All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Fulham have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring Ike Ugbo to Craven Cottage this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Fabrizio Romano, who revealed in a post on Twitter that the centre-forward is set to leave Chelsea this summer, with Belgian side Genk appearing confident of completing a deal for the 22-year-old.

Romano goes on to state that Besiktas, Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven are also interested in a deal for the centre-forward in the summer transfer window, while earlier reports have also claimed Fulham are keen on the former England U20 international.

Silva surely gutted

Considering just how much potential Ugbo appears to possess, the fact that Fulham look set to miss out on the signing of the striker this summer is sure to have left Marco Silva feeling gutted.

Indeed, over his 32 Jupiler Pro League appearances while on loan at Cercle Brugge last season, the £4.05m-rated man bagged a whopping 16 goals, as well as taking an average of 1.8 shots and making 0.5 key passes per game.

These metrics saw the £38k-per-week forward earn a highly impressive average SofaScore match rating of 6.79, ranking him as the club’s eighth-best performer in the top tier of Belgian football.

The 22-year-old also returned impressive numbers during a loan spell at Roda JC Kerkrade in the season prior, scoring 13 goals and providing three assists over 28 appearances in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie.

As such, the addition of the man the Belgian media dubbed a “decisive” player to Silva’s attacking arsenal at Craven Cottage this summer would have certainly provided the club with a boost to their chances of securing an immediate return to the Premier League next season.

However, with it now appearing as if Genk will be the centre-forward’s next destination, the Portuguese Fulham boss will likely have to turn his focus in the transfer market elsewhere, something that will undoubtedly frustrate the 44-year-old.

In other news: Fulham dealt transfer blow over “outstanding” 21 G/A beast, Silva surely gutted

Tottenham Hotspur could finally be about to replace Christian Eriksen if emerging reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to le10sport journalist Alexis Bernard, Spurs have a real interest in Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar but are yet to lodge a firm offer for his signature this window.

They face stiff competition from some of their Premier League rivals, including Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United, as well as Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain, who are managed by former Lilywhites head coach Mauricio Pochettino.

It’s believed that Lyon want in the region of €20m (£18m) to €25m (£22m) for the 23-year-old.

Eriksen’s true heir?

One of Tottenham’s biggest problems throughout the 2020/21 season was their defence, but it wasn’t the only lingering issue.

There was an over-reliance on talisman Harry Kane as he contributed towards 54.4% of all their goals scored in the Premier League, whilst 40 of the 68 goals scored came from Kane and Heung-min Son combined.

Interestingly, the lethal duo sit atop the creativity standings too, managing 1.4 key passes per game or more between them, via WhoScored. This suggests that they were creating chances for themselves.

Both Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso have failed to fill the void left behind by Christian Eriksen in January 2020. Across 305 appearances for the north Londoners, the Danish playmaker contributed to 159 goals; a rate of one goal or assist every 151 minutes, as per Transfermarkt.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-team-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours, gossip and much more!”]

Since arriving in a club-record £55m deal from Aouar’s current club in 2019, Ndombele has only managed to provide eight goals and eight assists, managing a direct contribution every 267 minutes. It’s a lot worse for Lo Celso, who joined in the very same window but is averaging a goal or assist every 333 minutes.

Meanwhile, the £26m-rated dynamo has been excelling in France, and his consistent displays across Ligue 1 and Europe could suggest that he’s the ideal target to finally replace Eriksen at Spurs.

Since the start of the 2018/19 season, Aouar has delivered 24 goals and 25 assists, taking his overall record for Lyon to 63 goal contributions in 170 appearances – he averages a goal or assist every 191 minutes, which is much closer to the level at which the Dane was operating.

The France international has been lauded an “exceptional talent” and a “revelation” as a result of these displays, whilst Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola once described him as “incredible.”

“He’s always very calm with the ball at his feet, with an excellent technical quality,” the Spaniard claimed, via Sky Sports.

On the above evidence, Aouar could be an absolute steal for around £18m, so Spurs supremo Fabio Paratici must look to secure a move for him this summer.

Nuno Espirito Santo could duly have the genuinely creative midfield presence the club has been lacking for over a year now.

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold drops exciting Spurs transfer update…

Edu could sign Arsenal’s new Patrick Vieira in Lille midfielder Renato Sanches this summer amid an exciting transfer update.

What’s the story?

Despite recently signing Albert Sambi Lokonga from Anderlecht, Arsenal are very much in the market for some new additions to their midfield, especially with Granit Xhaka inching ever closer to a move to AS Roma.

Now, The Daily Mail have claimed that if the Gunners can’t manage to get a deal for Leicester’s James Maddison over the line, then Mikel Arteta’s side could turn their attentions towards Sanches.

The report reveals that the Gunners have a strong relationship with Lille – no surprise given that they’ve snapped up the likes of Nicolas Pepe and Gabriel from them in recent seasons – and that could bode well for a possible move.

Arsenal’s new Vieira

While Sanches may not have the same height as Vieira, what he does have that is very reminiscent of the Frenchman, is that power and dynamism.

As per FBREF, the 23-year-old completed 65.5% of his dribbles last season in Ligue 1, while he made 8.37 progressive carries per 90 minutes – to put that into context, Thomas Partey, averaged 5.63.

His passes were also more progressive than Partey, indicating a player who always looks forward either through trying to play in between the lines, or by taking the ball up the pitch himself with his trademark surging runs.

A profile of Vieira on Arsenal.com, said: “But what made Vieira special was that his graft came hand in hand with craft. The composure and quality of his passing meant that, as well as quelling the threat of the opposition, Patrick became a vital cog in Wenger’s forward-thrusting machine.

“There were few more graceful sights in football than Vieira holding off an opponent in a congested midfield before flicking the ball over his head and racing away downfield to spark another Arsenal attack.”

That ability to change the tempo of a game through his sheer power and strength is equally evident in Sanches.

Bundesliga.com once described him as a “box-to-box midfielder with the strength of a WWE heavyweight and the nimble feet of a ballet dancer” – a great indication of the kind of combination of both athleticism and technique that he possesses, much like Vieira in his prime.

It’s no surprise then that the Portuguese ace has also been dubbed as a “machine” and as a “complete athlete.”

And, while on punditry duty for Belgium’s clash against Portugal, Vieira himself said (via football.london): “He was a big prospect. Everybody was waiting for him to be one of the top young players for the future. Last year with Lille, he did really well. He wasn’t really consistent during the season, but he had some flashes of his talent.”

The £27m-rated powerhouse could well be Arsenal’s natural successor to Vieira in the middle of the park, and allow the Gunners to feel more confident at waving goodbye to an established first-team regular like Xhaka.

And when you get to imagining the kind of power and dynamism that a midfield pairing of Sanches and Partey could bring to the table at the Emirates, then it becomes a very mouth-watering prospect.

Meanwhile, Arsenal can sign their new Alexis Sanchez in this star…

According to RMC Sport, West Ham United are in a strong position to sign Paris-Saint Germain shot stopper Alphonse Areola as talks continue between the two clubs.

The Lowdown: West Ham in keeper hunt…

David Moyes, as per recent reports, certainly has his sights set on strengthening between the sticks this summer.

West Ham have apparently lodged an £11 million bid to sign West Bromwich Albion ace Sam Johnstone (Football Insider) alongside the talks for Areola.

Reports of negotiations for the Frenchman emerged as far back as two weeks ago, with RMC now providing the latest.

The Latest: West Ham in strong position…

As per the French news outlet, West Ham are in fact still negotiating with PSG over the player but there’s also a bit of encouraging news.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-developments/” title=”West Ham latest developments…” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Irons believe they are in a ‘strong position’ to sign him this summer and are taking their time over details as a result.

It is claimed an agreement ‘would probably work out for PSG’ and Areola could ‘return to the Premier League’ after spending last season on loan at Fulham.

The Verdict: Not a priority…

Given Lukasz Fabianski recently penned a new deal, keeping him at the London Stadium until the end of 2022, we believe snapping Areola up shouldn’t exactly be a priority for Moyes.

The deadline looms at the end of next month and West Ham are still arguably short of striking options, with Michail Antonio’s injury record certainly proving a concern.

That being said, if West Ham manage to tie up a deal for Areola soon, he could be a really shrewd acquisition as a ‘very aggressive’ keeper who commands his area well – as explained by Scott Parker last campaign (BT Sport).

In other news: ‘Beyond a joke’…West Ham fans fume in reply to official club post, find out more here.

Celtic are close to signing Tottenham goalkeeper Joe Hart, according to journalist Ekrem Konur.

The Lowdown: Hart links

The Hoops were first linked with a move for the 34-year-old on Wednesday by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

He claimed that Celtic opened talks with Spurs over a move for Hart and added on Thursday that an agreement was close.

Konur previously stated that Celtic didn’t want to pay Tottenham for the Englishman, and he feels a move is now gathering pace.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-11/” title=”Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Konur post

The Turkish journalist posted on Twitter on Friday morning regarding Hart, stating a move is now down to the ‘minor details’.

Konur said the Hoops are ‘about to complete’ a transfer, which would make him Celtic’s sixth summer signing.

“Celtic are about to complete the Joe Hart transfer. Minor details are being discussed between Tottenham and Celtic.”

The Verdict: Experience key…

Bringing in a goalkeeper like Hart appeared to be needed, especially when you looked at Celtic’s young and inexperienced backline against FC Midtjylland on Wednesday.

Ange Postecoglou started Anthony Ralston, Stephen Welsh, Dane Murray and Greg Taylor in Denmark – an average age of 21. Scott Bain also came in for Vasilis Barkas with Postecoglou already chopping and changing ‘keepers.

Hart, who has won five major honours during his career and made over 600 senior appearances for club and country, will surely help the Hoops’ young defence going forward.

In other news: ‘Also…’ – Sky Sports drop live TV claim revealing £33k-p/w Celtic target; he loves Parkhead. 

Any hopes of Leeds United signing a winger ‘likely rely on one of the understudies moving on’, according to Joe Donnohue. 

The lowdown

Club Brugge’s Noa Lang and Manchester United’s Dan James have been identified as potential wide targets for Leeds this summer. A long-standing interest in Ryan Kent could also escalate (via The Athletic’s Phil Hay).

Leeds have spent £26.82million so far in the window, securing the services of Jack Harrison on a permanent deal, landing FC Barcelona’s Junior Firpo and bringing in Kristoffer Klaesson as a back-up for Illan Meslier.

There are still more than three weeks remaining in the transfer window, but Leeds’ Premier League opener against Manchester United on 14 August is creeping closer.

The latest

Donnohue says ‘the feeling is Leeds are not quite done in the transfer market’ and expresses confidence that there is ‘money to spend’ thanks to the Premier League’s broadcast deal.

Regarding a winger, he predicts that the departure of Ian Poveda or Helder Costa on loan could lead to an incoming.

Raphinha and Harrison hold ‘dominance over the wide areas’, so any arrival would likely be seen as cover and competition – the exact roles Poveda and Costa currently occupy.

The verdict

A new winger shouldn’t be the priority for Leeds if there is to be only one more addition.

Ideally they would have stronger back-ups to their excellent first-choice pair, but a bigger concern is in central midfield.

Mateusz Klich’s loss of form in the latter half of last season suggests he might be something of a hindrance to Leeds, who should be harbouring ambitions of European qualification but face stern competition.

Kalvin Phillips meanwhile is in desperate need of an adequate deputy who can allow Marcelo Bielsa to rest his star man occasionally without a major drop-off in quality.

A signing like James or Lang may excite fans, but we don’t feel it should be Victor Orta’s top priority right now.

In other news, another Leeds target has emerged.

Aston Villa are said to be in talks with RC Lens midfielder Cheick Doucouré as their summer recruitment drive intensifies, according to Goal.com [via Birmingham Live].

The Mali midfielder enjoyed a commendable 2020/21 campaign as he registered five goal contributions in 35 appearances, with four goals and one assist [Transfermarkt].

He could now be set for a move to England following recent reports. The Villains are believed to have commenced discussions over a possible deal, with Lens holding out for around €15m (£12.7m) before considering selling one of their prize assets [Goal.com, via Birmingham Live].

Dean Smith has already sanctioned deals for five players in the form of Axel Tuanzebe, Leon Bailey, Emiliano Buendia, Ashley Young and Danny Ings in this transfer window [Transfermarkt].

In light of recent developments about Doucouré, plenty of Aston Villa diehards took to Twitter to discuss the update on the 21-year-old, who won more tackles per game last season (2.6) than anyone in Smith’s squad, which suggests that he could add plenty of steel to the Villans’ midfield.

Aston Villa fans react

Replying to popular Aston Villa fan outlet villareport on Twitter, here is what some fans had to say about the Doucouré situation, with one supporter describing him as “super highly rated”:

“Pleaseeeee”

Credit: @Tom_Price_AVFC_

“I’m on my knees. Please Villa.”

Credit: @GjamieJ”Sounds perfect, what we need. ‘His concentration and defensive awareness to proactively disrupt the opposition and retain possession in a simple but highly effective manner make him an incredibly underrated talent emerging from France.'”Credit: @MerseMagic”81 appearances and 5 goals at the age of 21? Looks like a decent buy to me”Credit: @jackMalin”Announce league title”Credit: @coleman83avfc”Super highly rated. Good young player to bring in and let him develop”Credit: @CDG5805In other news, many Aston Villa fans react to this reported plan from Dean Smith

Leicester City have been linked with a move for Inter midfielder Marcelo Brozovic as manager Brendan Rodgers looks to strengthen the club’s engine room.

What’s the story?

According to Italian publication InterLive, the Foxes are interested in acquiring the 28-year-old’s services this summer and are hoping to take advantage of the Italian outfit’s financial difficulties to secure a deal.

Inter have already been forced to sell key players such as Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Hakimi due to their off-field issues, and Leicester could be the next team to profit from their misfortune.

Jon Rudkin must swoop

Although the arrival of Boubakary Soumare from Lille has provided extra cover and competition in the middle of the park, several fringe players have been linked with an imminent exit from the King Power Stadium.

The likes of Dennis Praet, Hamza Choudhury and Nampalys Mendy have all reportedly caught the eye of potential suitors, meaning Rodgers may need an extra body to bolster his midfield options.

Brozovic has established himself as one of Inter’s top performances since his arrival on an initial loan deal back in January 2015, scoring 25 goals and providing 32 assists in 242 appearances for the Nerazzurri.

He played a pivotal part in the San Siro outfit’s first Serie A title success in 10 years last season, achieving an impressive 7.03 WhoScored rating for his 33 league outings.

Brozovic also recorded 1.6 tackles per game in 2020/21, 1.2 tackles and 1.4 key passes, placing him in the top five for each metric when compared to his teammates, highlighting his outstanding ability both with and without the ball.

The Croatia international’s eye-catching displays earlier in his career led to former Inter boss Roberto Mancini lauding the £36m-rated dynamo, saying: “If Brozovic were to continue like this, he would become one of the best”.

“We don’t want to sell him, even if faced with a great offer. He must work, but he has incredible quality,” he added (as reported by FourFourTwo).

Therefore, director of football Jon Rudkin must swoop for Brozovic if he can offload an unwanted fringe player, adding extra quality and experience to Rodgers’ promising setup.

And, in other news…Well-known journalist reveals Leicester transfer update that’ll leave fans buzzing 

West Bromwich Albion winger Robert Snodgrass appears to be edging closer to a return to first team football.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by the Express & Star, Baggies manager Valerien Ismael revealed that the Scotland international was getting closer to a return to West Brom action following a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to a recurring back injury, with the Frenchman claiming that the 33-year-old is “hungry” to reclaim a spot in his starting XI.

It would appear as if Snodgrass was eager to send his manager a message during a recent appearance for Albion’s under-23 side, scoring two goals in their 3-2 victory over Burnley on Monday evening.

Ismael will be buzzing

The Championship fixture against Sheffield United on Wednesday may come slightly too soon for Snodgrass, but considering the Scot’s impressive performance for the under-23s, it would certainly not appear long before the winger is back in around the Baggies first team squad on a matchday.

With Ismael currently having no real natural options in the wide attacking areas of his side, the return of Snodgrass would certainly appear to be a huge boost for the Frenchman, who must be buzzing with the progress the 33-year-old is making.

Indeed, despite his advancing years, the former West Ham attacker proved during his last full season in east London that he had the ability to play an influential role in Albion’s hopeful promotion push this season.

Over his 24 Premier League appearances back in 2019/20, the £38k-per-week winger bagged five goals, provided five assists and created five big chances for his teammates, as well as taking 0.9 shots and making 1.4 key passes per game.

These metrics saw the £1.35m-rated winger earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.94, ranking him as the club’s sixth-best player in the top flight for that season.

As such, a fully fit Snodgrass would very much appear to be an important player for a mid-table Premier League side, let alone one playing their football in the Championship, with his impending return undoubtedly delighting both Ismael and West Brom fans alike.

In other news: Ismael must unleash £23k-p/w West Brom “leader” vs Sheffield Utd, could be a game-changer

Pep Guardiola has revealed that it is not certain whether Manchester City will sign a striker during this summer transfer window.

Earlier this summer, the Citizens allowed Sergio Aguero to leave on a free transfer – he has since made the move to Barcelona (fcbarcelona.com). However, they have not yet signed a new centre-forward, and although results like the 5-0 win over Norwich City suggest they have plenty of ability elsewhere, the preceding 1-0 defeats to Tottenham and Leicester City indicate that they need to bring one in.

Guardiola has been discussing City’s transfer dealings, and he admitted the club will sign a new striker only if the transfer window allows (via City Xtra), saying: ““When we decided not to extend the contract of Sergio Aguero and people asked what we would do, I said many times it would depend on the market.

“Maybe we will buy, maybe not. It is still the same situation. I will never complain. I have never complained since day one and I will not do it now.”

This has not pleased some City supporters, who believe that a new forward should have been a priority. The comments were shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and they attracted plenty of attention from supporters.

These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the comments from Guardiola

“Pep Guardiola: “When we decided not to extend the contract of Sergio Aguero” – this statement hurts”

Credit: @Ke_Teboho

“You lie too much”

Credit: @Fredijeh4

“Fraud”

Credit: @BeDruyne

“Stop playing with my emotion lol”

Credit: @mathieudurand69

“Of course he will say this. End of the day its up to the club to trash a deal for a ST. If the club don’t he will need to make use of what he has.”

Credit: @CityViews88

“At least extend Aguero if you’re not going to sign a striker. You mugs”

Credit: @DeBrxyne17

In other news, lots of Man City fans want the club to sign this Champions League winner.