All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Loads of Everton fans were reacting to some early team news that has emerged ahead of their game away at Burnley in the Premier League on Boxing Day.

As per Patrick Boyland, Dominic Calvert-Lewin has said that he is now ‘hoping’ to return from injury against the Clarets at Turf Moor, in what The Athletic journalist claims would be a ‘boost’ for the Goodison Park faithful.

The striker has been out injured since August, and scored three goals in his first three games of the season (Transfermarkt). This, added to the 21 goals that he managed as the Merseyside club’s top scorer last term, shows just how important he is to the team, and so to have him back would be a big welcome.

However, with a longer term injury, some Toffees supporters are cautious that he is not rushed back, and are just hopeful that he is fit enough to play some part.

Everton fans on Calvert-Lewin injury news

These Blues reacted to the news as it was shared on Twitter:

“It’s a Christmas miracle Tiny Tim”

Credit: @bmoney831

“Don’t know if he starts Sunday, but nevertheless good news. We’ve missed Dom greatly.”

Credit: @EFCCollins11

“Holds breath”

Credit: @Blueste35650715

“Bring me the one who floats”

Credit: @ShoeyEFC1234

“Hopefully he lasts longer than Mina did on his return”

Credit: @timjenkinson28

“We really could do with Mina back as well percentage of games we win when he plays”

Credit: @MarkMur25726299

In other news, find out what stadium news has Evertonians buzzing here!

Everton are likely to sign a couple of players on transfer deadline day as the club moves closer to appointing Frank Lampard in the manager’s dugout at Goodison Park.

What’s the word?

This has been a chaotic transfer window for the Toffees and on deadline day this Monday, it’s set to get even crazier.

As well as being on the verge of appointing Lampard, they are set to welcome Donny van de Beek to the club on loan from Manchester United.

But, the new boss won’t stop there in his pursuit of new signings according to reporter Alan Myers.

The journalist was asked on Twitter on Sunday whether the Dutchman would be the club’s final addition but he responded; “I doubt it.”

Myers then added in another tweet: “I’d guess 2 to 3 [signings] maybe.”

Fans buzzing

After all of the protest and rage that has engulfed Goodison this month, it looks as though Everton are set to end the month on a high.

The appointment of Lampard is ambitious and will take the club in a new direction after the previously appointed Carlo Ancelotti and Rafa Benitez; two individuals with far more coaching experience under their belts.

However, what Lampard has in common with those two, is a lure, particularly for young English players or footballers looking to get their careers back on track.

Van de Beek perfectly fits that description and with Jesse Lingard and Dele Alli also on the club’s radar, this could be a captivating finish to the window.

Myers doesn’t mention who may follow the Man United midfielder through the door but the fact that Lampard is wasting no time in looking to strengthen his squad should be music to the ears of supporters.

After all, this is a team that sit in 16th place in the Premier League after just one win in their last 14 top-flight encounters.

AND in other news, Everton gifted late transfer boost that may save their season, Lampard will be a hero…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Howey, who made 278 appearances during his career, has admitted that he was never convinced how good Kalvin Phillips was until this season.

Phillips is one of the most important players for Leeds United as he has become the anchor who allows players such as Raphinha, Jack Harrison and Stuart Dallas to stay higher up the pitch, and his WhoScored rating of 7.06 proves how important he is.

The £4,500 per week midfielder has also become an England regular despite this still being just his first season in the Premier League and Gareth Southgate trusts him to start for the Three Lions during Jordan Henderson’s absence.

Speaking on how he has been won over by Phillips this season and what he thought of him when he first saw him play live, Howey told FFC:

“I think a lot of clubs will be looking at him in the summer, but I must admit that I wasn’t 100% sure what all the fuss was about with Kalvin Phillips.

“I saw him against Everton, and at the time I was with Gareth Southgate and I said to him, ‘yeah he is a top player’. He’s comfortable on the ball, his distribution is very good and then you put him in the England team, and it looks as though he’s been there for years.”

Phillips has picked up a few injuries this season and Leeds have struggled without their midfielder general at times because he offers the defence protection but he also gets attacks started quickly.

Marcelo Bielsa has guided Leeds to a comfortable position in the table but the Argentine is still yet to sign a new contract at Elland Road beyond this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur, and by extension their transfer chief Fabio Paratici, are ‘expected’ to ‘win the race’ for a potentially impressive summer signing, according to Alasdair Gold.

The Lowdown: Major summer looming…

The Lilywhites, tasked with showing manager Antonio Conte that they’re serious about building a winning Premier League side, are set for an intriguing window upon the end of 2021/2022.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-newest-updates/” title=”Tottenham newest updates…” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Spurs’ head coach has apparently got his eye on as many as six major signings, which include the possible additions of a reserve keeper, right-wing-back, central defender, two midfielders and a forward (The Telegraph).

This comes amid recent claims that Paris-Saint Germain are eyeing Conte as an heir to ex-Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino, who is allegedly set to leave the French capital.

The Latest: Gold makes promising Johnstone claim…

In some good news for Spurs, backing recent reports, it appears the north Londoners are firm favourites to seal West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Sam Johnstone on a Bosman.

Indeed, sharing news in a football.london piece on who could leave N17 this summer, reliable journalist Gold also claimed, when commenting on Pierluigi Gollini’s future, that Paratici and co are ‘expected to win the race’ for Johnstone this summer.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Johnstone’s contract runs out in June, gifting the club an opportunity to snap up a capable understudy to Hugo Lloris for zero cost.

An England international and ‘world class’ keeper, at least according to Wolves legend Steve Bull, journalist Pete O’Rourke has also raved over the thought of Spurs landing Johnstone for nothing.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, recently, the reporter claimed finalising a free transfer for West Brom’s 29-year-old would be a ‘really impressive’ first signing of the window by Spurs.

His proven top flight quality, and the fact his capture could go some way to mitigating Tottenham’s homegrown quota issues, make this move a real no-brainer.

Gold’s update that Paratici is still in pole position certainly comes as a promising one.

In other news: Source: Tottenham edge closer to ‘top signing’…he really wants to join Conte! Find out more here.

South Africa manager Eddie Ntseki has confirmed the Bafana Bafana will be without Glasgow Rangers midfielder Bongani Zungu for their African Cup of Nations qualifier against Sudan on Sunday.

Zungu unavailable

Zungu had already been ruled out of South Africa’s clash with Ghana in his homeland after Rangers refused to let him travel there, but it seemed he would be available for the Sudan match (Sowetan Live).

Now, though, Ntseki has revealed he will also be unavailable for that game too. He said (via The South African):

“We got an email from Zungu’s club to say they are no longer releasing him – whether it’s coming to South Africa or going to Sudan.

“I then spoke to him and explained the situation, and he said, ‘It’s a decision that will work against me if ever I force to come to Sudan.’

“We saw a new list of countries that are being referred to as ‘red zones’, and in this case we have Dubai and Ethiopia, which is where players were going to have to come via to get to Sudan.”

Disappointing

This is no doubt a huge disappointment for both Ntseki and Zungu – the former has already shared his frustration at not having Zungu for the Ghana fixture. In 2021, the 28-year-old has played just 112 minutes in the Premiership (Transfermarkt) and is clearly not a big part of Steven Gerrard’s plans. The international break should have given him an opportunity to get some much needed playing time, but that will now not be the case.

Unfortunately, this is becoming a more and more regular occurrence given the coronavirus pandemic we are currently living through. Zungu will just have to hope that, with the Premiership title already sewn up at Ibrox, he may now get more chances to play at club level.

In other news, Rangers fans are livid at an update on this 34-year-old.

Many Wolves fans have been left to react to a transfer update on Haris Seferovic.

As per Correio da Manha (via Sport Witness), both the Midlands club as well as Everton have made contact with Benfica over his potential signing in the summer window.

However, the Portuguese team are demanding a fee of €30m (£25.7m) for his signature, which is pretty steep for a 29-year-old.

Nonetheless, Seferovic has impressed at both club level and for his country, with no fewer than 26 goals scored and a further seven assists made in 48 games in total over all competitions for Benfica in the 2020/21 season (Transfermarkt).

There would be some doubts over whether he would play over Raul Jimenez though if he is fit, and £25.7m is a lot to spend on a potential bench player.

Wolves fans on Seferovic transfer update

These members of the Molineux faithful seemed split as the transfer update was shared on Twitter:

“OH YES”

Credit: @ashleynixon95

“Get him asap”

Credit: @wwfc3211

“Get him in anyone else thinks otherwise give your head a wobble”

Credit: @secretwolf11

“Do not be fooled by the France game, he’s terrible”

Credit: @Gary_Poynton

“Not a chance – he looks like a poor man’s Willian Jose!”

Credit: @tommartin5

“We have Raul, we don’t need him”

Credit: @iamrockymstar

In other news, find out what transfer update has Wanderers fuming here!

Leeds United have been handed a major boost in their transfer chase for Brentford striker Ivan Toney.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that Marcelo Bielsa’s side are eyeing up a move for the forward this summer, and it now appears that Brentford would be willing to do business – at a certain price.

Football League World have claimed that the Championship side will demand a fee in the region of £35m to let the striker go, with the Bees feeling that he has more Premier League pedigree than current Aston Villa frontman Ollie Watkins.

The report reveals that Brentford believe the “25-year-old has an even greater potential to score goals in the Premier League than Watkins”.

Radrizzani must act now

With Leeds now knowing what it will take to prise Toney away from Brentford, the Whites simply have to go after the striker who’s bagged an impressive 126 goals in his career already.

Speaking earlier last year, Peterborough’s director of football Barry Fry said: “He’s turned into a tremendous all-round footballer. It’s important to remember Ivan is not just an exceptional goal-scoring forward, he’s also an outstanding defender.”

Toney himself has the confidence that he could cut it at the highest level, even comparing himself to Milan and Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

He said: “I’ve always liked Zlatan. I just love his confidence. Some people see it as arrogance but you must be like that to succeed. I’m similar to Zlatan in both my confidence and the way I play. When he wants to do something, he just does it. I have some of that in my game and personality. And I believe I’ll be a Premier League striker.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Latest Leeds transfer rumours and news”]

Given how he’s taken to the Championship like a duck to water, Andrea Radrizzani must surely open up the cheque-book and make a move for Toney this summer, who could potentially explode in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, Leeds could sign another Stuart Dallas in this ace…

The career path of former Celtic star Shaun Maloney is a strange one.

For the Hoops, he was one of the most exciting players in the Scottish game, combining close-touch control with the ability to find the back of the net and create goals on a regular basis at Parkhead. During his stay at Paradise, the Scot played 135 times, scoring 30 goals and registering 31 assists.

Since then, he has gone on to win the FA Cup with Wigan and now he’s the assistant manager of Belgium, the number one-ranked international side in world football. It’s funny how things work out for some players in the game.

Another footballer with an intriguing story is Ryan Gauld. The midfielder left Dundee United for Sporting Lisbon as a teenager, moving to Portugal as one of the most vibrant young talents around.

He was dubbed the Mini Messi and it was clear to see why. Speaking about his game, his former coach Ian Cathro once said: “We don’t allow players to be technically brilliant in this country.”

Instantly, that was what set Gauld apart from everyone in Scotland. It’s also why he managed to attract suitors on the continent.

The attacker is now 25 years of age and, although he hasn’t lived up to the Messi hype, he’s beginning to flourish in Portugal.

[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!”]

Gauld only played five times for Sporting Lisbon before moving to Farense. Remaining in Portugal, the promising Scot has scored an eye-catching 20 goals in 71 outings for his current club.

His form earned shouts for him to be included in the Scotland squad for the European Championship, while Celtic have also been tipped to sign him.

“For me, it’s a no-brainer for Celtic to just inquire because he is now a massive person of interest,” Tony Haggerty told ACSOM this week.

In luring him to Glasgow, the Hoops could unearth their new Maloney. After all, the former Bhoys gem is a player to whom he has been compared by Gordon Strachan.

The former Celtic manager commented in 2014: “He’s a little bit like Shaun Maloney. Ryan has got things, he can see things on the pitch. He can execute passes and, invariably, he gives you a good weight of pass.”

In carving out 2.4 shots per and 2.3 key passes per game this term, there are clear similarities with the way Maloney played. The latter often rampaged forward before providing the finishing touches to a Celtic attack.

Another figure who has been effusive in their praise for Gauld is Sergio Vieira, Farense’s head coach, who remarked: “Ryan’s got quality in his passing and dribbling and he’s now shown he can score goals too.”

Vieira continued: “He’s aggressive and competitive, despite his smaller size and tactically very intelligent. I feel he’s the complete player and as a person, he’s humble, ambitious and self-determined. He’s been easy to deal with, always listening and ready to improve.”

Gauld may have ultimately missed out on Scotland’s squad for Euro 2020 but Celtic should jump at the opportunity to sign him if it arises.

AND in other news, Howe would have been an instant hit if Celtic signed 45-goal bully who’s “impossible to beat”…

Nottingham Forest have been handed a boost in their bid to bring Josh Ruffels to The City Ground this summer.

What’s the talk?

In recent comments cited by Banbury Cake, Oxford United manager Karl Robinson revealed that the left-back has still not signed a new contract at the Kassam Stadium – an offer that has been on the table for a number of months – with his current deal set to expire in a matter of weeks.

Nottingham Forest have been reported to hold an interest in the £180k-rated defender, with Chris Hughton thought to be keen on the idea of signing players from the lower divisions at The City Ground this summer.

Speaking about the contractual situation of the left-back, Robinson said: “From our point of view, we know where we’re at. We know what’s going on and we’ll be speaking over the weekend.

“We requested a resolution and Josh, deep down, is an Oxford fan. We’ve had some good conversations, but we also respect the situation.”

Hughton will be buzzing

Considering just how impressive Ruffels was for Oxford United in League One this season, it is not surprising that Robinson appears so desperate for the defender to pen a new deal at the club, while the fact he is yet to do so will likely have Hughton buzzing.

Over his 44 league appearances this term, the former Coventry City man thrived in an attacking capacity, scoring six goals, registering six assists and creating five big chances, as well as making an average of 0.7 key passes per game.

The 27-year-old was solid defensively too, helping his side to keep 16 clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 1.8 interceptions, 1.3 tackles and 2.5 clearances per fixture.

These metrics saw the £2.1k-per-week left-back earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.00, ranking him as Oxford’s fifth-best performer in the third tier – playing a crucial role in the U’s securing a top-six finish in the league.

As such, the addition of the player who Robinson dubbed a “manager’s dream” at Forest this summer would certainly appear to provide a huge boost to the club’s own chances of going on to mount a push towards the play-off places next term, particularly as both Yuri Ribeiro and Gaetan Bong look set to leave Nottingham this summer.

So, if Hughton is successful in his attempt to lure Ruffels away from Oxford in the coming months, particularly on a free transfer, it would be an extremely shrewd piece of business by the 62-year-old boss, as well as a good sign of things to come at Forest next season.

In other news: NFFC handed huge transfer boost over “quality” 25 G/A gem that’ll have Hughton buzzing – opinion

Trying to replace a club icon is particularly difficult, and at Celtic that is no different.

As a dismal 2020/21 campaign came to a conclusion for the Hoops, they witnessed their no-nonsense club captain walk away from Parkhead. That man, of course, is a certain Scott Brown.

He headed to Aberdeen to take up a player-coach role and the individual to succeed his captaincy duties is Callum McGregor.

The Scot has had an excellent start to the season and had one of the best outings of his career in his nation’s colours this week when they took on Austria.

However, there is a sense that one of the many players that Ange Postecoglou brought to the club this summer could eventually become the true heir to Brown’s coveted place in the team.

Although yet to play, James McCarthy will be a big presence in the middle of the park once he’s fit enough. Liam Shaw, their signing from Sheffield Wednesday, could eventually star in that role, while Bosun Lawal has looked promising since arriving in Glasgow.

However, it is two players who were signed before Postecoglou walked in that appeared to stand the best chance before the summer’s arrivals.

Ismaila Soro is candidate number one. At various times last season, he looked like the most natural heir. He was composed on the ball and tough in the tackle, making ten successful challenges in one European outing against Lille.

However, the longer his stay at Paradise has continued, the more his form has deteriorated. Soro’s opening matches of the campaign left a lot to be desired as he lost a whopping ten of 14 duels against Midtjylland.

He was also rash in the challenge when he appeared from the bench against Rangers in the Old Firm before the international break.

With that in mind, Postecoglou should consider finally utilising Luca Connell in the first team.

The Irishman was signed from Bolton back in 2019 but he has never made a first-team outing for the Bhoys. He already had EFL experience with the Trotters when he arrived so it’s puzzling to see him make such a minimal impact in Scotland.

Left out of the club’s Europa League squad list, opportunities look as though they’ll be hard to come by for him.

Once again, this feels like a strange move. Connell was in excellent form during a loan spell at Queen’s Park last season, guiding them to promotion. In the process, the defensive midfielder scored three times and registered five assists.

The 20-year-old was a breath of fresh air to the Queen’s Park side and one goal encapsulated him perfectly. After he galloped forward and then found the net against Edinburgh towards the end of last term, the commentator said that he had a “wand of a left foot.”

With defensive nous and offensive abilities in his locker, Connell surely has everything needed to thrive in Postecoglou’s system. That’s precisely why he should be unleashed.

AND in other news, 100% duels won: Ange surely drooling after new Celtic signing’s international display…