All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Big money has been the order of the day for Everton in the last few summer transfer windows so expect this one to be vibrant as well.

The Toffees have a new manager in place and are aiming to strengthen in a plethora of positions.

What’s the word?

One area they appear to be targeting players is up front. That might be surprising considering Dominic Calvert-Lewin found the net on 21 occasions last season.

However, that hasn’t stopped rumours of Haris Seferovic and Allan Saint-Maximin arriving at Goodison Park.

The latest piece of gossip from Merseyside is that they are interested in signing Tammy Abraham.

The English striker is out of favour at Chelsea and with the Blues linked with a mega-money swoop for Erling Haaland, he could be given the boot.

90min report that the Toffees are just one of a number of teams interested in prising him away from Stamford Bridge.

West Ham, Southampton and Crystal Palace have all been put off by the sum of money they’d have to pay but Brighton and Aston Villa remain keen.

Lukaku 2.0

Cast your minds back to the summer of 2014 and you may remember Everton smashing their transfer record.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/check-out-the-latest-everton-news-benitez-kamara-romero-dumfries” title= “Read the latest Everton transfer news!”]

The player in question was a certain Romelu Lukaku who left Chelsea behind in a deal worth £28m.

Like Abraham, the Belgian was out of favour and decided to move elsewhere in search of regular first-team football.

The deal surpassed everyone’s expectations as Lukaku quickly proved why he is among the most devastating forwards in world football.

During his time in Merseyside, the powerful attacker beat the goalkeeper on 87 occasions in 166 matches. What followed was a monumental move to Manchester United before he joined Inter and then lit up Euro 2020, ending the competition in the Team of the Tournament.

Abraham isn’t at the same elite level just yet but there would be plenty of similarities between the move.

Not in the manager’s plans but still scoring goals, the 23-year-old has racked up 30 strikes for Chelsea despite a lack of regular football. He’s also been described as “phenomenal” by Alex McLeish even when not playing.

Lukaku has always been a player capable of blowing a defender away. He can hold the ball up, roll his marker and then dart away from the backline with heavy but quick strides.

Abraham might not possess the same speed or finesse but his power and ability to hold the ball up has similarities.

For instance, last season the current Chelsea striker won 1.8 aerial duels per match in the Premier League. That happened to be the same number Lukaku managed in the Champions League for Inter.

Both tall and offering an immense presence in attack, this deal has the potential to replicate the one they concluded seven years ago.

AND in other news, Forget Zaha: Rafa could seal Everton masterclass by signing “scary” £60m beast…

Leeds United are in advanced talks to clinch their first signing of the summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to Football Insider, Marcelo Bielsa’s side are in negotiations with Birmingham City over bringing 18-year-old starlet Amari Miller to Elland Road this summer.

The report claims that “a source has told Football Insider Leeds have moved quickly to offer a contract to Miller and the Championship side will not stand in the way of him leaving.

“Everton have also been closely monitoring the wonderkid’s situation and their talent spotters have been impressed. But the big-spending Merseysiders are now set to miss out on his signature to Leeds.”

Exciting signing for Leeds

The 5 foot 10 gem, who can play on both the right and left flanks, played five times in the Championship last season for Birmingham, and had boss Lee Bowyer raving about his ability and potential.

He said: “I want to look at Amari, I will look at him from the start of a game. He is a young lad who does well when he comes on for five-ten minutes when everyone’s tired.

“I want to look at him and see if he can start a game next season for us because he has got potential. I don’t know, this is something I have got two games to figure out because he is a good player who has got great potential. He came on against Derby again and did well.

“(He adds) Goals, assists, pace, something that we probably lack a bit is pace. He’s at that age where he is fearless. When he came on against Stoke, he got himself into an area and wasn’t afraid to go at the defender.”

That fearlessness and potential is something that will surely have Bielsa excited at the prospect of managing him, and taking him under his wing, much like he has done with some of the club’s other rising stars such as Kalvin Phillips.

The Argentine helped to turn Phillips from a promising prospect into a bonafide England international, one who is starring on the biggest stage at EURO 2020 this summer.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/leeds-united-marcelo-bielsa-transfer-gossip-rumours-news-elland-road-rodrigo-de-paul” title=”Read the latest Leeds transfer rumours and news!”]

While Miller has a long way to go to match those heights, Bowyer’s comments on him, and the fact he remains only 18 but is seemingly versatile enough to play on either side, makes him a very intriguing pet project for Bielsa.

The Leeds boss would surely love him at Elland Road.

Meanwhile, Leeds could land a bargain in this Premier League star…

Barry Fry believes Aaron Ramsey would be a superb, if expensive, signing for West Ham United this summer.

The Juventus midfielder has been heavily linked with a potential departure from the club this summer amid links with the Premier League.

The Hammers have again been touted as potential suitors, along with Crystal Palace and, potentially, former club Arsenal.

Ramsey, of course, made his name in the Premier League, making 371 appearances in total for the Gunners, and scoring 65 goals, while also registering 65 assists.

However, he is reported to earn £400,000-per-week in Turin following his free transfer to Serie A, though he has made just 46 appearances for Juve.

Fry does not believe that the Hammers will give him anything close to those wages at the London Stadium but he feels that if they can make a deal happen, it would be a superb signing for them.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “They could possibly make it happen but I’m sure they wouldn’t pay him 400 grand a week.

“Ramsey’s been outstanding for Wales, he makes fantastic runs from midfield, he’s a perfect player to fit into that West Ham style of play and he would be a great asset and a great signing but they won’t go to that much, there’s no doubt in my mind.”

It was revealed earlier this week that Southampton have offered a new deal to Harry Lewis, which is another strange goalkeeping call by Ralph Hasenhuttl.

Hampshire Live journalist Tom Leach revealed on Twitter that Lewis was handed a one-year contract extension back in January, which was only made public this week.

The club has yet to announce the deal but he wasn’t included on their released list earlier this week, which was cause for confusion as his initial deal was set to expire at the end of this month.

It seems quite strange that the 23-year-old was offered a new deal at St Mary’s when you consider that he has made just three appearances for the senior side during his career, the last of which came in the 2016/17 season.

Lewis’ last taste of senior football was in a loan spell at Dundee United in the 2017/18 campaign and he has spent the three subsequent seasons playing with Southampton’s academy teams.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-southampton-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read the latest Southampton transfer rumours and news!”]

Therefore, it feels almost cruel by Hasenhuttl to offer him fresh hope with another contract, as it seems highly unlikely that he will get any game-time in the first team next season, and it therefore prevents him from getting regular senior football in the lower leagues, which could prove to be bad for his career.

It is not the first strange call the Austrian has made regarding his goalkeepers at Southampton in recent weeks, as he also confirmed that Alex McCarthy and Fraser Forster would both be competing for a starting spot again next season, despite neither looking wholly convincing in the 2020/21 campaign.

Only relegated West Brom conceded more goals than Southampton last season and it seems clear that a new first-choice ‘keeper should be brought in ahead of next term, but Hasenhuttl appears happy with his current options.

Considering that Angus Gunn is also set to return after a less than impressive loan spell at Stoke City, Lewis will likely be fourth-choice at St Mary’s next season. If he isn’t careful, he could spend his whole career sitting on the bench rather than getting game-time in the lower divisions and making a name for himself there.

In other news… Southampton can sign a serious Bertrand upgrade in this beast

Sunderland fans are delighted after Ellis Taylor signed a three-year professional contract with the Black Cats ahead of next season.

The Stadium of Light outfit will be gutted with how last season eventually panned out. Going in to the final few games, it appeared they were well on their way to earning promotion to the Championship from League One automatically, but a poor run of form condemned them to the play-offs where they lost to Lincoln City in the semi-finals.

As such, Lee Johnson and his team will be trying to put themselves in the best possible position to go up next term. During their preparations, they have been able to secure the services of Taylor for three years (safc.com).

The 18-year-old has yet to make his debut for Sunderland’s senior side (Transfermarkt), but looks as though he could have a big future ahead of him considering the excitement around this deal.

The news was shared on Sunderland’s official Twitter account, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Taylor news below

“Great news again”

Credit: @lewygsafc

“ha way the lad..good luck”

Credit: @DavidKeating22

“Keep them coming!”

Credit: @EthanSmith1717

“Two in one day, love to see it.”

Credit: @GILESY1973

“Welcome to Paradise, well done, congratulations”

Credit: @j60nta2

“Really liking the statement of intent from the club getting the players impressing in the academy tied down now”

Credit: @nicholaswilso11

In other news, Sunderland fans want this star performer to leave the club.

Former Tottenham Hotspur star Graham Roberts claims that Mauricio Pochettino has been proved right over the past two years amid links with a sensational return to the club.

The Sun have reported that Spurs are considering bringing the Argentine back to the club.

He has spent the second half of the season at PSG, winning the Coupe de France, though his side failed to win Ligue 1 and were knocked out of the Champions League in the semi-finals.

The report claims that Pochettino would consider a return as he is already unhappy in France.

And Roberts believes that he has been proved correct with his assessment of the club’s needs during his time at White Hart Lane.

In an interview with Gary Lineker in 2019, he said that the club needed to add new furniture to their house, essentially sending a message to chairman Daniel Levy that a rebuild of the squad was needed, something that didn’t happen.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, Roberts claimed that the next manager needs to have full control of transfers, and said: “I think what they have to do is, whoever is manager, he has to buy his own players.

“He has to buy the players he wants to buy. I think Pochettino made that statement – he said we’ve got a brand new house but you need new furniture to go inside it and I think over the last 18 months, or two years, we’ve seen what he meant because there is a lot of deadwood there.”

Spurs are on the lookout for a new central defender as one of their top priorities this summer, and according to reports, they have made some inquiries…

What’s the word?

According to Sky Sports’ Lyall Thomas, one of the names that the North London outfit are taking a look at is Southampton colossus Jannik Vestergaard.

It’s claimed that Spurs are assessing their options ahead of the upcoming transfer window, and it is not the first time they have been linked with the Denmark international.

Last month, the Daily Express suggested the Lilywhites would target Vestergaard as will soon enter the final year of his current £60k-per-week contract at St Mary’s Stadium, and it is thought he would be available for around £18m.

Daniel Levy has done business with the Saints before, most recently snatching their former skipper Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg from their grasp for just £15m, with rarely-seen defender Kyle Walker-Peters going in the other direction for £12m, as per the Independent.

Bye-bye Sanchez?

It is believed that Spurs will have to sell before they buy this summer, according to the Daily Mail, and there could be many names on the chopping block for whoever takes the helm ahead of the new campaign.

One name that could leave is Davinson Sanchez, who has been linked with a return to Eredivisie champions Ajax, where he initially joined from in a then club-record £42m deal, in recent weeks and is said to be ‘likely to leave.’

The Dutch outfit’s former assistant coach Gerard van der Lem revealed that the 24-year-old was someone the club were looking at – speaking on NH Radio Sportcafe (via quotes sourced by AjaxShowTime), he said:

“I have heard in the corridors that they want to bring him back. The question is on what basis. In England, it is a purchase that does not work, then they sell him for thirty per cent less; they don’t care. The best is if you can buy him, but if you can [loan] him, that’s of course great.”

Given Levy needs to raise finances to fund any deal, he should look to sanction his exit and use the money to bring in Vestergaard, who appears to be a far more reliable option in the Premier League.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-managerial-update-levy-mason-mourinho-sacked” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours, managerial gossip and more!”]

Just last month, following Spurs’ draw to relegation-threatened Newcastle, ex-ROI captain Kenny Cunningham slammed the Colombian as “a real liability to his team” whilst former Sheffield United midfielder Curtis Woodhouse believes the “clumsy” centre-back “probably costs” Spurs “20 goals a season.”

The 6 foot 6 monster, however, has been attributed as being crucial to the Saints’ recent rise under Ralph Hasenhuttl. “An outcast for much of last season, an epitome of the transformation since last autumn,” wrote Ben Fisher in the Guardian.

Indeed, he currently rates out as Southampton’s second-best player (6.97), as per WhoScored ratings, only sat behind James Ward-Prowse (7.05).

He’s not just a hugely imposing aerial threat either, he’s equally adept with the ball at his feet, where he has managed an 83.3% passing accuracy despite spraying 3.6 long balls per game – the most of any outfield player on the south coast.

Again, only Ward-Prowse is better with the ball at his feet and that’s understandable as he’s a midfielder.

The Dane’s form led to high praise from Martin Keown back in January, where he compared him to a fellow Premier League beast. He told talkSPORT:

“It’s his passing. It reminds me of [Virgil] Van Dijk. I call it a stationary platform. When you don’t run with the ball you stop and when you look at those two, the way the ping balls, the way he threads things into midfield, the challenges, he’s a big man.”

Not to mention that the current Saints star also has leadership qualities that would appeal to a team like Tottenham. Hasenhuttl described him as a “real leader on the pitch” recently.

Van Dijk swapped St Mary’s for Liverpool and has never looked back since, and it is that sort of presence that Spurs desperately need in the heart of their defence as recurring defensive mistakes have been the defining theme of their turbulent and troubled season.

Sanchez has been a huge part of their erroneous ways, so it’s time to move him on amid interest from his former club and Levy would do no wrong in signing Vestergaard, especially if he’s truly shades of Van Dijk.

For £18m, it’s a no-brainer.

AND in other news, Levy could excite Spurs fans by hiring “hyper-offensive” 63 y/o who’s adored by Zidane…

Jordan Jones was offered a fresh start at Sunderland in January after falling out of favour under Steven Gerrard at Rangers, and Keith Gillespie, who was capped 86 times for Northern Ireland, has exclusively spoke to Football FanCast about how Jones must leave Rangers this summer.

Jones was one of two Rangers players that breached COVID restrictions in November which saw him suspended and sent out on loan to Sunderland as they pushed for a place in the League One play-offs.

The 26-year old has become a reliable squad player under Lee Johnson who has started him in 11 league games this season and his three goals and willingness to run at defenders helped the Black Cats secure a fourth-place finish.

Jones had only been handed two league starts this season before his COVID breach which signals his time was probably already up at Rangers, and Gillespie exclusively told FFC that Jones must leave the Scottish champions this summer:

“I think there’s no doubt he needs to leave Rangers because there’s been a few problems there and I suppose breaking COVID rules a while back didn’t help – that was a really stupid thing to do.

“So there was no way back for him after breaking COVID rules and I think there is no way he goes back to the Rangers.”

Gerrard managed to cope fine without Jones for the second half of the season as he guided Rangers to a record 55th SPFL title and in the process, stopped their rivals, Celtic, from winning their 10th league title in a row.

Jones’ versatility has proved vital for Johnson at Sunderland especially given the number of injuries he has had to contend with at the back end of the campaign.

According to a report by Anfield Central, West Ham United have now made a fresh approach to sign Liverpool attacker Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

The Lowdown: The Ox and the Hammers…

The Englishman has recently been linked with a move to east London following a frustrating season under Jurgen Klopp on Merseyside.

Oxlade-Chamberlain spent a large portion of the 2020/2021 campaign out through injury and the second half only featuring sporadically in midfield.

News then emerged of GSB’s interest in the former Arsenal star as manager David Moyes aims to bolster the squad for next season.

The Irons will need more strength in depth, especially as they enter the Europa League group stages for 2021/2022.

The Latest: GSB have now made fresh approach…

As per Anfield Central, the Hammers have now made a fresh approach to sign Oxlade-Chamberlain for next season – but Liverpool have taken a firm stance.

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

According to the outlet, Klopp and co do not want to sell the 27-year-old and will only do so if the player himself asks to leave Merseyside.

Moyes is said to be an admirer of Oxlade-Chamberlain and believes the £120,000-per-week attacker can succeed at West Ham.

Alas, as it stands, this report indicates that Liverpool will fight tooth and nail to keep him.

The Verdict: Not a priority…

While Oxlade-Chamberlain is arguably a proven player in the Premier League and still has plenty of years before his sell-by date, Moyes should have other priorities this summer.

Among them, signing a new centre-forward and completing a permanent deal for Jesse Lingard should be taking precedent.

The ex-Southampton man could prove useful for Moyes given he can play on both wings or in midfield, but he certainly shouldn’t be at the forefront of West Ham’s plans.

Lauded as an ‘outstanding player’ by Klopp, however, it will be interesting to see how this unfolds over the summer if GSB and co decide to take a risk on the injury prone but talented ace.

In other news: GSB willing to pay over £20m as West Ham enter advanced player talks, find out more here.

Mike Ashley must rue Newcastle United rejecting Steve Howey’s advice to sign Southampton striker Danny Ings during Steve McClaren’s ill-fated tenure at St James’ Park.

Howey has been speaking exclusively with Football FanCast and claimed that he urged his former side to make efforts to sign Ings when the forward left Burnley at the end of his contract in 2015.

Ings would instead seal a move to Liverpool, which set the Anfield natives back a record £8m in compensation for the striker’s development, having been signed aged 22 following Burnley’s relegation to the Championship.

Ings had scored 11 times and provided four assists in 35 Premier League appearances during the 2014/15 season to catch Liverpool and Howey’s attention, but would fail to replicate those efforts on Merseyside due to a cruciate ligament rupture and knee surgery.

The 28-year-old has continued to be plagued by minor niggles since joining Southampton on an initial loan deal in 2018, yet he has struck 43 times over 94 games in all competitions and is now said to be a potential Sergio Aguero replacement for Manchester City.

Howey would not hold the injuries against Ings, for whom the Saints paid £20m to sign permanently in 2019, having retained his fondness for the three-cap England international since his advice fell on deaf ears on Tyneside.

“I think Newcastle were interested in Danny Ings a while ago, and I think the fee was initially £10m,” he told FFC. “Steve McClaren was the manager at the time, and I said: ‘just buy him’.

“I know he’s always had his injury problems, but he is a goalscorer and he proved that last season.”

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

Ings enjoyed the best Premier League campaign of his career during the 2019/20 season as he fired 22 goals in 38 appearances, while starting 32 fixtures for the first time since his final year at Burnley when he opened 35.

The forward’s efforts saw talkSPORT pundit Clinton Morrison laud Ings for having “top-four quality” and he has continued to earn lavish praise, with Darren Bent claiming that “he’s a top, top finisher” who would “be battering all sorts of goals” if he joins Manchester City.

Pep Guardiola’s Sky Blues are thought to be interested in Ings as he will enter the final year of his current Southampton contract this summer, while discussions with the St Mary’s natives over a new, £100,000-per-week deal are stalling over a £20m release clause.

Manchester City’s potential gain just adds to the reasons why Newcastle owner Ashley must rue passing up the chance to sign Ings in 2015, before the Magpies began a season under McClaren which would end with relegation.

The Toon’s top-scorer for the 2015/16 season was midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum with 11 goals, ahead of Aleksandr Mitrovic (nine). Relegation was then be followed by the arrival of Dwight Gayle, who cost Newcastle £10m – more than Ings’ move to Liverpool.

While Ings enjoyed a seven-goal season with Southampton in 2018/19, a 22-goal return last term and is already on nine for the current campaign, Gayle’s highest top-flight tally in black and white to date was the six he procured in 2017/18 before hitting four last term.

Newcastle may still have been relegated had they signed Ings in the summer of 2015, with a leaky defence the more pressing issue under McClaren, but the investment would likely have returned greater results in the long-term.

AND in other news, Newcastle undecided on St. James’ future of £25,000-per-week star Steve Bruce wants to keep…