All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Pundit Kevin Phillips has been reacting to rumours linking Celtic with a move for Brazilian midfielder Fernando Henrique.

The Lowdown: Henrique rumours

According to reports in Brazil, relayed by The Scottish Sun, the Hoops are plotting a winter window swoop for the versatile 20-year-old, who plies his trade with Gremio.

Parkhead representatives have reached out to find out Henrique’s availability, with his current contract running to 2024.

Henrique can play as a defensive, central or attacking midfielder and is already sponsored by Adidas.

The Latest: Phillips reacts

Phillips, who regularly features for Sky Sports, was asked by Football Insider for his thoughts on a possible January swoop.

This is what he had to say, believing it could be a signing with one eye on the future.

“If they sign him in January it will be with a view to him having an impact the following season.

“It is always a gamble signing a 20-year-old Brazilian. For him to come to Scotland in January, culturally it will be a big shock. How cold will it be in January?

“I don’t know about the kid though. I think it would take him a while to settle but that would be understandable. It would take time to get used to the way of life and the different style of football in Scotland.

“Celtic would not just sign him in the hope he’d be the next best thing, the next Neymar or whatever. He will clearly have ability if they are looking to sign him. It is one to keep an eye on.”

The Verdict: Midfield reinforcements needed?

Ange Postecoglou has relied heavily on the likes of Callum McGregor, Tom Rogic and David Turnbull this season, so bolstering that department with the acquisition of Henrique could be a shrewd move.

He can play in a variety of roles and could possibly, as Phillips mentions, be given time to settle into life in Glasgow for the second half of the season ahead of a breakthrough at the start of the 2022/23 campaign.

Henrique has attracted interest from the City Group recently, so securing his services could prove to be a real coup in the long run.

In other news: Frank McAvennie questions effort levels of 5 G/A Celtic ace who ‘goes missing’. 

Leeds United have been dealt a huge injury setback concerning Stuart Dallas ahead of their upcoming Premier League clash with Southampton.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Sky Sports commentator Gary Weaver (via MOT Leeds News), who claimed that, following the versatile defender’s withdrawal in the second half of Northern Ireland’s 3-1 win over Luxembourg on Friday evening, the 30-year-old was seen to be in discussions with medical staff regarding an apparent groin injury.

Following Dallas’ substitution, Weaver said: “Medical staff having a word with Stuart Dallas. Looks like it was his groin.”

Marsch will be devastated

Considering the fact that Dallas had already been something of an injury concern prior to leaving for international duty, as the right-back had been on the receiving end of a heavy challenge from Joao Moutinho in Leeds’ 3-2 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers last week, the news that the right-back now looks to have picked up a fresh knock is sure to have left Jesse Marsch devastated.

Indeed, with Patrick Bamford, Diego Llorente, Mateusz Klich and Illan Meslier all sustaining injuries in the victory at Molineux, while Raphinha has also withdrawn from international duty with Brazil after falling ill, the American manager’s Leeds squad has been rather decimated over the past eight days.

As such, should Dallas join the aforementioned players in the Elland Road treatment room ahead of the visit of Southampton next Saturday, it would quite clearly come as a huge blow to the Whites’ chances of picking up all three points against Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.

And, while the back-to-back victories over Norwich City and Wolves have eased Leeds’ relegation fears somewhat, the club are by no means out of the woods just yet – meaning the potential loss of Dallas may not only harm the Whites in the short-term, it could also see them slip back into a fight for survival over their remaining eight games of the season.

AND in other news: Orta set for Leeds disaster on £8.4k-p/w “bag of tricks” whose “talent isn’t in doubt”

Sky Sports pundit Kevin Phillips doesn’t believe that Harry Kane will sign a new contract at Tottenham Hotspur or that the forward will remain at the club beyond next summer.

The Lowdown: Kane stays put, for now

Following his interview with Gary Neville in ‘The Overlap’ podcast and rumours linking the 28-year-old with a move away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, it looked like Manchester City were going to land the England striker.

Kane, who scored his 40th England goal in 63 appearances on Sunday, was constantly linked with the Premier League champions over the summer and missed Spurs’ season opener against Pep Guardiola’s side.

However, after featuring against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Kane released a statement via Twitter confirming that he was staying with Spurs this season, and he netted his first goals of the season in the Europa Conference League qualifier against Pacos de Ferreira in late August.

It has been reported recently that Kane could be set to agree on a new deal at the club, with a release clause inserted to allow him to leave in January or next summer.

The Latest: Phillips not confident of new deal for Kane

Speaking to Football Insider, Sky Sports pundit Phillips isn’t confident Kane will sign a deal, stating he will be surprised if the striker extends his stay at Spurs.

He said: “I heard what he said and yeah, reading between the lines, you would say Daniel Levy has broken a gentleman’s agreement. If Kane is sleeping easy at night he is obviously laying the blame somewhere else.

“We don’t know the facts but to hear that from Harry says a lot. I’m pretty sure he is hinting toward a gentlemen’s agreement being broken.

“Harry may not be happy about it but he won’t throw his toys out of the pram. He will knuckle down and do what he does best which is score goals.

“We will see what happens come the summer. I don’t see him signing a new deal. I think he’ll be angling for a move again next summer. I’d be very surprised if he extended.”

The Verdict: Kane has eyes on Spurs only…for now

As Phillips states, Kane’s professionalism will likely remain intact and his only aim will be to help Spurs succeed this season. If a “gentlemen’s agreement” has been broken at the club end, the move seems more likely to happen as Kane’s intentions to win trophies and compete at the top is evident.

With Tottenham top of the Premier League and Kane already off the mark for club and country this season, the only thing on both parties’ minds will be this season. However, if City do come in for the striker again next year, Spurs may struggle to hold on to him, especially if they fail t0 end their trophy drought of almost 14 years.

In other news, Tottenham handed blow on transfer target as Wolves journalist confirms news. Find out more here.

According to TEAMtalk, West Ham United, led by new head of recruitment Rob Newman, are now ‘contemplating a January bid’ for Hull City forward Keane Lewis-Potter.

The Lowdown: Newman era begins…

As confirmed by the club, West Ham have now begun a new era of transfers as they appoint former Manchester City scouting chief Newman to their new head of recruitment role.

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

The 57-year-old comes with a glowing reputation from Eastlands and will oversee a Hammers restructuring in terms of their scouting and recruitment department.

Commenting on his new role, Newman spoke of the importance to sign players who fit West Ham perfectly and not just players who you think ‘he’s a great player for that team, he’s automatically going to make us a great team’ (whufc.com).

Now, it appears the Irons chief has set his sights on a new West Ham target.

The Latest: West Ham weighing January bid for Lewis-Potter…

As per TEAMtalk, West Ham, and by extension Newman, now want to sign Hull forward Lewis-Potter after his ‘impressive rise’ over the last two seasons.

The 20-year-old, scoring 20 goals and supplying 10 assists in 85 appearances for the Tigers since his senior debut in late 2019, is now attracting the Irons’ attention as they weigh a January bid.

One of the Championship’s top starlets, he has become a fixture in Grant McCann’s first team and it is believed West Ham are keeping tabs after they also snapped up another one of Hull’s rising talents in Jarrod Bowen.

The latter man has gone to become a mainstay for Moyes and now it appears West Ham have set their sights on another starlet from the MKM Stadium.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Lewis-Potter has described himself as ‘raw’ when speaking to Hull City’s official website, and going by his impressive performances over the last two seasons, he could be a real coup for West Ham.

If he can follow in the footsteps of Bowen, who has been one of Moyes’ standout performers this season, it’s safe to say Newman’s tenure as new head of recruitment wouldn’t get off to the worst start.

In other news: ‘Perfect’, ‘I would cry’…Many West Ham fans erupt as talks held for ‘incredible signing’, find out more here.

Manchester United have been linked with a move for Nicolo Barella as they look to add further reinforcements to their engine room.

What’s the story?

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, the recruitment team at Old Trafford are already beginning to plan for the January transfer window and beyond as their troubles on the pitch continue to mount.

They claim that a new central midfielder is high up on the United hierarchy’s wishlist and the Inter Milan midfielder is their priority target after a string of standout displays from the highly-rated 24-year-old for both club and country in recent months.

Fans will be buzzing

With Paul Pogba’s future at Old Trafford far from secure, a large section of the club’s supporters will be excited to learn that the Red Devils are reportedly in the market for Barella.

The Italy international has established himself as one of Serie A’s most influential stars over the last couple of campaigns, playing a pivotal part in Inter’s first league title victory in 11 years last term.

His impressive performances have earned several plaudits in his homeland, including former Juventus star Claudio Marchisio.

Barella then carried his incredible club form onto the international stage during the European Championships, scoring one goal and laying on a further two assists in six outings as the Azzurri claimed the Euro 2020 trophy over England.

Therefore, Red Devils football director John Murtough must consider a swoop for the £58.5m-rated beast over the coming months as he’ll be providing the 20-time English champions with one of the best young central midfielders in Europe right now.

And, in other news…Reliable journo drops big update on Solskjaer’s future, Man Utd fans will be intrigued 

Spurs return to action later this evening as they look to salvage their quest for glory in Europe this season.

Nuno Santo’s side need a victory against Primeira Liga outfit Pacos de Ferreira at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium if they are to qualify for the group stages of UEFA’s new competition, the Europa Conference League.

The Lilywhites have got off to the most perfect start in the Premier League, recording back-to-back wins having defeated defending champions Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers but fell to defeat in the first leg of this encounter last week.

It means Spurs must overturn a one-goal deficit or risk missing out on a major European competition for the first time in over a decade.

And their chances of advancing would be aided if Nuno opts for a stronger starting XI than we saw in Porto seven days ago. It was a relatively young lineup and one full of those needing game time on the pitch.

For example, 17-year-old gem Dane Scarlett led the line instead of Spurs’ usual frontline options, whilst Bryan Gil, Pierluigi Gollini and Cristian Romero all made their full debuts.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-more” title= “Read the latest Spurs team and injury news, transfer rumours, gossip and much, much more!”]

One player that should be given a start is Harry Kane, who this week confirmed his intentions to remain at the club this summer amid interest in his signature from City.

He made his return to the pitch at Molineux on Sunday, replacing Heung-min Son in the 72nd minute for his first appearance of the season but it’s time for Nuno to unleash him from the off for the very first time since taking over.

The £108m-rated talisman is undoubtedly Spurs’ biggest source of goals and that’s what will be required against Pacos, considering the side failed to find the net last week.

Kane directly contributed towards 54.4% of all of their league goals last season, whilst he’s hit 19 or more in every season since 2014/15.

The England skipper, who has been capped 61 times, has been lauded as a “monster” by his teammate Son in the past, whilst City boss Pep Guardiola described him as “exceptional” and “extraordinary” when asked about his interest in signing the striker.

It could be a game-changing decision to start Kane tonight. He’s a level above Pacos de Ferreira and his presence should ultimately see Spurs into the group stages.

AND in other news, Paratici could replace Ndombele in bargain Spurs swoop for £26m-rated “huge talent”…

An update has emerged on Newcastle United’s pursuit of a new centre-back signing for Eddie Howe’s squad…

What’s the talk?

According to French outlet L’Equipe, the Magpies have prepared a bid to sign West Ham defender Issa Diop this month.

The report claims that the offer is set to be as high as €12m (£10m) and that the Hammers could allow him to leave if he refuses to sign a contract extension.

Howe will be buzzing

Howe will surely be buzzing with this news for multiple reasons. Firstly, he will be pleased with the club being proactive and looking to make serious moves early in the window instead of considering their options for weeks and then trying to do business closer to deadline day.

The later they leave it, the higher chance there is of other clubs snapping them up before they get a chance, or of the selling team raising their price. If Newcastle try to sign a top target late in the month, they may then have to pay a premium, as the selling club would have less time to source a replacement of their own, potentially prompting them to increase their asking price.

This is why Howe will be delighted with how quickly the club appear to be working. He will also be buzzing with the prospect of Diop arriving at St James’ Park this month, as he is a proven Premier League performer who could come in and improve the team.

Newcastle have the joint-worst defensive record in the Premier League and have only kept one clean sheet in 19 matches, suggesting that their backline is in dire need of attention. In the West Ham centre-back, Howe could find a player who is immediately able to strengthen the Magpies’ defence.

In the Europa League this season, Diop has averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.26, with West Ham keeping four clean sheets in his five starts. Last term in the Premier League, the Frenchman averaged a score of 6.92 as he won 57% of his duels overall.

This shows that he is capable of performing consistently at the top level and Howe could love to work with him on Tyneside to get him playing at his best. That is why the ex-Bournemouth coach will be buzzing with this news and praying that Nick Hammond is able to clinch a deal as soon as possible.

AND in other news, “I’m told”: Craig Hope issues key Newcastle transfer claim which will get fans excited…

Journalist Paul Brown has now dropped some fresh Everton transfer news involving Newcastle United winger Allan Saint-Maximin, claiming a deal for the winger is ‘out of reach’.

The Lowdown: £50m claim

As per The Daily Mail, the Magpies are now willing to listen to offers of around £50m for Saint-Maximin in the summer, as Eddie Howe looks to freshen up his squad ahead of the new season.

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

The Goodison Park faithful are reportedly just one of a number of clubs who are interested in his signature, but that is assuming that they manage to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

The Latest: Brown update

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Brown has now claimed that a move for Saint-Maximin to the Merseyside club ‘looks out of reach at the moment’, but admitted that he would have been an ‘ideal’ signing under former manager Rafa Benitez:

“It looks out of reach at the moment. I’ve thought since last summer, when we found out that Rafael Benitez wanted to play quick, counter-attacking football with wingers, that Saint-Maximin was ideal for that kind of role.”

The Verdict: Unlikely

It just seems very unlikely that Saint-Maximin would leave the long-term project at St. James’ Park for a club currently entrenched even further in the relegation dogfight.

He is clearly a key player for the Magpies, having averaged more shots and dribbles per match in the division than any of his teammates, while no Toon player has come close to his six man-of-the-match awards.

Nonetheless, it is very difficult to see the Toffees paying anything close to £50m for the Frenchman anyway, given their financial troubles.

In other news, find out which Ronaldo-like star the Blues are now eyeing here!

West Ham United could seal their biggest signing since Dimitri Payet amid emerging reports ahead of the January transfer window.

In some ways, it shows the substantial progress the east London outfit have made under David Moyes, going from relegation contenders to competing for a place in the Champions League – and more than holding their own.

There has been a lack of ‘marquee’ signings in recent years but that’s not a bad thing as their recruitment has been pretty spot-on, with relatively unknown names like Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal becoming crucial influences on the pitch.

Having Jesse Lingard on loan and splashing £30m on Champions League winner Kurt Zouma is certainly a step in the right direction, but everything could be eclipsed by the prospective arrival of Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria.

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, the Irons are among the teams interested in signing the 25-year-old this winter as he attracts interest from across Europe, though they’ll be battling Premier League rivals Everton, as well as Serie A giants Juventus, for his signature.

Gladbach head coach Adi Hutter is desperate to bolster his playing squad next month but he’ll only be able to do so if he garners some more income, so selling the Switzerland international could be in his best interests, especially as the player is out of contract in the summer and is currently valued at £24.3m.

A new central option in the midfield engine room may be the least of the Hammers’ concerns but they simply cannot turn their nose up at sealing a player of Zakaria’s calibre for a bargain price in January.

Of course, club captain Mark Noble is retiring, plus there may be some doubts over loanee Alex Kral’s credentials. Meanwhile, there are always doubts and reports on the future of Declan Rice at the London Stadium.

He is a player who has earned comparisons to a whole host of midfield greats, ranging from Patrick Vieira and Zinedine Zidane, to Paul Pogba and Toni Kroos.

“It’s not easy to compare him to the greats of the past, but he combines many qualities that were really defined by Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane,” claimed international and domestic teammate Yan Sommer.

German football legend Lothar Matthaus once stated: “I’m glad that Gladbach have found another pearl. At his age I was earning my first stripes for Borussia. He reminds me of Toni Kroos at that age.”

The 40-cap beast has consistently put up impressive numbers in the Bundesliga and for his country – as per WhoScored, Zakaria has averaged 2.3 successful tackles, 1.6 interceptions, 1.4 dribbles and 1.1 shots per 90 minutes over the course of his career.

By no means would he be a flair player like Payet once was, but the box-to-box dynamo would be a major coup for the club, one which would shock many around the continent, just as it did with the silky Frenchman all those years ago.

Zakaria, who has been dubbed a “very complete footballer” his former manager Marco Rose, would be a sublime addition for head of recruitment Rob Newman to secure. He must do all he can to win the race to sign him this winter.

AND in other news, 87 touches, 100% dribbles: West Ham gem who “caught the eye” has given Moyes a dilemma…

Newcastle United are admirers of midfielder Antonin Barak, according to Italian newspaper L’Arena (via Tutto Hellas Verona).

The lowdown

Predominantly an attacking midfielder, the 26-year-old has started every league game for Hellas Verona so far this season (via WhoScored). He has scored four goals, provided two assists and averaged a rating of just over seven out of 10.

Barak was part of the Czech Republic’s squad for last summer’s European Championship, featuring three times for Jaroslav Silhavy’s side, who were knocked out in the quarter-finals. Earlier this year, he was hailed as ‘tremendous’ by Italian journalist Maxi Angelo.

The latest

The report from L’Arena (via Tutto Hellas Verona) states that Newcastle and West Ham have both ‘set their sights’ on Barak.

The midfielder is apparently valued at least €25m, which equates to about £21.1m.

The verdict

When he was at Bournemouth, Eddie Howe favoured a ‘4-4-2 double 6’ formation. That kind of shape wouldn’t appear to accommodate an attacking midfielder like Barak.

There’s no guarantee that the 43-year-old sticks with the same system on Tyneside, of course, and he might be willing to adjust his set-up depending on who Newcastle recruit midway through the season.

It could be difficult to compete with West Ham, though, given that they already have a healthy Czech contingent (Tomas Soucek, Vladimir Coufal and Alex Kral) who could look to persuade Barak, as well as being able to offer European football instantly.

In other news, Frank McAvennie has backed this mooted NUFC transfer