All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Southampton have famously produced a vast amount of players from their youth ranks that have gone on to have big careers in the game such as Alan Shearer, Matt Le Tissier, Gareth Bale, Luke Shaw and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

One other player that came through Southampton’s youth academy to become a well-known name in football is 32-year-old winger Theo Walcott.

With a total of 373 Premier League appearances under his belt, 53 of those have come for Southampton, bagging eight goals and providing three assists in the process.

Taking into account his age, the fact that with his contract is set to expire in the summer of 2023 and the fact that Walcott has failed to score a goal or provide an assist in seven appearances across all competitions this term, it would make sense if Ralph Hasenhuttl starting thinking about a potential replacement for the veteran.

With this in mind, we feel that the south-coast club could already have their ideal long-term heir for Walcott in 18-year-old attacker Ramello Mitchell.

Southampton added Mitchell to their U18 side back in the 2019 summer transfer window from Birmingham City’s youth academy for an undisclosed fee.

When he made the move to St. Mary’s, Mitchell was labelled as a player with “huge potential” by former Saints director of football, Ross Wilson.

Since then, the player has gone on to make 26 appearances for Southampton’s U18 side, beating the goalkeeper on three occasions and supplying two assists whilst also making 28 appearances for their B team.

So far this season, Mitchell has played in all of the Southampton B team games so far this season except for their 1-0 win over Reading’s U23 side, showing how important he is to the team.

Additionally, Mitchell has played on the right-wing and as a centre-forward on occasion this season, the two roles that Walcott has played in more than any other position throughout his long career.

However, most vital to this comparison is their tremendous pace. In the Daily Mail’s Secret Scout report last year, they described the teenager as a ‘powerful runner’, something Walcott has always been famed for.

Moving forward, if the experienced speedster does end up leaving the south coast when his deal ends, it could give the aforementioned youngster a pathway to breaking into their senior side, much in the same way Nathan Tella has.

However, given how he has yet to score a goal or provide an assist for Southampton’s B team, we feel Mitchell will have to show that he can be a useful attacking option at that level and prove himself to Hasenhuttl before being given a chance to shine in the first team.

In other news: Get rid: Ralph must let go of £18k-p/w forgotten Saints figure, his time’s running out – opinion

Former Celtic striker Charlie Nicholas has stuck the boot in on Rangers after their Scottish Cup victory over the Hoops, claiming their celebrations were ‘extreme’.

The Lowdown: Celtic stinging after defeat

Ange Postecoglou’s side were beaten in the semi-final on Sunday afternoon, suffering a damaging 2-1 defeat at Hampden Park.

Celtic threw away a second-half lead to eventually lose in extra-time, as their hopes of winning a treble went up in smoke for another season.

Rangers’ players and supporters celebrated wildly at Hampden after the final whistle, which doesn’t seem to have gone down too well with one person.

The Latest: Nicholas makes Rangers dig

Writing in his Scottish Daily Express column (via The Scottish Sun), Nicholas claimed the scenes at the end were over-the-top:

“Rangers’ celebrations at the end of their Scottish Cup semi-final win over Celtic were a bit extreme.

“They deserved to go through because they were the better team at Hampden but there is still a lot of work to be done before they can really celebrate.

“I am not being bitter towards Rangers because I know the intensity of the emotions after an Old Firm derby.”

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

The Verdict: Sour grapes?

In truth, Nicholas’ comments could easily be construed as being sour grapes, with the ex-Celtic man no doubt aggrieved by the outcome at Hampden. Any win in the derby is invariably met in a similar manner.

Celtic can certainly use Rangers’ celebrations as inspiration for the rest of the season, however, ensuring they don’t witness those scenes at Ibrox when the Scottish Premiership title race concludes.

With a six-point cushion, Postecoglou’s men are the overriding favourites to be crowned champions next month – they just have to bounce back from the Scottish Cup setback and get the job done.

In other news, a journalist has provided a worrying Celtic transfer update. Read more here.

Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst is approaching his first transfer window in charge of the Ibrox giants as January is merely days away.

The Dutchman may want to strengthen his Gers squad by making an addition or two to bring some freshness to the side heading into the second half of the campaign.

One player who has been touted with a potential switch to Glasgow is Anderlecht defender Wesley Hoedt, formerly of Premier League club Southampton.

Bye-bye Goldson

The Dutchman could come in as the perfect replacement for Connor Goldson, either in January or in the summer. Van Bronckhorst’s current centre-back is out of contract at the end of the campaign, which means that his time at Ibrox may be up in one of the next two transfer windows, with the Gers either cashing in on him next month or allowing him to run down his deal before leaving on a free.

Football Insider reported this month that, as per Ibrox sources, the former Brighton defender wants another crack at the Premier League, so he may well be coming towards the final few months of his time at Ibrox.

Hoedt has played in a number of top leagues and is currently impressing for Anderlecht in Belgium, which is why he could be a perfect replacement for Goldson. He is in fine form and still has plenty left to give at the age of 27, averaging an impressive SofaScore rating of 7.12 in the Pro League this season.

He has played for Southampton, Lazio and Celta Vigo and been capped by the Netherlands in the past, showing that he has been able to play at the top level in England, Italy, Spain and internationally.

Former Saints chief Les Reed previously heaped praise on the Dutchman, pointing to his potential and experience, saying: “Wesley is one of the most promising young defenders in Europe and represents a significant addition to our squad. Having procured a Champions League finalist from one Italian club we have now added an Italian Supercoppa winner from another.”

Reed continued: “We believe he has all the qualities to play a big part in our future, and we have worked hard to bring him to Southampton, with a number of other high-profile clubs interested in him. Wesley has proven his talent through his performances for Lazio, as well as the Netherlands, and we believe he can develop even further here at Southampton, alongside his international teammate Virgil van Dijk, as well as the likes of Jack Stephens, Maya Yoshida, Jan Bednarek and Florin Gardos.”

This highlights some of the qualities that he could bring to Glasgow, and coupled with his form for Anderlecht, it shows that the 6 foot 3 powerhouse could be an excellent signing. He is a strong defender, as shown by his consistent performances in Belgium, and he could slot straight into the team in place of Goldson, which is why Van Bronckhorst must seal a swoop for his services.

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst could get Ibrox rocking with Rangers swoop for beast who can do “wonderful things”…

An update has emerged on Newcastle United, regarding their pursuit of Burnley striker Chris Wood…

What’s the talk?

Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie has revealed that the Clarets did not expect the Magpies to stump up the cash to activate his release clause.

He initially Tweeted: “Also hearing as per @JPercyTelegraph that Chris Wood is travelling to the North East tonight for a medical. Newcastle have met his Burnley release clause, which is thought to be in the region of £20m.”

The reporter then added: “Burnley were aware of Chris Wood’s release clause but didn’t think Newcastle would trigger it. They thought it was too high. Clarets angry that Wood would leave to a relegation rival. His Burnley contract was up next year.”

Delight

This update from Downie will surely leave Newcastle fans feeling delighted as it perfectly illustrates the muscle they now have in the transfer market. Long gone are the days of refusing to pay loan fees and missing out on signings because of it.

PIF are making serious moves and putting their money where their mouth is, as shown by Burnley’s surprise at this deal for the striker. That is why fans will be over the moon as it shows that their club is making strides off the pitch in order to change their fortunes around on it.

The supporters will also be buzzing as it means that Wood is poised to arrive to bolster the squad. He is a proven Premier League goalscorer and could provide a lift to the squad on the pitch in the second half of the campaign.

He has previously been compared to Magpies legend Alan Shearer, with former Leeds man Ben Parker saying of a goal he scored for the Whites:

“It was a fantastic header. He’s kind of like Sheareresque and I don’t think there are many strikers in the division, especially in the Championship, even going to the Premier League, who would have scored with that header.”

Wood has scored 10+ goals in each of the past four seasons leading up to the 2021/22 campaign. This shows that he knows how to find the back of the net at this level and could be a key asset for Howe in the coming months as they attempt to work their way out of the relegation zone, which is why fans will be buzzing with the deal overall.

AND in other news, “Still trying”: Keith Downie issues five-word NUFC claim that’ll leave fans buzzing…

Leeds United are considering a late move for Takumi Minamino…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Independent journalist Carl Markham, who claimed the Yorkshire outfit were interested in signing the Liverpool outcast before the January transfer window deadline on Monday evening.

“Takumi Minamino attracting interest from Leeds and Monaco but @LFC have rebuffed early approaches as they have no inclination to sell. Would take seriously really good offer to change their minds,” he tweeted.

The 36-cap Japan international is well behind the likes of Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota in the pecking order at Anfield, and could yet drop even further amid reported interest in FC Porto star Luis Diaz.

It remains to be seen exactly what a ‘really good offer’ is, with the 27-year-old currently valued at £10.8m by Transfermarkt.

Aaronson alternative

Primarily a left-winger by trade, Minamino is capable of operating on both flanks and through the middle, where he can thrive the best when operating as a ‘half-winger’.

Just like fellow Whites target Brenden Aaronson, who doesn’t appear likely to be coming to Elland Road any time soon, at least in this current window.

Leeds’ two bids of £15m and £20m have been rejected but there is hope that a deal can be struck for the summer instead as RB Salzburg do not want to offload him before a crucial Champions League tie with Bayern Munich.

Instead, it appears as if Victor Orta and co are lining up a last-minute alternative in a player that also once played for the Austria champions.

Minamino’s growth has always been stunted in Merseyside due to the sheer volume of quality starting ahead of him but he’s still proven his worth in abundance whenever given the opportunity.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-lufc-transfer-rumours-gossip-bielsa-orta-radrizzani-elland-road-updates” title=”Read the latest Leeds news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

For instance, this season he has provided six goals and one assist across 18 appearances, with those primarily coming in cup competitions as he’s yet to register a start in the Premier League, even despite Salah and Mane being at AFCON.

The Japanese attacker also impressed during a loan spell at Southampton last season.

“He’s a very special player for me – not because of his physical strength but more of his way of playing football,” claimed manager Ralph Hasenhuttl.

“He is very quick in his mind, has good decision-making, knows about our pressing style and hopefully a lot of running. He knows when you come to me you have to run a lot, but that’s not a problem for him”

Right there is why he’s an absolute dream for Marcelo Bielsa. There isn’t a side that presses the opposition as intensely as Leeds, so his presence to do that from the front would be hugely beneficial to the Argentine, who must be desperate for additions.

Also dubbed a “machine” by Reds boss Jurgen Klopp, Minamino could be an ideal alternative to Aaronson as we head into the final few days of the window.

Bielsa badly needs an option in the role and the Liverpool ace could well provide him with exactly what he needs for the remainder of the current campaign.

AND in other news, Leeds United eyeing late January bargain in £10m “phenomenon”…

[ad_pod ]

Sheffield United take on fellow Championship title-chasers West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns on Saturday in what could be a season defining clash for both clubs.

With so much on the line for the Blades, Chris Wilder has to get his tactics and team selection right, but given the good form of so many in his squad he has some tough calls to make.

On the chalkboard

In Billy Sharp, David McGoldrick and January loan signing Gary Madine, Wilder has three in-form forwards to pick from. 26-year-old loanee Scott Hogan bolsters these options further. There’s an argument for each of these strikers to get the nod in the starting XI.

Who do you want to see promoted this year? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have picked their 3 favoured teams in the video below…

The partnership between 33-year-old club captain and top goalscorer Sharp and 31-year-old McGoldrick has been prolific all season. However, last time out, Hogan and Madine worked extremely well together. What’s more, the two loanees are something of an unknown quantity together, so could take the Baggies by surprise. 

Whoever Wilder goes with, the Blades stand a good chance of putting goals past Darren Moore’s inconsistent defence. That being said, it’s still a headache for the United manager, but not one that he’d be better off without.

A blessing

In title chases, the side with the best quality squad depth is often the one that prevails. When it comes to their attacking contingent, the Bramall Lane club absolutely have that strength in depth.

Whilst it may mean plenty of difficult selection problems for Wilder to solve between now and the end of the campaign, his plethora of high-class attacking options is a blessing. Having that kind of firepower at his disposal could be what fuels Sheffield United into the Premier League.

Celtic pundit Frank McAvennie believes the Hoops will sign a defender after a move for Matt O’Riley is finalised, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: O’Riley move; another forward wanted

The Hoops have already made four signings in 2022 and are closing in on a fifth in O’Riley.

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

The MK Dons midfielder has passed a Celtic medical and looks set to join in a deal worth £1.5m, with the Hoops pipping a number of clubs to the Englishman’s services.

A source recently informed Football Insider that Celtic also want two wide forwards before the end of the month, one of which is expected to be Jota, however, McAvennie thinks Ange Postecoglou should now be looking at defensive reinforcements.

The Latest: McAvennie comments

McAvennie was talking to Football Insider regarding the source’s claim on new attackers.

He urged Postecoglou to look at the club’s defensive ranks and backed the Hoops manager to bring in a defender before the month is out.

“Strikers are great, I just think we’re a bit short at the back.

“Jullien isn’t back from his injury yet and even when he’s back it will take a while for him to get back up to speed.

“If he’s going to be missing, I would like to see the club go out and bring in another centre-back.

“I think the manager is clever enough to know that’s what he needs so, yeah, I think that will happen soon.

“We have such a talented attack and midfield now. I would just like to see a little bit more quality and depth in the defence.

“Take nothing away from Starfelt and Carter-Vickers, I thought they were both good against Hibs.

“But we are one injury away from the defence being a little bit shaky, in my opinion.”

The Verdict: Left-back?

Should Celtic make Cameron Carter-Vickers’ loan move permanent and keep hold of Stephen Welsh, then they will have more than enough when it comes to centre-backs options.

However, if Adam Montgomery leaves on loan, as expected, and Boli Bolingoli finds a new club, then the Hoops could do with a new left-back.

Greg Taylor would be the only recognised left-back remaining if Montgomery and Bolingoli depart, and although Josip Juranovic can provide cover from right-back a new left-back to rival Taylor could be a shrewd move.

In other news: ‘Wolves are…’ – Journalist makes big claim with Celtic gem now wanted at Molineux. 

As per reliable reporter Jack Rosser of The Evening Standard, some news has emerged on West Ham and their hunt for a new striker.

The Lowdown: West Ham still in the market…

The Irons’ centre-forward pursuit can be stretched all the way back to January, when David Moyes confirmed that offers had been made for Sevilla’s Youssef En-Nesyri.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-developments-2/” title=”West Ham developments” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

This is to solve the lack of cover for star striker Michail Antonio, especially taking into account his injury history, and despite the club’s efforts, they still haven’t managed to land an alternative to the Jamaica international.

The search is still on, however, as Rosser brings an update involving FC Copenhagen striker Jonas Wind.

The Latest: West Ham weigh bid…

As per The Evening Standard, West Ham – and by extension head of recruitment Rob Newman – are ‘weighing up a move’ for the prolific Dane, who has bagged a senior career total of 45 goals for his current club.

Indeed, a striker apparently ‘remains high’ on Moyes’ shopping list ahead of January as he looks to maintain the Hammers’ head-turning start to the 2021/22 campaign.

The Verdict: Good option…

Over his appearances for Copenhagen this season, Wind has showcased a real proficiency in front of goal with 10 across all competitions already, along with six assists (Transfermarkt).

He’s also a towering presence at 6 foot 2 and could possess a physicality suited to the tough nature of Premier League football.

In a further incentive for West Ham to move for him, it is believed that the 22-year-old could leave his current club for as little as £11m in January, as recently claimed by Ekstra Bladet (via Sport Witness).

Amid the Irons’ links to Andrea Belotti and Adam Hlozek, Wind could come as a shrewd alternative.

In other news: ‘I’m alive’, ‘We baaaccckkk’ – Many West Ham fans react as Irons set for striker swoop, find out more here.

Leeds United have been handed a major boost over Kalvin Phillips as a huge update emerges on his future at Elland Road…

What’s the story?

The England international has been the subject of big interest from rival Premier League clubs in recent weeks, with the likes of West Ham and Aston Villa both said to be monitoring the situation.

But now, it appears Phillips could be ready to commit his long-term future to his boyhood club.

Writing on Twitter, The Daily Mirror’s Northern football correspondent, David Anderson, revealed: “Big boost for Leeds after Kalvin Phillips tells the board he wants to sign a new deal in the summer.”

Huge news for Leeds

Make no mistake about it, more than any new signing Leeds could potentially make this summer, sealing a new deal for Phillips would absolutely top the lot.

The England star is very much Leeds through and through, and having helped the side get promoted from the Championship, has established himself as a Premier League force – that’s not to mention the international recognition that has come his way which saw him become one of the Three Lions’ heroes in their run to the EUROs final last summer.

Speaking last month, former Leeds shot-stopper Paddy Kenny insisted Phillips would eventually put pen to paper on a new deal to stay at Elland Road, saying: “He’s come through the ranks at Leeds. There’ll be a lot of clubs interested in him, but I’m 100 per cent sure they’ll get it sorted.

“These deals have to be right for all parties, but I’m sure it’s something Leeds will be confident they can get over the line. He’s playing a big part in the England setup now, and he’s massive for Leeds. When he’s not in the team they can really struggle. I’m sure this is just the due process of sorting the contract out.”

While West Ham and Aston Villa are certainly big clubs in their own right, neither really genuinely represent a real step-up in class from Leeds – Champions League football has not been on offer for either for a number of years now, while trophies have also been very hard to come by too.

So while Leeds fans may not have been too worried about hearing that it was West Ham and Villa who were interested in their talismanic midfielder, news that he wants to stay at Elland Road for the long-term will have put to bed any lingering fears if there were any.

It’s news that will surely delight Leeds boss Jesse Marsch too.

AND in other news – Sold at £8m, now worth triple: Leeds had a nightmare over “fearless” 5 ft 9 magician

Everton took a huge win from their clash against Manchester United at Goodison Park yesterday, with the side embroiled in a difficult relegation battle this season the three points couldn’t have been more crucial for Frank Lampard.

With reports that sources from Everton had claimed the Toffees boss would be sacked if he didn’t take points from Ralf Rangnick’s side on Saturday, Lampard definitely put up a fight to prove the doubters wrong in his pursuit to lead Everton to safety this season.

Although the manager can’t take all the credit, the team performance from Everton was outstanding in a rarely-seen impressive defensive display from the whole team who put in a shift to hold onto a clean sheet following Anthony Gordon’s 27th-minute goal.

Despite having less possession than the visitors, the Toffees made more tackles (18) and over twice as many clearances (35) throughout the game, with Jordan Pickford a clear contender for man of the match after making four saves and two clearances in a fantastic performance.

There was one player who did make an important return and huge impact on the team following his selection in the starting line-up alongside Alex Iwobi and Allan, with Fabian Delph proving that the side desperately missed his experience in the centre of the pitch.

According to SofaScore, the 32-year-old midfielder won 100% of his duels, made six clearances, three tackles and two interceptions, as well as offering up a pass completion rate of 80% (24/30) before he was taken off in the 84th minute to be replaced by Abdoulaye Doucoure.

Delph who was hailed a “leader” by Gerard Houllier, recently returned to full fitness following a number of injury issues this season including a hamstring injury that has seen him unavailable for selection for the entirety of 2022 so far, and he surely made up for it in his seventh appearance this season against Man United.

Lampard was full of praise for the £92k-per-week midfielder following the victory, claiming that they “missed him” in his post-match interview;

“Yeah we’ve missed him.

“Delph gave us a sense of calm, his positional behaviours — like when a centre-back is out of position he falls into the backline.”

Everton may have found the key to unlocking survival in the Premier League this season by unleashing Delph in midfield and Lampard will be hoping the former Man City star can continue to lead and dominate in midfield ahead of the remaining fixtures this season to give the side their best chance of staying up.

In other news: Fewer touches than Pickford: Everton’s 9-pass flop was “wasteful” once again vs United