All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Aston Villa journalist Luke Hatfield reckons that Ashley Young’s set-piece ability is a major reason why the re-signed him.

The 36-year-old spent five seasons at Villa Park between 2006 and 2011 before securing a sensational return following successful spells with Manchester United and Inter Milan.

Young has won five major trophies during his decade away from Villa, including the Premier League, Europa League and Serie A title with Inter last term.

He’s enjoyed an illustrious career, with many goals and assists throughout, although some of his finest years came in the claret and blue of Villa.

His best scoring seasons all came at Villa, with his immaculate set-pieces a large reason why he’s racked up 48 goals and 69 assists in England’s topflight.

And with Villa short of a genuine free-kick and corner taker in their current squad, Hatfield told Football FanCast that Young’s quality around dead ball situations was one of the reasons that led to his return:

“Another important part of his game, which Villa will have liked, is his set-pieces.

“He knows how to whip a good ball in, he knows how to score from a direct free-kick, which is an area that Villa are slightly weak in.”

Rui Patricio was a surprise signing in 2018 as Wolves were set to embark on their first season back in the Premier League but after three years and under a new manager, there could be a new face between the posts at Molineux with the Portuguese international linked with a move away. Wolves legend Steve Bull wants it to be Sam Johnstone, of fierce rivals West Bromwich Albion.

Johnstone impressed at Wolves’ arch-enemies last season making the most saves in the Premier League which also earned him his first England call up and a debut, and he is now the number two behind Jordan Pickford.

Wolves fans may not be excited about links suggesting they are interested in Johnstone considering he has been with their rivals for three seasons, but he would certainly bring a trusted pair of hands considering he faced 228 shots lasts season with a save percentage of 70.6% – considering how poor the Baggies were, that will make for pleasant reading.

They have been linked with a move for Danny Ward but despite the 28-year old impressing at the Euros, it should be someone much closer to home that Wolves should be targeting as Bull wants to see his former club bring in Johnstone this summer, as he told Transfer Tavern:

“I know Wolves fans won’t like me saying this, but I’d go for Johnstone from West Brom because he was making all sorts of saves and is in the England squad now and once he gets in the starting line-up they won’t get him out.

“He’s young, energetic and when he makes a save he gets back up for the second shot and it doesn’t take him an hour to get back on his feet.”

Johnstone will certainly have a lot of interest after the season he had for the Baggies and he also did himself no harm during his England debut when he made a stunning save against Romania before the Euros kicked off.

Wolves would have a battle on their hands to sign the shot-stopper though as it has been reported that West Ham are interested in signing him and the Hammers would be able to offer him European football, something that Wolves have failed to qualify for in the previous two seasons.

Queens Park Rangers will not include Macauley Bonne as part of a deal to bring Andre Dozzell to the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by West London Sport, who claim that, despite speculation that Bonne could make a move to Ipswich Town in order to sweeten QPR’s offer for Dozzell, Mark Warburton has no intention of parting with the 25-year-old centre-forward this summer.

It is then reported that the 58-year-old wishes to develop the Zimbabwe international over the remainder of his contract with the Rs, despite the fact that QPR recently confirmed the return of Charlie Austin on a permanent basis.

Grave mistake

While it is good to have strength in depth across the pitch, the fact that QPR will now have all five of Lyndon Dykes, Charlie Austin, Charlie Kelman, Aramide Oteh and Macauley Bonne capable of operating up front in their squad next season, the argument that it would be a mistake to scupper a chance to sign Dozzell simply to keep hold of Bonne is a relatively easy one to make.

Indeed, over his 34 Championship appearances for the Rs last season, the £1.8m-rated man scored just three goals, registered one assist and created one big chance for his teammates, as well as making an average of 0.3 key passes and hitting the target with 0.4 shots per game.

These returns saw the £3.9k-per-week striker earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.57, ranking him as Warburton’s third-worst performer out of the 28 players to feature in the second tier for QPR last term.

In comparison, over Dozzell’s 43 League One appearances for Ipswich last season, the attacking midfielder provided one assist and created 10 big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.5 interceptions, 1.7 tackles and 1.3 key passes per game.

These metrics saw the £810k-rated man earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.98, ranking him as the club’s joint seventh-best performer in the third tier.

As such, if QPR do not go on to complete a deal for the player Paul Lambert dubbed “incredible” this summer because of Warburton’s refusal to part with Bonne, it would appear to be a very big mistake on the part of the 58-year-old gaffer.

In other news: QPR dealt big blow over “outstanding” £35k-p/w gem, but there could be a silver lining

Vitinha starred for Portugal at the U21s European Championships earlier this month and despite limited chances at Wolves last season, former striker Steve Bull would like to see his former club keep the 21-year old.

Wolves brought Vitinha in on loan last summer under the watchful eyes of Jorge Mendes and Nuno Espirito Santo, but despite failing to set the place alight the Midlands club have an option to buy him for just £18 million.

If Nuno was still at Molineux it would likely just be a formality that Vitinha would sign permanently, however, under new boss Bruno Lage it’s unclear what type of players he wants to bring in. Not bringing Vitinha in for just £18 million could be a mistake, though.

Wolves have often operated with both Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho in midfield and Bull believes they need a more physical presence in the middle of the pitch, but that does not signal the end for Vitinha at Molineux, as he explained exclusively to Football FanCast:

“We need somebody bigger in the middle of the park with a bit of height who can get the odd goal and I don’t think he could do that for us.

“I would keep him for that amount of money because you’re going to get a lot back when he establishes himself as a top player.”

Vitinha was never given a real chance to impress with his first start in the Premier League not coming until December 29th and then only another four followed for the 21-year old.

It would appear to be a sensible decision to keep Vitinha at the club as Wolves would likely be able to sell him on for a profit in a few years or he could develop into a first-team regular if given more minutes to play alongside the likes of Neves and Moutinho.

Tottenham’s Director of Football Fabio Paratici has jetted into England to hold talks with former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo about becoming the club’s new manager, according to Fabrizio Romano. 

THE LOWDOWN: SPURS SET SIGHTS ON 47-YEAR-OLD AS MOURINHO’S SUCCESSOR

Spurs have already been turned down by nine managers already this summer, with Ryan Mason remaining in temporary charge of the club at this moment in time.

The Telegraph have reported that Spurs are closing in on appointing Nuno Espirito Santo as their new manager, with the 47-year-old leaving Wolves at the end of the 2020/21 season.

Spurs finished seventh in the Premier League last term, and will be eager to push for a top-four finish next term, regardless of who they’re managed by moving forwards.

THE LATEST: KEY FIGURE JETS IN FOR FURTHER TALKS….

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Tottenham’s Director of Football Paratici has flown into England to hold further talks with Nuno and his representatives over a move to the club.

It seems as though the former Wolves boss is Spurs’ main target heading into the new league campaign now, as they look to find Jose Mourinho’s permanent successor.

“Tottenham director of football Fabio Paratici arrived in London in the last hours. Talks on with Nuno Espirito Santo and his representatives,” Romano tweeted.

With The Telegraph reporting that an agreement is close as well, it seems as though Spurs might have got their main in Espirito Santo.

THE VERDICT: HE COULD BE A SHREWD APPOINTMENT BY SPURS….

This could turn out to be a smart appointment by Spurs, but you can’t help but feel that he wasn’t their first-choice target this summer.

The approaches to other manages like Antonio Conte and Mauricio Pochettino will have been hugely frustrating for both Daniel Levy and the club’s supporters.

Spurs need stability moving forwards though, and Espirito Santo could be the manager that can do just that, having impressed with Wolves over the years, finishing 7th in consecutive seasons before injuries took their toll this term.

If the club can give him time to build a long-term project at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, then it wouldn’t come as a surprise to see Spurs challenging higher up the Premier League table in the future.

Kaveh Solhekol has dropped a big Tottenham Hotspur manager update on Mauricio Pochettino, claiming that one of his sources believes a deal is already done.

The Lowdown: Tottenham contact Pochettino

As per BBC Sport, Spurs have made contact with Pochettino over a sensational return to the North London club.

The former Southampton boss took over at PSG back in January, but they lost the Ligue 1 title at the hands of Lille in the 2020/21 term, and got knocked out in the UEFA Champions League by Manchester City.

Nonetheless, while there has been no formal contact between Paris Saint Germain and the Lilywhites over his potential availability, there has been between ‘Poch’ and THFC themselves.

The Latest: Pochettino to Tottenham update

Speaking on Sky Sports (via Football Daily), journalist Solhekol has dropped a massive claim with regards to Pochettino’s potential return to Tottenham, saying: “One source I have spoken to this morning actually said that he felt the deal is basically done, and that Mauricio Pochettino would be returning to Spurs.”

Of course, nothing has been confirmed on this front and this is only from one source, but it is still a huge call, with the story likely set to develop quickly over the next few days.

The Verdict: Pochettino not the answer

Although the Argentine was loved by many Spurs fans when he was in North London, getting them to a UEFA Champions League final and achieving no fewer than four top-four finishes in the Premier League, he never won a trophy during his time there.

Managers are often judged on what they win, and while the 49-year-old is undoubtedly a good coach – he would not have got the job at PSG if he was not – the Lilywhites should not be rushing into such a massive decision.

They should instead bide their time to see who else comes into the frame, with the likes of Antonio Conte and Zinedine Zidane recently leaving their posts at Inter Milan and Real Madrid respectively.

In other news, find out what Fabrizio Romano has shared about Daniel Levy’s plans for Gareth Bale here!

Shane Duffy isn’t expected to play for Celtic again this season, it has been revealed.

The Lowdown: Duffy’s nightmare loan and future plans

The centre-back arrived at Parkhead back in September in a season-long loan deal from Brighton, however, despite a strong start, he’s fallen out of favour under both Neil Lennon and John Kennedy.

The Irishman has started just one of the club’s last nine Scottish Premiership fixtures and hasn’t featured in the last five.

Reports from Football Insider have now suggested that Wayne Rooney will look to sign the 29-year-old this summer, should his Derby County side stay in the Championship.

He’s been deemed surplus to requirements under Graham Potter and it doesn’t look like the Hoops have any interest in making Duffy’s loan permanent.

The Latest: Kennedy won’t use Duffy unless a crisis

A separate report from Football Insider, who have been informed by a Celtic source, claim that Kennedy won’t use Duffy in his side for the club’s two remaining fixtures.

It’s believed the only way he could feature would be due to an injury crisis, and it seems as if the interim boss has had enough of the towering defender, labelled as a ‘walking disaster’ by finance expert Kieran Maguire.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-2/” title=”Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: A deal to forget

Celtic paid a seven-figure loan fee for Duffy’s services, as well as paying a significant portion of his £45,000-a-week wage, and it’s safe to say it has been a deal to forget.

We’d have expected Duffy to have played every minute on the basis of the finances involved, however, he’s been kept out of the side by youngster Stephen Welsh.

It’s been reported that Celtic recruitment chief Gary Penrice is in line to leave after being the driving force behind the Duffy deal, so that tells you all you need to know.

In other news: Club ready to sell Celtic target who could replace Jonjoe Kenny, find out more here. 

West Ham United are one of several clubs eyeing up a summer move for Nahitan Nandez this summer…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Corriere dello Sport, who claimed that the Cagliari midfielder is attracting interest once again ahead of the upcoming transfer window, with the likes of Leeds United, Inter Milan and Napoli also keen.

It’s thought that the Uruguayan’s return to form means that it will be a challenge for the Serie A outfit to keep hold of him, especially as they very nearly suffered relegation this season.

Whilst no fee is mentioned in the report, fellow Italian news outlet Calciomercato reported earlier this month that the 25-year-old would command around €35m (£30m), whilst Transfermarkt values him at just £22.5m.

Imagine him and Rice

A new midfielder should probably be the least of the Irons’ priorities this summer, especially as David Moyes desperately needs additions to his frontline, but it would be hard to pass up on a player of Nandez’s quality.

With the Hammers possibly competing in Europe next season, the 58-year-old Scotsman will need strength in depth if his side are to mount another challenge at the top end of the Premier League table, on top of not disgracing themselves in the Europa League.

The 35-cap Uruguay international is a diminutive box-to-box midfielder at 5 foot 7 but that shouldn’t mislead you about his strength as he’s a tough-tackling beast in the engine room.

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

As per WhoScored, Nandez has averaged 1.8 tackles per game this season, on top of 1.2 dribbles, one shot and one key pass. He has even proven to be adept in the air despite his short stature, winning 1.8 aerial duels per match.

His agent Pablo Bentancur waxed lyrical about his client’s ability and, further adding to the player’s workmanlike nature, he told Calciomercato: “Nandez is certainly a great player. The fans always like him because he leaves the last drop of sweat on the pitch.”

It’s not the first time that the Hammers have been linked to the Uruguayan powerhouse either, as the ever-reliable ExWHUemployee revealed in January: “There’s a guy called Nahitan Nandez who plays for Cagliari, he’s 24, he’s a Uruguayan midfielder. I hear he’s a bit of an engine who gets up and down. He’s an option.”

Once described as a “total animal”, Nandez would be an interesting addition to Moyes’ already impressive midfield of Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek. His enigmatic presence would certainly offer a different threat as the West Ham duo are more physically imposing in the middle.

On the above evidence, he could be a dream partner to the England international as he has the ability to bring the ball forward, especially as he’s better than Soucek at doing so (0.4 key passes, 0.5 dribbles per game).

David Sullivan and co could create a formidable midfield duo by signing Nandez. It’ll be costly at £30m but it would be well worth pursuing if the Irons land themselves in Europe next term.

AND in other news, Huge blow: ExWHUemployee drops crushing West Ham injury update, Moyes will be worried…

Former Rangers star Graham Roberts insists that Jermain Defoe will stay at the club next season, because he told him he would personally.

The veteran forward has enjoyed something of an Indian summer since moving to the Scottish giants on a permanent basis in the summer following an initial loan spell at the club from Bournemouth.

He has scored seven goals in 20 games in all competitions at the age of 38, and helped the club to a spectacular unbeaten season as they won the Scottish Premiership title.

Defoe signed a one-year contract upon his arrival, but Roberts is confident that the ex-Spurs striker will stick around at Ibrox, having spoken to him personally before the north London side’s clash with Aston Villa.

Indeed, Defoe is said to be in “love” with the club and the country, and is set to extend his stay.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, Roberts said: “I was with him on Wednesday. He was at the ground for the Aston Villa game, he was there, and I asked him about Rangers.

“He absolutely loves it up there. And with what he was telling me, I’m sure he’ll be back there.”

Defoe has made a total of 72 appearances for Rangers, scoring 32 goals and laying on 10 assists.

Former Norwich City star Jon Newsome has told Football FanCast that Todd Cantwell must take the confidence from this Championship season into the 2021/22 Premier League campaign.

Cantwell endured a difficult 2019/20 as the Canaries were relegated to the second-tier.

In total, he made 37 appearances in the Premier League and scored six goals, while also providing two assists.

However, only two of those goals contributed to wins – over Manchester City and Everton – and he went 16 games at the end of the season without a goal contribution.

This season, though, Cantwell has been much more consistent, scoring six goals and laying on five assists in 29 games, despite an injury setback at the start of the season, as Norwich have sealed their promotion back to the top table.

And Newsome hopes that this season will have set the 23-year-old straight, and hopes he can become a top Premier League player from here.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, he said: “I think the key word there is what you’ve just touched on – confidence.

“The player’s got undoubted ability, we’ve seen that. But when you get into that Premier League, and you get thrown in at the deep end, and you might have one or two bad games and your confidence does get a knock.

“And it’s really, really difficult to pick that back up at times when you play at such an elite level. Whereas you’ve dropped down to the Championship, he will find it a little bit easier, although it’s a bit more frenetic, and there’s more games, and they come thick and fast and all the rest of it.

“But he’s obviously found his feet, and his confidence has blossomed and it would be really interesting to see how he develops next season. And if he can take that belief forward into the Premier League and do it on a bigger stage.”