.

Since signing from Bayer Leverkusen for a lucrative £76m in 2020, the 23-year-old has forged 121 outings for his prestigious English outfit but has only managed to clinch 29 goals and 15 assists during his stay.

This season, Havertz has only scored six goals, also serving one assist, from 29 appearances, despite predominantly featuring as the Blues’ centre-forward, and with just one goal in the Champions League this term, Potter might be convinced that his most auspicious path lays with the German talisman confined to the bench.

In the top-flight, the “struggling” – as remarked by talkSPORT’s Darren Bent – Havertz has recorded a lowly average league rating of 6.79 after 19 starts, as per Sofascore, missing nine big goalscoring chances and creating just one big chance.

Still valued at £66m, the 33-cap international does rank among the top 9% of forwards for pass completion and 17% for progressive passes, illustrating a dynamism that does have an impact on the collective fluidity of Chelsea’s attack, but with the emergence of January loan signing Joao Felix, his play-time might be hampered.

Felix has recorded an average rating of 7.10 across his first two outings for Chelsea, which is impressive considering he received a red card against Fulham on his debut, perhaps the loitering impact of playing under Diego Simeone’s rugged Atletico Madrid outfit, but a well-taken goal in his second match and an all-round elegance and danger in the offensive third is evidence that he could be the catalyst for change.

And with Felix ranking among the top 13% of forwards for rate of non-penalty goals, 10% for progressive passes and 13% for progressive carries, he appears to be the one best fit to lead the Blues frontline back to glory.

The £150k-per-week dud is a talented forward exuding quality, but with so much at stake, the out-of-form star might find himself sidelined for one of Chelsea’s most important matches of the campaign.