All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

According to The Scottish Sun, Southampton are interested in signing Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard this summer.

The Lowdown: Saints could need a striker

Southampton’s safety in the Premier League has been secured, but it has been a difficult campaign at times for the Saints.

Things could be about to become more troublesome, as well. Danny Ings is the club’s top goalscorer this term with 13 strikes in all competitions (BBC). However, his future remains uncertain as he is yet to put pen to paper on a new deal and is attracting transfer interest from Manchester City (Sky Sports) and Tottenham (Eurosport).

The Latest: Hasenhuttl eyes Edouard

As such, Southampton may need to dip into the transfer market.

It seems they already have a forward in their sights, though, as they have been linked with Edouard. Leicester City, Arsenal, Roma and Aston Villa are all also said be in pursuit, with Celtic looking for more than £20m this summer.

The Verdict: Top target

Although he has been playing in Scotland for the past few years, Edouard has a solid record. He has managed 83 goals in 167 games in all competitions for the Bhoys (Transfermarkt) and is still just 23 years of age. For France’s U21 side, he has a stunning strike rate of 17 goals in just 13 matches.

£20m would be a considerable fee – Ralph Hasenhuttl has already said the Saints are unlikely to spend more than £10m on any one player – but the departure of Ings could give them the funds to sign him. While they are not favourites to capture Edouard, the connection between Southampton and Celtic could favour the Saints – Victor Wanyama, Virgil van Dijk, Stuart Armstrong and Fraser Forster have all done well at St. Mary’s Stadium after appearing at Parkhead.

In other news, Southampton are interested in this Serie A winger.

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.

West Ham United will be looking to upset defending Premier League champions Manchester City for the second time in little over a month when they return to action on Sunday afternoon.

Irons boss David Moyes will also be hoping to see his side bounce back from last weekend’s 1-0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers, though he’ll be buoyed by the fact that they won their group in the Europa League with yet another midweek victory on Thursday night.

Despite not kicking a ball until today, the Hammers remain in fourth place and now face the team directly above them in the standings, having knocked them out of the Carabao Cup on penalties in October.

The Scot largely rotated his squad in Austria, so much of his usual starting XI should be fit to feature, in which young academy graduate Ben Johnson has to be among those in line to start again.

He has excelled at right-back, so much so that the 21-year-old has often kept his place over trusty servant Vladimir Coufal. Indeed, the 5 foot 9 dynamo deputised over the Czech Republic international when he picked up an injury earlier in the campaign and Moyes hasn’t looked back since, nor should he.

Johnson has been crucial to West Ham’s success so far this season, leading to a very glowing endorsement from Moyes. “He’s a bit of utility player for us, he’s been here for a while,” he claimed (via football.london).

“He’s a really important player for us. In the squad and the group he’s really important. Quite often we’ve brought him on and used him in different roles and he’s had a chance to have some games under his belt, he’s not let us down and scored a good goal in midweek.”

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/west-ham-news-transfer-updates-rumours-gossip-david-moyes-gsb-premier-league” title=”Read the latest West Ham news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

The 58-year-old isn’t the only one left impressed by the youngster. ExWHUemployee dubbed him “sensational”, whilst Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville was left “really impressed” by the Hammers starlet, also claiming that he “looks an excellent defender.”

Johnson has made ten appearances this season, in which he has helped the side to six clean sheets, including some big-game affairs such as against Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Genk – as well as in that aforementioned win over the Citizens last month.

It means he has silenced some huge stars, ranging from Jesse Lingard and Jadon Sancho to even Riyad Mahrez and Kevin De Bruyne, both of whom could feature today.

The 21-year-old has also been graded as Moyes’ fourth-best performer on the season so far, per WhoScored, whilst he leads the squad for tackles (2.7) and interceptions (1.8) per game, proving to be an absolutely crucial rock at the back, as if the feats above didn’t already suggest that.

Johnson could genuinely leave Pep Guardiola a little wary heading into kick-off, should he be named in the Irons’ starting XI, just like he did four weeks ago.

Moyes must unleash his impressive young prodigy today.

AND in other news, “A definite target”: Ex drops big West Ham transfer update, fans will be buzzing…

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”…

Glasgow Rangers fans have been reacting to a clip of Slavia Prague’s Ondrej Kudela leaving a Glasgow Hotel with the rest of his teammates.

The Czechia champions progressed to the Europa League quarter-finals after beating the Gers 2-0 at Ibrox. They should have been enjoying their success after the match, but instead they have found themselves in hot water over allegations of racism. According to Steven Gerrard and Glen Kamara, Kudela racially abused the Gers star towards the end of their match on Thursday (Sky Sports).

Slavia have since released a statement vehemently denying the allegations (slavia.cz). On Friday morning, Kudela and the rest of the Slavia squad left their hotel in Glasgow to return to their homeland. STV reporter Raman Bhardwaj was on the scene as they left and attempted to ask Kudela a series of questions, but he didn’t get an answer to any of them.

A clip of the interaction was shared on STV’s official Twitter account, and it attracted plenty of attention from the Rangers supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Kudela clip below

“What a Coward, it’s a bit obvious now can’t even stand towards the press”

Credit: @JordanS14698152

“Well done Raman, look at the coward run. Disgusting.”

Credit: @simon1872

“They have already been caught lying saying the police were involved lying right through that club its shameful”

Credit: @Kylehilton1989

“His silence speaks 1000 words”

Credit: @mr_goldfish

“For a bloke who supposedly got battered in the tunnel, he looks surprisingly fresh faced. Another Slavia lie perhaps?”

Credit: @OzRNGR

“Silence is compliance”

Credit: @RFCGW

In other news, Rangers are interested in this 18-goal striker.

Sheffield Wednesday’s chances of remaining in the Championship were given a massive boost before the international break after they ended a winless run of eight matches by defeating their local rivals.

The Owls are now six points off safety, though they do have a game in hand on the side occupying that lucrative final spot in the English second tier.

It’ll be a hard task for Darren Moore to keep the Yorkshire giants in the division, but it isn’t out of the realms of possibility just yet. And one man could hold all the key to getting them over the line…

On the Chalkboard

“Out of all the clubs I’ve managed, it’s probably as disjointed a group as I’ve managed. If you look at it, there’s six centre-halves, and I don’t think we’ve got a left back. We’ve got five tens, and really not a centre-forward.”

Those were the thoughts of axed Owls boss Tony Pulis back in December as he continued to shun the presence of Jordan Rhodes from his squad.

It was a rather damning indictment on the Scotsman; to say that they haven’t really got a centre-forward when in reality, there was one staring him right in the face each day.

Perhaps if the well-travelled 63-year-old had a little more faith in the long-serving Owls striker, then he may well still be in the job.

Compare that to how Moore feels about the 31-year-old, during his unveiling, he said (via YorkshireLive):

“Jordan is a good striker. He can finish and we don’t doubt that finishing ability. There’s plenty more football left in Jordan. There’s a wonderful talent if we are looking at him as an isolated figure. He’s a goalscorer, and he knows where the back of the net is.”

Since being appointed at the start of the month, no other Owls player has found the net more times than Rhodes, having bagged the opener against former club Norwich City and a brace in last weekend’s South Yorkshire derby.

From being snubbed by Pulis to becoming Wednesday’s joint-top goalscorer almost overnight, it’s clear to see that the 31-year-old, who is the club’s highest earner on £35k-per-week, still has a lot to give at Hillsborough.

His undeniable goalscoring ability will undoubtedly hold the key as to whether or not the Owls remain in the Championship this season. Wins are all that matter now, and you’ll only pick up three points by finding the net.

After all, Rhodes is merely eight goals away from being the division’s most prolific striker, so it’s no surprise to see Moore building his attack around him thus far.

Feed the Rhodes, and he will score.

AND in other news, More goals than Marriott: Chansiri call now looking a big Sheffield Wednesday blunder…

Manchester United have officially appointed Erik ten Hag as their new manager at Old Trafford in the summer, and now Fabrizio Romano has given an update on the team the Dutch coach will build around him.

What’s the word?

According to the Italian transfer insider and journalist, Manchester United are in talks for Steve McClaren to join the coaching staff alongside their brand new manager at the end of the season.

Romano tweeted: “Mitchell van der Gaag has already accepted to join Erik ten Hag staff at Manchester United – green light from Dutch coach arrived one week ago. Contract details are still being discussed, while Steve McClaren had direct conversation with ten Hag on his possible role.”

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-man-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-more-nunez-ten-hag-nkunku-richarlison” title=”Read the latest Man United news!”]

Supporters will be excited

It’s fair to say the Red Devils have been struggling ever since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club in 2013, and, having entered their longest trophy drought in 40 years, there clearly needs to be a revolution at the club – something which is starting to finally unfold ahead of the summer.

The appointment of Ten Hag alongside a brand new team to work with him will surely excite supporters, who will undoubtedly be desperate for huge changes that can positively impact the club’s future and pull them out of their trophyless rut.

Steve McClaren making a shock return to the Premier League and Old Trafford could be exactly what Man United need to reignite their identity as winners, as the former Newcastle manager was assistant to Ferguson between 1999 and 2001, joining during the treble-winning 1998/99 campaign.

Aside from his well-known career in England, McClaren has previously worked with the new Man United boss – when Ten Hag was assistant to McClaren at FC Twente back in 2008, and the pair continue to have a close relationship.

With that being said, these big shifts in responsibilities and fresh perspectives added to the Manchester United think tank will surely be welcomed by the supporters as the club looks to rebuild their reputation and pose a threat in the challenge for trophies in the future.

AND In other news: “Man United will 100% sign..”: Romano drops transfer claim that will excite supporters

Leeds United should be looking to reignite their summer interest in Premier League champion Divock Origi if they want to bolster their attacking options before Monday’s deadline.

Football Insider reporting the Yorkshire outfit held a concrete interest in Jean-Philippe Mateta earlier this month suggests they could be in the market for a striker if the deal was right.

The Belgian should surely be considering his options now as he slips further and further down the pecking order at Liverpool.

Since the arrival of Diogo Jota, Origi has been reduced to mere cameo appearances and has played just 408 minutes across all competitions. He also didn’t help his own personal situation when he missed a one-on-one sitter in the defeat to Burnley at Anfield earlier this month.

With the Portugal international and Roberto Firmino ahead of him, he only runs the risk of wasting his peak years on the bench.

The Whites were linked to a move for Origi back in the summer when Liverpool got to work in bringing in exciting new recruits. According to The Mirror, Victor Orta and co had identified the Red as their back-up option to original desired target Odsonne Edouard.

Would Origi fit in at Leeds?

Origi is highly regarded at Liverpool, thanks to his brace against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final and goal vs Spurs at the last hurdle, as the Reds went on to lift their sixth European trophy. He also came up with the goods against Everton, striking at the death back in 2018 to win the Merseyside Derby.

However, the ‘cult hero’ status only lasts for so long. Liverpool are looking to take the world by storm and it seems Origi does not fit the narrative. Now is the perfect time for him and Leeds to enter talks, but the Whites must act fast if they want to secure his signature.

The 25-year-old enjoyed a loan spell with Wolfsburg back in the 2017/18 season, netting seven times and contributing three assists, via Transfermarkt. His situation has interested several European clubs, with Inter Milan looking to swipe up the striker.

Leeds the run the risk of Inter or another Euro giant swooping in and tying him down. They must get the wheels in motion and initiate talks with the £60,000 per week goal-getter. Not only would he provide excellent cover and competition for Bamford – coming on and providing a fresh take on attack – but he could even partner the Englishman, too.

Origi can also play on the wing, so his versatility means he will be able to cover several positions on the pitch in case of injury or fatigue.

His Liverpool teammate Caoimhin Kelleher previously praised him for an “unreal” performance. He will certainly be a strong asset to Leeds with his versatility and love for a big occasion.

In other news, Leeds target Josh Doig could mean trouble for Leif Davis…

Sunderland are considering parting ways with Lee Johnson this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football League World, who claim that a Sunderland source has revealed that, following the Black Cats’ play-off semi-final defeat against Lincoln City, Kyril Louis-Dreyfus is contemplating the 39-year-old’s position as manager of the club ahead of next season.

However, the report goes on to state that no decision has been made regarding the former Bristol City boss at present, while also commenting on the Mackems’ apparent displeasure with Johnson following the emergence of footage that appeared to show a confrontation between the Sunderland manager and the club’s fans.

Big mistake

While it is undeniable that failing to beat Lincoln City – a team who Sunderland had picked up four points against in the regular season, with a 5-1 aggregate score over the two fixtures – in the play-off semi-final was a huge disappointment for the club, Johnson has shown in his short time at Sunderland that he can get the best out of the team.

Shortly after being appointed in December of last year, the 39-year-old led the club on a run of 12 straight league games without defeat, with the end of the run coinciding with the loss of a number of first-team players due to injury, none more important than the on-loan Wolverhampton Wanderers centre-back Dion Sanderson.

Furthermore, while it is by no means a major trophy, Sunderland did win the Papa John’s Trophy under the leadership of Johnson this season, ending a 48-year wait for a victory at Wembley.

And, with a pre-season and a summer transfer window ahead of the club this summer, Johnson has a real opportunity to mould the squad into one in his image, something that the former Oldham Athletic boss did not have a chance to do this season – making his achievements appear slightly more impressive.

As such, considering how well Johnson had the team playing earlier this year, Kyril Louis-Dreyfus could be heading for a massive mistake if he does go on to sack the 39-year-old before he has had an extended period of time improve the team – both on the training pitch and in the transfer window – regardless of his failure in the play-offs.

In other news: Lost possession 28x: Careless £5k-p/w SAFC flop massively betrayed Johnson’s trust – opinion

According to a report by Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur and chairman Daniel Levy have set their sights on signing two new goalkeepers this summer amid speculation surrounding a potential exit for Hugo Lloris.

Indeed, as per the outlet, Levy and co are ‘in the market’ for a possible heir to Lloris as well as a quality back-up option – with the club planning for a possible exit as he is soon to enter the final 12 months of his contract.

Daniel Levy sets sights on two Tottenham additions

As well as the Tottenham first choice, both Paulo Gazzaniga and Joe Hart will be in the final year of their contracts this summer, prompting the club to weigh up options for the goalkeeping department next window.

Lloris has been linked with a Spurs exit lately, as Football Insider recently reported that he is in ‘regular contact’ with Paris-Saint Germain coach and former Lilywhites boss Mauricio Pochettino who would apparently love to sign him.

After this claim, Football Insider has dropped an update sharing that Spurs officials have set their sights on two new goalkeepers this summer as they plan for Lloris’ potential departure.

Transfer Tavern take

Whether or not this comes to fruition remains to be seen, but it could be an interesting development after Pochettino was also heavily linked with Dele Alli in January.

It appears Levy may have plenty of contact with the man he sacked when the transfer window opens this summer, and a departure for Lloris would certainly force his hand in the goalkeeper market.

In other news: Tottenham are reportedly set for exit talks, find out more here.