All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

[ad_pod ]

Blackburn Rovers recently announced that manager Tony Mowbray has reached the two-year mark in his tenure at Ewood Park.

Mowbray took charge of Rovers in February 2017, at which point the club were struggling in the Championship. The 55-year-old manager was not able to keep them in the second tier, but he had instigated an improvement in form and retained his position into the new League One season.

Venky’s Ltd, the owners of Blackburn Rovers, retained faith in Mowbray and were repaid when he brought the club back into the Championship at the first time of asking.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

Now, Rovers are undergoing a period of poor form, having lost their last four league outings, but they look to be safe from any relegation fears this time around. Considering the state of the club when Mowbray came in, the coach must be commended for the work he has done in steadying the ship and restoring the side as an aspirational one, rather than a fearful, failing one. 

Following the club’s two-year announcement, plenty of Rovers fans took to Twitter to applaud the work Mowbray has done so far…

Manchester United are moving ever closer to appointing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s long-term successor at Old Trafford with Ralf Rangnick’s interim contract ending shortly.

What’s the word?

Man United have had two primary candidates when considering who to replace Solskajer with Mauricio Pochettino and Erik ten Hag in the running.

However, it looks as though it will be the latter who wins the race to become their new manager.

That’s according to Fabrizio Romano and David Ornstein, with the Italian journalist taking to Twitter on Monday evening to reveal the following news:

“Sources close to Erik ten Hag confirm @David_Ornstein report: his appointment as new Man United manager is at final stages. Nothing signed yet – back room staff to be decided. No announcement expected this week. Ajax and Man Utd will be in contact about €2m clause.”

Fans will be buzzing

At long last, the wait now finally appears to be over.

It has been a turbulent campaign for the Red Devils, moving from an outside bet for the Premier League title after signing the likes of Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane and Cristiano Ronaldo, to a club now who are unlikely to even secure a place in next season’s Champions League.

As a result, to rid the club of those scars and bring in a new manager, especially one as exciting as ten Hag should be incredibly exciting for supporters.

Pochettino has long been admired by the United hierarchy and it was always going to take someone special to leapfrog him in their thoughts.

However, that’s exactly what ten Hag is; special.

The 52-year-old has only ever coached a senior team in the Netherlands so a move to the Premier League, and in particular United, will be an arduous task.

Yet, this only feels positive. The Dutchman was asking for assurances over the amount of say he’d have with incoming transfers and considering he is now close to being appointed, it must mean he is going to play a leading role in proceedings not just in the dugout, but behind the scenes too.

Considering the mess that Man Untied are embroiled in, having a boss with more of a say can only be a good thing for the progression of the club on the pitch.

Combine that with his winning mentality – he has secured two Dutch cups and two Eredivisie titles with Ajax – and this seems like a hire that United have done their due diligence on.

Fans will be elated to finally put this saga to bed.

AND in other news, Ten Hag can become instant hit if MUFC sign £100m “animal” who’s better than Haaland…

Newcastle United could offer Miguel Almiron to Villarreal as part of a deal for Arnaut Danjuma, according to The Sunday Mirror. 

The lowdown

Eddie Howe was in charge at Bournemouth when the Cherries paid Club Brugge £14.8million to sign Danjuma in 2019.

Amid injury problems, he made only 14 Premier League appearances (six starts) in his first season on the south coast.

Howe subsequently resigned, but Danjuma exploded into life in the Championship, scoring 17 goals and providing eight assists in 2020/21.

That earned him a move back to the top level with Villarreal, for whom he’s made 28 appearances this season.

The latest

Howe has already been reunited with Callum Wilson, Matt Ritchie and Ryan Fraser on Tyneside and, in addition to Danjuma, he’s also said to be keen on bringing Lloyd Kelly to St James’ Park.

Reliable reports on the south coast say Kelly will be the subject of a summer bid from the Magpies, with scouts allegedly attending all his games, and it appears he’s not the only former Howe student catching the eye.

The latest reports (via The Boot Room) state that Newcastle have identified Danjuma as a target ahead of the summer transfer window.

Almiron is one of the players the club are willing to sell this summer, and they could attempt a part-exchange with The Yellow Submarine.

The verdict

What would this deal look like? Well, there’s about a £30million difference in the two players’ Transfermarkt valuations (Danjuma £45million, Almiron £14.4million) and so, assuming Villarreal are interested in the Paraguayan, there may still need to be a negotiation over the fee.

It’s easy to understand why Newcastle are keen on Danjuma though, his team’s top scorer this season with 13 goals in all competitions.

Five of those goals have come in the Champions League, and the Dutchman is currently preparing for a quarterfinal meeting with Bayern Munich on Wednesday.

Villarreal vice-president Jose Manuel Llaneza has dubbed him a ‘Rolex player’, while talent scout Jacek Kulig considers him ‘one of Europe’s best dribblers’.

It’s certainly a signing, then, that the Toon could get excited about.

In other news, Keith Downie shares an update on Shelvey.

Rangers bloggers Four Lads Had a Dream have mocked what they’ve heard from across town following their Scottish Cup win on Sunday.

The Lowdown: Rangers beat rivals at Hampden

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men enjoyed a day to remember on Sunday afternoon, beating their most bitter rivals 2-1 in their semi-final clash.

It was a match that not only saw the Gers keep their hopes of winning a treble alive this season, but also ended Celtic’s dream of doing the same in the process.

Rangers were the better team at Hampden Park but that hasn’t stopped Hoops fans from blaming various things on the defeat, including poor refereeing from Bobby Madden, while there are also investigations into potentially offensive songs from some sections of the Ibrox outfit’s support.

[freshpress-poll id=“386877”]

The Latest: Baffled

Taking to Twitter on Tuesday, Four Lads Had a Dream couldn’t believe the reaction to the loss, not holding back on their thoughts on what they’re hearing from Celtic:

“Tackled hard. Referees fault. Sung bad songs. Over Celebrated. What a bunch of spoilt brats they are in defeat.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“383632”]

The Verdict: Bad losers

Put simply, this feels like a case of sour grapes from Celtic fans, who were outplayed by Rangers at Hampden and were fortunate to even take the lead in the first place – Madden had a better game than several of the Hoops key men.

The rivalry clearly means that any defeat will hurt but there was no bias in Rangers’ favour and supposed over-celebrations is a ludicrous accusation to make, given the magnitude of the game.

Football fans are admittedly fickle and will always feel hard done by when they lose, but this reaction has been particularly intense over the past couple of days.

In other news, a Premier League club are reportedly eyeing up a move for a Rangers player. Read more here.

Everton are reportedly now eyeing up a move to sign FC Metz defender Fabien Centonze in the summer.

The Lowdown: ‘Major’ overhaul

It has been reported that Farhad Moshiri is now plotting a ‘major’ overhaul of the squad in the summer, given their struggles this season.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-4/” title=”Everton news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

While both Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison have been heavily linked with a move away from Goodison Park, they have also been linked with moves for Adama Traore and Michy Batshuayi.

The Latest: Centonze eyed

As per The Daily Telegraph, Centonze is now on the list of potential targets in the summer for the Merseyside club.

However, they may face competition from Crystal Palace for the right-back, who could be a replacement for Jonjoe Kenny, as his contract runs out in the summer.

The Verdict: Potential bargain

Centonze could be available on the cheap if Metz get relegated from Ligue 1, as they currently sit at the bottom of the division. Thus, the 26-year-old could be sold for a potential bargain, given his age and individual exploits this season.

Journalist Zach Lowy described him as ‘dazzling’ earlier this year, as the defender has managed an impressive four goals and one assist in total in Ligue 1 so far this term (Transfermarkt).

Interestingly, he also shares the same agent as Jordan Pickford, and so the England international goalkeeper could play a part in luring Centonze to the Toffees.

In other news, find out which ‘top class’ Frank Lampard favourite the Blues are now ‘keen’ on signing here!

Leeds United striker Ryan Edmondson could leave on a permanent basis over the summer, according to Leeds Live’s Ed Mackey.

The Lowdown: Edmondson’s Leeds career

Now 20, he joined Leeds back in 2017 from York City and has made two senior appearances for the Whites.

He has spent time out on loan with Aberdeen and Northampton Town in recent years and began the current campaign with Fleetwood Town.

Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott praised the centre forward on social media after he scored and provided an assist against Barrow back in October, with Edmondson now on loan at Port Vale.

The Latest: Mackey’s claim

Mackey shared a story on Leeds Live on Thursday, just days after the striker scored his first Port Vale goal in a 1-1 draw with Forest Green.

The journalist said that it is likely a loan move or even a permanent exit could be on the cards in the summer, when Edmondson will enter the final 12 months of his Elland Road contract.

The Verdict: Permanent exit?

Edmondson admitted that he was ‘loving’ life with Port Vale, and if he continues to impress with the League Two side, perhaps a permanent move there could be on the cards.

It seems clear that Marcelo Bielsa doesn’t view the 20-year-old as a future first-team player following a number of loan spells away from the club. Also, the Argentine has kept the likes of Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood close at Thorp Arch, with the two young forwards making their Premier League debuts this season.

Therefore, a permanent exit could be the right call for all parties at the end of the season, with Edmondson now having the chance to catch the eye of future suitors by impressing at Vale Park.

In other news: Phil Hay and Graham Smyth buzzing over free transfer news involving Leeds

A transfer claim regarding Manchester United’s chances of signing Frenkie de Jong this summer has emerged…

What’s the word?

Super-journalist Fabrizio Romano provided an update on United’s pursuit of the former Ajax starlet, ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window.

Romano took to his Twitter page to relay the claim which read: “Barca manager Xavi shuts down rumours on Frenkie de Jong leaving & Man Utd links.”

The Italian’s tweet contained quotes from Xavi on the potential departure of de Jong, with the Barcelona manager saying this: “Frenkie’s a very important player for me and for the club. He has to mark an era.

“I’m happy with him. If it were up to me he’ll continue for many years at Barca.”

[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!”]

Ten Hag will be gutted

With Ten Hag’s recent appointment at Manchester United amidst fluctuating game-time for Frenkie de Jong at Barcelona, it looked like this reunion was written in the stars for the Old Trafford side.

Since departing Ten Hag’s Ajax back in the summer of 2019, the Netherlands star has continued his development across his total of 136 appearances for the Blaugrana.

With Paul Pogba’s rumoured departure, a move for the 24-year-old looked like a sure-fire switch, with the Dutch coach enjoying unlimited success with de Jong – winning the Eredivisie title and Dutch Cup – in a season that saw Ajax reach the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2019.

The signing of the midfield maestro would have been the epitome of the next chapter for United, with the £63m-rated midfielder offering something completely different in the Red Devils’ engine room.

De Jong is quite simply a pass master, averaging an insane 90% pass completion total per 90, with an average total of 56 passes per match.

The Netherlands international is forward-thinking. His passing is productive and allows his side to progress the ball forward, whilst also creating a number of chances for his teammates – with his shot-creating actions total of three per 90 reflecting this.

Though, his style is much more offensive than defensive, with his metrics for the latter looking poor, considering his position.

As such, United may have had a lucky escape, as it is no secret that the lack of defensive solidity across the midfield has been one of the biggest issues for the side this season.

United need to identify a well-rounded and unselfish central midfielder who can cover both aspects of the game, as well as an outright central defensive midfielder who sits back and acts as the metronome.

It would have been nice to see de Jong reunite with Ten Hag, and although he may not be what the Red Devils need, it will be a big blow to the new boss nonetheless.

AND in other news: Ten Hag can instantly get OT rocking as MUFC plot bid for “top-class” £13.5m-rated gem – opinion

Aston Villa enjoyed a great January transfer window adding four new first-team players to their squad, with the additions of Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne already having a positive impact on the side, but Johan Lange could be set to repeat the mistakes of the past as potential transfer plans have been revealed.

The Villans have been linked with a surprising move for Arsenal forward, Alexandre Lacazette, as he is available on a free transfer this summer after failing to secure a new contract with the Gunners as of yet, and is reportedly demanding a €6m salary according to Sporx.

The potential signing is a shock, especially considering Villa already have a wide range of forward players, including Danny Ings who was signed by the club in the summer to bolster the strike force. As a result, it is hard to see how Lacazette would fit into the team and where he would gain game time over the current crop of players that the club already has.

The 30-year-old who was scathed for being “sloppy” by Arsenal legend Ian Wright, has been a key player for his current club over the last four years, with a G/A of 102 over 192 appearances and a goal involvement every 121 minutes, which is impressive, however his output this season has stagnated with just three strikes so far in the Premier League.

Lange could repeat McCormack mistake

Ross McCormack is renowned for being one of Aston Villa’s worst ever signings made by former owner Tony Xia, with the centre forward who cost Villa £12m back in 2016, flopping significantly over his three year period at the club with just three goals and one assist during his time.

Lange could be set to make a similar mistake by signing Lacazette, with his goal contribution declining and his chances of actually starting in the team over his peers like Ollie Watkins and Ings unlikely, it doesn’t seem like it would be a worthwhile move when you consider the striker’s salary demands.

Although it would be a free transfer, if the reports are to be believed his wage expectations would make him the highest paid player at the club, and taking the Gunners captain’s age into consideration, Villa would put themselves in a better position by signing a younger player for the future to add to their strike force should they feel it necessary to do so.

Gerrard is currently working hard to build his team of the future to suit his philosophy, and adding a player like Lacazette would only be a short term solution for strengthening the squad as well as potentially hindering the development of younger players in the forward line, so Lange should think twice before plotting a move this summer.

In other news: Gerrard must unleash Bertrand Traore

Tottenham are reportedly ‘interested’ in signing Wolves winger Adama Traore this summer, with the Spaniard not expected to stay on at Barcelona.

The Lowdown: Traore out of favour at Barcelona

The 25-year-old joined the La Liga giants on loan in the January transfer window, having slowly fallen out of favour under Bruno Lage at Molineux despite being hailed as ‘devastating’ by Andy Townsend earlier this year.

After a bright start for the Blaugrana, which saw Traore provide an assist in each of his first two appearances, playing time has become increasingly hard to come by for the Spain international.

For that reason, he is unlikely to be kept on at Camp Nou, instead returning to England at the end of the season.

[freshpress-poll id=“388780″]

The Latest: Spurs keen on summer move for Traore

According to Sport [via Sport Witness], Spurs are ‘interested’ in signing Traore from Wolves this summer and have been ‘behind him for some time’, having been linked with a move for the winger in January.

The north London club are ‘waiting’ to see how his situation at Barcelona develops before making any move for him.

[freshpress-quiz id=“388797″]

The Verdict: Chance to receive big money

It seems unlikely that Lage will want to persist with Traore next season, especially with him not making tracks on loan at Barcelona, so receiving a hefty fee for his services makes complete sense for Wolves, generating funds for new signings.

His current Molineux deal expires in the summer of 2023, so selling the £25.2m-rated winger this year would seem a no-brainer, rather than losing an unwanted player on a free transfer 12 months down the line.

Spurs could be ideal for all parties, with Traore potentially relieving the attacking burden on Son Heung-min and Harry Kane in N17, while Wolves would be free of his £46,000-a-week wages.

In other news, a journalist has hinted at one Wolves player leaving this future. Find out who it is here.

Aston Villa have had a very busy January transfer window, having brought in the likes of Robin Olsen, Lucas Digne and Philippe Coutinho earlier in the month followed by their recent signing of Calum Chambers on a permanent deal from fellow Premier League club Arsenal.

With deadline day approaching, it seems as though the Midlands club could be looking at getting yet another new player through the door before the end of the month.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Pete O’Rourke had his say about Villa’s reported interest in Juventus midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur and the possibility of Steven Gerrard’s side signing him before the end of the month.

He said: “It’s a deal Villa are trying to do. I think the player is quite interested in a move to Villa as well, so this one could go right down to the wire.”

Since joining the Italian club back in 2017 from Boca Juniors, the 24-year-old – who is currently picking up £74k-per-week according to Salary Sport – has gone on to make 181 appearances for Max Allegri’s side across all competitions, scoring three goals and providing 18 assists along the way.

Fans would be ecstatic

Having seen the club strengthen their squad in almost every area of the pitch except central midfield this month, Villa fans would surely be over the moon if Bentancur is keen on joining and eventually makes the move in the coming days, especially with his experience of playing for a top club like Juventus, where he has won seven trophies and played in the Champions League.

With Villa having the lure of offering a player such as Bentancur the opportunity to play in the Premier League, they can also grant him the experience of playing and learning under the management of one of the league’s greatest midfielders in Gerrard, which could be a factor as to why the Uruguayan is apparently keen on the move.

Moving forward, if Villa can secure a deal for the Juventus ace before Monday’s transfer deadline, they could end the month with a flourish in what has been a very productive window for the club in terms of their recruitment.

In other news: Gerrard could unearth the next Michael Carrick at Villa with move for 20 y/o “diamond”