All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

According to GiveMeSport, there has been another big update in Tottenham Hotspur’s hunt to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers star Adama Traore.

The Lowdown: Spurs talks ongoing…

Over the last fortnight, Spurs and transfer chief Fabio Paratici have been in talks to sign the 25-year-old as Antonio Conte seeks a new makeshift right wing-back for his system.

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Tottenham have even attempted to negotiate a loan with an obligation to buy for Traore as this transfer saga seemingly drags on through to the last few days of the January window.

This comes amid Paratici’s efforts to complete other deals as they also reportedly close in on the signing of Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat and continue talks to offload club record signing Tanguy Ndombele.

The Latest: Personal terms completed…

Sharing an update on Traore, GiveMeSport have a promising development. According to their sources, Tottenham and the Spain international have now agreed personal terms to make him the fourth-highest paid player in Conte’s squad.

It is believed that the Lilywhites will pay Traore a bumper £120,000-per-week salary if they can agree a deal with Wolves as the north London club edge that little bit closer to his arrival, with the report describing this as a ‘significant breakthrough’.

All that’s left now is for Spurs to make a formal bid for the winger, as GiveMeSport claim they are eyeing an initial loan move ahead of a permanent transfer in the summer.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Signing Traore would undoubtedly boost Conte’s options at N17 and provide a much larger threat down the right flank.

As he seeks a carbon copy of Victor Moses, who the Italian re-moulded into a top- class right wing-back at Chelsea, the Molineux ace could certainly do a similar job across London.

Traore has averaged a hugely threatening 4.2 successful take-ons per 90 in the Premier League this season, a far greater return than any of Conte’s current options at Tottenham (WhoScored).

Described as a ‘world-beater’ by Wolves legend Steve Bull, agreeing personal terms with the 25-year-old certainly seems like one large step towards a potentially exciting addition as Spurs aim to finish the January transfer window on a high.

In other news: Club chiefs set for crunch board meeting today as Spurs table bid for their ‘special’ player, find out more here

Aston Villa and Leeds have both approached West Ham over a possible move for Manuel Lanzini, according to TEAMtalk.

The Lowdown: Gerrard’s huge January kitty

Steven Gerrard looks set to be a busy man in the New Year in what will be his first transfer window as Villa boss.

A new centre-back and a defensive midfielder are reportedly his main priorities, with Marvelous Nakamba suffering a serious knee injury in recent weeks.

He’s been promised a huge transfer kitty by NSWE, and it appears as if attacking midfielder Lanzini is a player of interest to Gerrard and sporting director Johan Lange.

The Latest: Villa’s enquiry

TEAMtalk shared a story on Wednesday evening suggesting both Villa and Leeds made it clear to the Hammers they are keen on the Argentine.

West Ham were open to an exit earlier in the season, but they have rebuffed approaches regarding a January transfer involving Lanzini.

The 28-year-old, labelled as a ‘top player’ by Darren Bent, has made 20 appearances in all competitions this season, with his three league starts coming in the last three fixtures.

The Verdict: Priorities

Gerrard and Lange’s main focus should be on a holding midfielder in January, so their failed approach for Lanzini shouldn’t be viewed as a disaster at this moment in time.

The club have just Douglas Luiz as the only available senior defensive midfield option following Nakamba’s injury. Should they get one in early next month, then perhaps a move for an attacking midfielder could be of use, with Jacob Ramsey the club’s only out and out attacking midfielder.

However, Gerrard has plenty of wide attacking talent on the books who could adapt to a central role, but losing Luiz alongside Nakamba and not bringing in a replacement could be extremely worrying.

In other news: ‘Disgrace’ – Lots of Villa fans fume as ‘ridiculous’ pre-Chelsea update emerges. 

West Ham are interested in signing Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah, but a move would not come until late in the window, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Nketiah out of favour at Arsenal

The 22-year-old has been hailed as ‘extraordinary’ by Gunners manager Mikel Arteta but he hasn’t been considered a key man in the Premier League at the Emirates this season.

Nketiah has only appeared in 38 minutes of action in the Premier League in 2021/22 to date, with his three starts all coming in the Carabao Cup.

However, he has been phenomenal in those cup showings, scoring five times in just 263 minutes on the pitch – a goal every 52.6 minutes. He has also boasted an incredible 4.7 shots per game in the cup, one of which was a sublime back-heel finish to complete a hat-trick vs Sunderland.

The young striker has been linked with a move to West Ham in the past and it appears as though a switch could still happen.

The Latest: Journalist confirms West Ham’s interest

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke claimed that the Hammers see Nketiah as a target, although there are other players higher on the list too:

“I’m sure he’s on the list at West Ham but I don’t think he’s a top target.

“He could be a cheap option late in the window if they don’t sign their other top targets. Arsenal will probably be looking to sell with his contract up in the summer.”

The Verdict: Long-term investment?

There is a risk element to signing Nketiah, considering he is yet to show that he can perform at a consistent level in the Premier League, scoring just five times in 41 appearances in the competition.

That being said, he is still only 22 and could arrive on a free transfer after his contract expires this summer or for a nominal fee this month, acting as a backup to Michail Antonio and hopefully maturing in the coming years into his replacement.

In truth, not signing Nketiah certainly wouldn’t be a blow for West Ham but there is sense behind taking a punt on him. His pace has been described as ‘blistering’ by Tony Cascarino, and he is England Under-21s’ all-time record goalscorer, so the ability is certainly there if he can find the consistency.

In other news, a reporter has shared some West Ham transfer news. Read more here.

Flocking to Twitter, many Liverpool fans have been left worried following an update on their January transfer plans courtesy of reliable reporter James Pearce.

Jurgen Klopp’s side have been imperious in all competitions so far this season, becoming the first-ever English side to win all six games in a Champions League group stage last night with a 2-1 win over AC Milan (Indian Express).

The high-flying Reds are also well in contention for the Premier League title as we approach the festive period, keeping pace with table-toppers Manchester City as they lay just one point and one place behind the champions.

However, given that key players like Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah will be leaving for the Africa Cup of Nations in January, there have been concerns that Liverpool could lose pace as they are urged to make January signings (talkSPORT).

Making a claim on the Reds’ winter window plans, The Athletic reporter Pearce shared what he believes in a Tuesday night Q&A.

Replying to a supporter who asked if he thinks Liverpool will sign anyone next month, the journalist explained: “As things stand I’d be surprised if LFC sign anyone in January. Personally, I’d love to see another attacking option added to the squad.”

Liverpool fans worried…

Flocking to this claim from a reliable source, it’s little wonder so many Reds supporters are concerned given the absence of both Salah and Mane mid-season – the pair have scored 29 goals between them already this term.

Without January additions, this leaves Klopp arguably short of options going forward, with more responsibility placed on alternatives like Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino. Given the strength in depth of title rivals Man City and Chelsea, there is indeed a cause for concern to be held.

Here’s how some Liverpool supporters responded to Pearce’s claim, with many left disenchanted at the prospect of yet another sparse transfer window from the club.

“Smh”

Credit: @abayle_

“Every window”

Credit: @BarghJoe

“Terrible ownership”

Credit: @georgegould97

“No league win then”

Credit: @letsgetyouin

“4 years without marquee signings 😭 are you kidding?”

Credit: @DictatorVerratti

“Embarrassing club”

Credit: @RCubbon

“Goodbye title challenge”

Credit: @jack47716199

“Absolutely ridiculous yet again”

Credit: @Royston679

In other news: ‘Wow’, ‘No way’, ‘Please’…Many Liverpool fans erupt as FSG eye ‘bargain’ signing, find out more here.

Rangers manager Gio van Bronckhorst will be hoping to extend his unbeaten start to life in Glasgow as his side return to Ibrox tonight.

The Gers host St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership after they beat Hearts 2-0 away from home on Sunday, thanks to goals from Alfredo Morelos and Joe Aribo.

Since arriving at the club after the 3-1 defeat to Hibernian in the League Cup, the Dutchman has won five of his six matches – including all four of his league games in charge.

Unleash him

With this game coming just three days after the win over Hearts, van Bronckhorst may want to make a few changes to freshen the team up.

One player he must unleash on St Johnstone is attacking midfielder Ianis Hagi. The ex-Genk man was given a watching brief on Sunday and could be fresh and ready to grasp his chance with both hands if he is given a start.

Scott Arfield started in the number 10 role at the weekend and produced a poor performance as he struggled on and off the ball. As per SofaScore, he failed with all of his attempted dribbles and missed two ‘big chances’, whilst creating just one chance and losing 60% of his individual duels.

This suggests that it could be beneficial to bench the Canadia international, with Hagi potentially the perfect option to come in and replace him.

Former Gers boss Steven Gerrard once lauded the son of legendary Romanian footballer Gheorghe Hagi, as he said: “We’re really happy with Ianis Hagi, he’s a joy to work with.

“He’s a student of the game. He’s always looking at areas to improve, whether that be from a physical point of view or tactically or technically. He’s someone you have to drag off the training ground.

“Ianis is always in the analyst department too. He’s never out of the gym, so he’s an absolute dream to work with, very low maintenance. We’re delighted with how he is developing and progressing and we’re happy to have him.”

Hagi has averaged an impressive SofaScore rating of 7.12 this season in the Premiership and has not missed a single big chance, whilst creating 1.6 chances per game. Last term, he produced seven goals and 11 assists in 23 starts as he showed that he has the quality to be a difference-maker in the final third.

Therefore, van Bronckhorst should axe Arfield from the XI after his Hearts shocker and place the mercurial gem Hagi into the team. He has shown that he can perform consistently at this level and the Dutchman will know that he is selecting a player capable of having a big impact on the match.

AND in other news, Wilson masterclass: £8.3k-p/w Rangers “firework” who “plays at 100mph” is Gvb’s dream…

Last week, it was revealed that West Brom defender Kean Bryan will now be ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering anterior cruciate ligament damage in their recent 1-0 win over Hull City.

Despite this disappointing development, it seems as though the Baggies now have something positive to focus on moving forward.

It has recently been reported by Football Insider that Baggies centre-back Dara O’Shea, who has been out of action since September with a fractured ankle he sustained while away on international duty, is “making excellent progress in his recovery” and could well be set to return in January.

On the chalkboard

With this in mind, if O’Shea is fit enough to play in January, Ismael should have no doubts about putting him back into the team when the time comes.

Given how O’Shea had played every minute of action for West Brom in the Championship before picking up his injury on international duty and managing to grab two goals in the process, this shows just how important he is to the side and why Baggies manager Valerien Ismael will undoubtedly be over the moon to hear that O’Shea’s recovery is going well.

As well as showing that he can be a goalscoring threat for the team, O’Shea has also proven himself as a solid defensive unit as well with the 22-year-old racking up an average of 2.4 tackles, 3.6 clearances and 2.2 interceptions per game in the league.

Since making his senior debut for the Midlands club back in December 2019 under former Baggies manager Slaven Bilic, O’Shea, who has been described as a “confident” player by West Brom and Ireland teammate Callum Robinson, has made 57 appearances in total for the first team.

Despite only playing five league games this term, the £4.4k-per-week defender’s performances in those appearances have earned him an overall season rating of 7.73/10, making him West Brom’s highest-rated player according to WhoScored, further highlighting how impressive he was for the Baggies before picking up his unfortunate injury.

Moving forward, if he’s able to recover fully by January and keep fit for the rest of the season, then he should be one of the first names on the teamsheet on a consistent basis as his defensive talents and his knack for finding the back of the net at the other end of the pitch could be exactly what West Brom need to push them to promotion by the end of the campaign.

In other news: Ismael could unearth the next Townsend at West Brom with “excellent” 19 y/o prodigy – opinion

Crystal Palace loanee Conor Gallagher has ‘reservations’ over whether he will get a chance at Chelsea under Thomas Tuchel next season, Eurosport report.

And, as to be expected, a number of Palace fans have been reacting to the news on social media.

Gallagher has starred at Selhurst Park after joining on a season-long loan in the summer, winning two of Palace’s first three Player of the Month awards.

The 21-year-old has scored four times and registered two assists in 10 Premier League appearances, leading to speculation of Palace looking to land Gallagher on a permanent basis next summer.

Eurosport shared some transfer news on his situation on Tuesday, suggesting a good season under Patrick Vieira will open the door at Stamford Bridge next season, however, Gallagher is worried the Blues will be tempted to bolster their midfield ranks in the transfer window.

This of course lends hope to the Eagles’ chances of securing a permanent deal, music to the ears of the Selhurst faithful.

Palace fans react

@CPFCtransfersHQ shared Eurosport’s claim on Twitter. This is what these supporters had to say in reply, with one labelling it as ‘interesting’.

“Interesting, if true”

Credit: @mynameislaraine

“Don’t know how credible this source is, but the ‘Gallagher has reservations’ line gave me a twinge. Now he knows he’s capable of England selection at Palace… The Vieira effect.”

Credit: @Ryceezy

“He will play every week here. Be a star. Probably earn as much as he would there and he is loved by the fan base. If you ask me it’s a no brainer”

Credit: @RobbieHuck555

“Hopefully he doesn’t beg for playing time at Chelsea and just comes to us”

Credit: @palaceawayyy

“ ‘Reservations’ *love eyes emoji* ”

Credit: @DylanBHarper1

“Are we gonna jump on this bit of hope?”

Credit: @louis96smith

Liverpool face another tough task at the weekend with a trip to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United on Sunday afternoon in the Premier League after securing a big 3-2 Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid in midweek.

In the Spanish capital, goals from Naby Keita and a Mohamed Salah double were enough to secure the win in their latest group game despite two goals from Antoine Griezmann, who was later sent off, restoring parity for a while.

Ox was impressive v Atletico

Looking ahead to the weekend’s big match against the Red Devils, one Liverpool figure who played a part in midweek that we feel should be in the starting XI to face United is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

On Tuesday night, the ex-Arsenal midfielder came on as a substitute in the second half to replace James Milner.

During his time on the pitch, the 28-year-old completed 14 out of the 15 passes he attempted, had one shot on target, completed one accurate long ball attempt, made two successful dribbles, won five out of his six ground duels, and made one interception and three tackles. Those efforts earned him an impressive overall match rating of 7.2/10 according to SofaScore, higher than a significant number of Liverpool players who started the game.

This not only shows how useful a midfield option Oxlade-Chamberlain is for Liverpool but also why he should be in the running to start against United on Sunday ahead of the likes of Keita and Milner, who both failed to impress in midweek.

Oxlade-Chamberlain joined the Merseyside club back in 2017 from fellow Premier League side Arsenal in a deal worth a reported fee of £35m.

Since then, the £120k-per-week midfielder (according to Spotrac), has made 111 appearances for the Reds across all competitions, scoring 14 goals and providing 12 assists in the process.

So far this season, while Oxlade-Chamberlain may have made seven appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s side across all competitions, he has only started twice, making him a bit of an outcast. That is something he has apparently acknowledged, as it was recently reported that he could seek to leave the club in the near future to find regular game-time elsewhere.

However, in our view, we feel that this next match against United would be a great chance for him to show why he should be a regular starter for the Reds rather than just an impact sub.

In other news: Body blow: Liverpool suffer huge setback before Man Utd clash, Klopp will be gutted

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer heads into the international break as the manager of Manchester United. However, just how long that sentence stays true, very much remains to be seen.

The Norwegian tactician is under huge pressure and could be facing the sack if results at Old Trafford get any worse.

This has been a topsy-turvy campaign for the Red Devils who are staring down the barrel of another campaign without a trophy.

Certainly, if they keep Solskjaer at the helm, it feels unlikely that United will win anything.

They are off the pace in the Premier League which has come about after two devastating defeats to Liverpool and Manchester City; their biggest rivals.

The Red demolished them 5-0 and even though a win over Tottenham boosted confidence, a 2-0 defeat to Man City on Saturday afternoon was absolutely crushing.

Consequently, the Glazers should be thinking about a replacement for the club’s current manager.

Zinedine Zidane has already been linked with a move to English football but now Ralf Rangnick could be on their radar too.

German reporter Christian Falk delivered a five-word update on the 63-year-old this weekend, claiming: “Ralf Rangnick is still interested.” This was in response to a previous report two years ago that suggested the German wanted to replace Solskjaer in the United dugout.

Should the Manchester club cast their eyes in the direction of the experienced manager and director, it would be a left-field pick.

After all, they could turn to a younger and more vibrant face in the form of Zidane or even Mauricio Pochettino.

However, Rangnick would surely be a stable body, someone who can help bring the club success in a variety of departments.

Hailed as a “professor” in the 1990s, he earned that tag for being the pioneer of the Gegenpress.

With that in mind, Man United could discover their own Jurgen Klopp by luring him to England in the coming weeks.

Klopp is famed for a pressing system where he entrusts his players to win the ball back within moments of losing it.

He wasn’t the founder of that system, however. Rangnick has inspired a whole plethora of coaches, including the likes of Marcelo Bielsa and Pep Guardiola.

“Five or 10 years ago, you were not afraid of what the other team was doing while you had the ball. Now, most teams in most leagues have some sort of plan for how they can hurt you when they do not have possession,” the veteran coach once documented.

It was at Leipzig where this really became prominent, ensuring the team played with a high press and then signing players that were under the age of 23. Naby Keita and Timo Werner, for example, were both uncovered by the former Schalke head coach.

With six honours to his name as a manager, he certainly has what it takes to bring the good times back to Old Trafford.

On top of that, he could even bring a style of play to the club that rivals Klopp and his Liverpool charges.

This would certainly be an eye-catching appointment if a deal can be done.

AND in other news, Forget Shaw: Man Utd lightweight who lost 87.5% of his duels had a shocker vs MCFC…

Everton travel to Old Trafford today to face Manchester United as they go in search of their fourth win in five Premier League matches.

The Toffees have won three of their last four league games, beating Brighton, Burnley and Norwich, with a defeat to Aston Villa sandwiched in between.

Their last outing was a 2-0 win over the Canaries at Goodison Park last weekend. Andros Townsend ( from the penalty spot) and Abdoulaye Doucoure scored the goals for Rafa Benitez’s side.

How many changes will the Spaniard make to his team? Here is our predicted XI for the match…

We are predicting that he will make three changes from last week, with Anthony Gordon, Tom Davies and Mason Holgate coming in to start.

The first change Benitez could make is in the back four. Ben Godfrey endured a difficult afternoon against his former club last weekend and looked out of his depth at right-back. A centre-back by trade, the England international struggled to get to grips with the match as he failed to make his mark.

As per SofaScore, he made zero tackles, interceptions and blocks, whilst also being dribbled past once. He won only one duel in the entire game and missed a big chance in front of goal. This suggests that he did not have his best game in an Everton shirt and that could convince Benitez to axe him against United, with Mason Holgate – who was on the bench against Norwich – coming in to show what he can do at right-back.

Alex Iwobi is an injury doubt after suffering a knock during the week, which means that his place on the left flank could be available. Anthony Gordon came on against the Canaries last week as a substitute and has made three Premier League cameo appearances this season, but now could be his time to be thrown in from the start.

With Iwobi, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison all potentially out, Gordon may be the only viable option for Benitez to start out wide. This is why we are predicting that he will line up on the left in place of the former Arsenal man, should the latter fail his fitness test.

Finally, we are predicting that Tom Davies will come in for Salomon Rondon. Benitez could look to pack the midfield with three bodies to be solid defensively against the likes of Jadon Sancho, Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes, which means dropping one of the two strikers to play another holding midfielder in Davies.

Demarai Gray has three goals and one assist in six Premier League games this term, whilst Rondon struggled badly against Norwich. The Venezuela forward won just five of 22 duels and gave the ball away eight times from 28 touches, which is why he should be axed from the XI for Davies to come in, with Gray using his pace through the middle to cause problems in behind for United.

AND in other news, “Let the fans down numerous times” – Exclusive: Michael Ball drops major Everton verdict…