All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

[ad_pod ]

Everton have hardly had the season the fans were surely hoping for after Marco Silva took the helm and the Toffees recruited three Barcelona players in the summer. A string of poor results have seen the Goodison Park outfit lose five of their last six and the pressure mount on their Portuguese manager.

The same problems seem to be cropping up time and time again and there is little doubt that they are underperforming. There have, though, been occasional bright-sparks provided by a select few, although there are also a couple of players who have flattered to deceive throughout the season.

So, who has improved and who has declined the most on Merseyside over the course of the campaign?

Most improved: Lucas Digne

The Frenchman is one of very few players who can confidently say that their starting spot will be guaranteed beyond the summer and looks set to hold down the left-side of Everton’s defence for the foreseeable future – a rapid turnaround after starting the season behind Leighton Baines in the pecking order.

The Toffees may have struggled to find a way through their opponents’ defences in recent weeks but Digne is not for the want of trying – the former Barcelona man has attempted a league-high 197 crosses, while also chalking up three goals and as many assists in 24 league appearances.

Possessing a wicked left-foot, the left-back has even ousted Gylfi Sigurdsson from some set-piece duties and has frequently shown his lethality from dead-ball situations as he goes from strength to strength.

Far removed: Seamus Coleman

On the other side of the Toffees defence, Seamus Coleman is having a campaign to forget. The Irishman has regularly looked off the pace and has shown nothing but glimpses of the calibre of performance that have made him the first name on the Everton team sheet over the years.

Besides the obvious need for a winger and striker, Coleman’s place looks most under threat if Everton decide to conduct another squad overhaul in the summer.

The Merseysiders were linked with a move for now-Leicester man Ricardo Pereira when he was still at Porto and, considering the impact the Portuguese has had at the King Power and the lacklustre figure cut by Coleman, they will surely rue their inability to win the race for his signature last year.

How much money could you make busking for a week as a freestyle footballer? Find out in the video below…

Newcastle United’s owners showed in the previous January transfer window just how capable they are of being active in the market and spending money on bringing new players to the Tyneside club.

With the upcoming summer transfer window on the horizon, it seems as though a big twist has emerged over one potential deal that could take place for Newcastle once the current season ends.

What’s the latest?

According to a recent report from Football Insider, the Magpies are in pole position to sign defender Sven Botman from Lille for around £30m this summer even though he has apparently already agreed personal terms with AC Milan.

The Toon were linked with a move for the centre-back during the previous winter transfer window but couldn’t get a deal over the line.

Since joining the French club back in the 2020 summer transfer window from Ajax’s U21 side, the 22-year-old has made 75 appearances for Lille across all competitions, chipping in with three goals and two assists.

With an average of 4.5 clearances per game in Ligue 1 this season, more than any other Lille player, the Dutchman could be a big asset for the Toon and strengthen their back line.

Labelled as a “golden boy” by Francesco Miniero, the director of Botman’s agency in Italy, the defender would certainly be a special deal for PIF to pull off, who will surely be happy at being at the front of the line to sign the youngster.

Even though Eddie Howe’s side haven’t conceded more than one goal in any of their 12 previous games across all competitions, adding the Lille star, who is currently valued at £27m according to Transfermarkt, to their ranks would definitely make the team stronger at the back, even after they already added some depth to it in January with the arrivals of Dan Burn, Kieran Trippier and Matt Targett.

Moving forward, if Newcastle were able to snatch Botman out of Milan’s hands and finally get their target after missing out on him in January, this would certainly please a lot of Toon fans and further increase the reputation of the club’s owners and their ruthlessness in the transfer market.

In other news: NUFC eye £49.5m-rated “phenomenon” who’s a “work of art”, he’d ignite St James’ Park…

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been left buzzing over some news that has been shared by the club on Alfredo Morelos.

As per the official website of the Ibrox faithful, the Colombia international has now been named as the Scottish Premiership’s Player of the Month (POTM) for December.

Morelos scored four goals and made one assist in six games last month, helping his team win all of them (Transfermarkt), as they march on towards another SPFL title.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst praised the striker upon receiving the award, highlighting how ‘important’ he has been and is for the side ahead of a fresh set of fixtures.

Nonetheless, he will now be hoping to continue his fine form when the Teddy Bears play Aberdeen away from home on Tuesday, and pick up the award once again for January.

Rangers fans on Morelos news

These Light Blues buzzed as the update was shared on Twitter, with one Gers supporter even going as far as to claim that it is ‘superb’ news:

“The king”

Credit: @BenDixon50

“Brilliant well deserved”

Credit: @Mikey1872786

“Thoroughly deserved! Boys been different class”

Credit: @sayersy1872

“Yessssssssssssss Alfie”

Credit: @TheRealBigMurdy

“Things you love to see”

Credit: @_meganpeffers

“Superb”

Credit: @JamesCa62108199

In other news, find out why Morelos’ Instagram post has Gers gushing here!

West Ham have opened talks with Everton regarding a move for left-back Lucas Digne, according to The Daily Mail.

The Lowdown: Moyes after a left-back

David Moyes has been without first-choice left-back Aaron Cresswell for the club’s last seven Premier League games due to injury.

As a result, the Hammers are keen to bolster their left-back ranks, with head of recruitment Rob Newman also after a centre-back and a forward during the January transfer window.

Digne, labelled as ‘quality’ by pundit Paddy Kenny, appears to be a player surplus to requirements at Goodison Park following a reported disagreement with Rafa Benitez.

The Toffees have since brought in Vitaliy Mykolenko, and it seems as if West Ham are keen to take advantage of Digne’s situation.

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

The Latest: West Ham discussions

The Daily Mail shared a story late on Wednesday evening, claiming the Hammers have begun talks with Everton for the French full-back.

Chelsea and Newcastle have also been name-checked with an interest, but it appears as if it’s Newman and West Ham who are making moves.

The Verdict: A gamble?

It may well be a one-off with Benítez, but it could be a gamble bringing a player to the club who has had previous when it comes to disagreements with managers.

Moyes is reportedly being cautious when it comes to winter window additions, so he may well have some worries when it comes to Digne following the recent fall out on Merseyside with a well-known and respected coach.

Everton also want around £30m, meaning he could be the club’s fourth-biggest signing of all time, so you could argue a move for the 28-year-old may be a risk.

Perhaps a younger target who can eventually succeed Cresswell full-time would be more fitting.

In other news: ‘Finally’ – Many West Ham fans buzzing over ‘very exciting’ transfer claim. 

With Aston Villa being rather busy in the January transfer window bringing the likes of Lucas Digne, Robin Olsen and Philippe Coutinho to Villa Park, it seems as though one reported transfer target for the Midlands club will not be following in the footsteps of their new trio of winter signings this month.

What’s the latest?

According to a recent transfer report from Birmingham Live by journalists Ashley Preece and John Townley, a deal to bring in Atletico Madrid and former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez is now unlikely.

The Uruguayan is set to stay with the La Liga club for the remainder of the season after it was previously reported that the Midlands club had sent a proposal to the striker to make a move to Villa Park.

The report also added that Suarez “will assess his options when he becomes a free agent in June.”

Gerrard will be gutted

Having scored a total of 433 goals in 683 club appearances throughout his career, it’s not hard to see what Suarez would be able to offer Villa if he made the move to the Midlands club this month.

Labelled as an “assassin” in the past by former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique in terms of his clinical nature to finish chances in the penalty box, Suarez would have been an exciting prospect for the Villa fans see at their club given his previous experience in the Premier League with Liverpool and clear ability to score goals on a regular basis.

The idea of seeing the forward not only play alongside his former Liverpool and Barcelona teammate Coutinho, who have played together on 115 occasions but also seeing him feature under Gerrard who he played with at Liverpool as well, would have been an incredibly exciting idea for Villa.

With the Midlands outfit aiming to end the season as high up the table as possible, the boss will surely be absolutely gutted to miss out on the chance to add a deadly striker such as the 35-year-old to his ranks.

With a January move for the veteran attacker now unlikely, Gerrard will have to make do with Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings as his two senior strike options and hope they can end the season strongly with plenty of goals under their belts.

Looking beyond that, Villa should still keep an eye on Suarez’s situation in the summer when his current contract runs out to see if the £9m-rated striker would be willing to make a return to the Premier League.

In other news: Lange can replicate Digne masterclass as AVFC plot move for “phenomenal” £10m dynamo – opinion

Many Everton fans have been left erupting over some early team news that has emerged ahead of their game away at Chelsea in the Premier League tonight.

As per The Times journalist Paul Joyce, Lucas Digne has said that he is ‘ill’ and so will now miss the clash at Stamford Bridge, after Rafa Benitez initially had him in his staring eleven having trained with the team.

This comes after the Frenchman reportedly had a row with his manager, which led to him missing their last two games in the Premier League.

However, it seems as if they have patched things up given that Benitez was going to play him, but now Digne’s illness means that he will miss a third match in a row.

Nonetheless, the Goodison Park faithful now have a mammoth task ahead of them against the European champions, as they will have to try and get something without their only senior left-back in the squad.

Everton fans on team news

These supporters of the Merseyside club erupted as the team news was shared on Twitter, with one Toffee even going as far as to claim that it was ‘unreal’:

“We’re a shambles hahahaha”

Credit: @lukeblack85

“What a shambles Everton Football Club is from top to bottom”

Credit: @WhatKCSaid

“Unreal this now”

Credit: @notJoth

“I’m scared”

Credit: @NSwann12

“Comedy club”

Credit: @Adam95H

“You couldn’t make it up really…”

Credit: @rob_fisher_efc

In other news, find out what club news has Blues fuming here!

Lautaro Martinez would be ‘really interested’ in a move to Tottenham Hotspur, transfer insider Dean Jones has told GIVEMESPORT. 

The lowdown

The 24-year-old Inter marksman has scored six goals in 10 Serie A starts this season. Overall, he has bagged 55 goals and provided 21 assists in 148 appearances for the Nerazzurri (via Transfermarkt).

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

Sky Sports reported during the summer that Spurs were willing to shell out £60m to secure Martinez’s signature, but his value may now have risen further after he penned a new £5m-per-year contract last month. Nevertheless, Jones has said that the Argentine is ‘someone they’re going to look back towards in January’.

According to FBRef, Martinez’s profile is similar to that of Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino, Chelsea’s Timo Werner and Juventus’ Alvaro Morata.

The latest

Jones told GIVEMESPORT that Martinez intends to test himself in England and reckons that the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium could be an appealing destination.

The journalist said: “He’s got eyes on getting to the Premier League and I think that he would be really interested to join Spurs.”

The verdict

It looks as if Spurs may still be drawing up a succession plan for Harry Kane, who was of course the subject of serious interest from Manchester City in the summer.

Martinez isn’t the only Serie A striker with whom Spurs have been closely linked in recent days, as Fiorentina’s Dusan Vlahovic has also been named as a target.

At 24 and 21 respectively, and with both boasting rich scoring records in the Italian top flight, they both seen to have the credentials to lead the line for Spurs in the long-term.

Indeed, Martinez features on the list of nominees for this year’s Ballon D’Or after helping Inter to the Serie A title, so imagine what a coup it would be for Conte to bring him to north London.

In other news, Fabio Paratici has made this exciting plea.

Wolves right-back Nelson Semedo is back in training ahead of the visit of Aston Villa, reliable journalist Tim Spiers has confirmed.

The Lowdown: Semedo missing for key period

The Portuguese ace has been an undisputed key man for the Wanderers this season, having started 23 times in a largely positive Premier League campaign.

Semedo picked up a hamstring injury at the end of February and hasn’t played since, however, acting as a blow to Bruno Lage during an important period.

It now looks as though the right-back’s return to action is on the horizon, though, as Wolves prepare to host Villa on Saturday afternoon.

[freshpress-poll id=“388780″]

The Latest: Spiers makes positive claim

Taking to Twitter on Friday, Spiers confirmed in a simple four-word verdict that Semedo is back in the fold:

“Semedo back in training.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“388797″]

The Verdict: Big boost for Wolves

Semedo has been a strong performer for Wolves, being hailed as ‘unbelievable’ by Spiers himself in the past, so this news is an undoubted positive.

Jonny has been filling in at right-back in his teammate’s absence but he isn’t as natural in that role as he is on the left-hand side, while youngster Ki-Jana Hoever remains a work in progress.

Semedo’s return in the coming weeks should provide Wolves with an extra attacking threat – he has averaged 1.5 dribbles per game in the league this season – as they look to secure European football of some kind at Molineux next season.

In other news, a transfer expert has dropped a key Wolves claim. Read more here.

Former Celtic man Mikael Lustig was one of hundreds to react to the news of Scott Bain’s new Parkhead contract.

The Lowdown: Busy January

The Hoops have been extremely productive during the January window, bringing in four new players already.

Three have arrived from Japan and one from Ireland, with the club also working on making Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers’ loan moves permanent.

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

It’s not only incomings Celtic are working on, though, with Michael Nicholson also looking to move on a number of players, including Leigh Griffiths, who they have reportedly cut ties with.

The Latest: Bain contract

Celtic announced on Monday that Bain has signed a new deal through until 2024.

They shared the news on Instagram, with former right-back Lustig commenting ‘Torpedo’ along with heart eye and raised hands emojis.

The Verdict: Barkas and Hazard to leave?

Described by James McFadden as a shot-stopper who ‘makes it look easy’ with the ball at his feet, Bain has made just four appearances under Ange Postecoglou but has been a regular in the matchday squad.

And, with Bain signing new terms, that could mean that Vasilis Barkas and Conor Hazard may now seal exits.

There has been talk of that happening, and with Celtic also having high hopes for teenager Tobi Oluwayemi, now could be the time for the pair to depart, leaving Hart, Bain and Oluwayemi as options over the coming years.

In other news: Ange now after another Irish addition who Lennon previously wanted. 

Patrick Vieira will once again be without one of his standout performers as Crystal Palace look to spoil the party at Old Trafford with interim Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick set to take charge of his first game as United boss against the Eagles.

What’s the latest?

Veteran midfielder James McArthur enjoyed an excellent start to the campaign but has missed the last three Premier League matches with a thigh injury.

Speaking to the media on Friday, Palace assistant Osian Roberts explained that the 34-year-old was making progress but the United game would be too early, dealing another setback to the Eagles.

“James is looking good in training, but at the moment this game is too early for him”, said Roberts.

Vieira will be desperate to have him back

Prior to McArthur’s absence, Vieira’s side had only lost two matches in 11 outings, both of which were against title-challenging sides in Chelsea and Liverpool.

Since then, the South London club have drawn 3-3 at Burnley and lost back-to-back games against Aston Villa and Leeds United going into Sunday’s tricky test at Old Trafford.

The £1.8m-rated man’s presence can’t be underestimated. According to SofaScore, the Scotsman boasts 83% pass accuracy per game as well as 1.2 interceptions and 2.3 tackles alongside two assists.

Joachim Andersen and Nathan Ferguson remain sidelined whilst right-back Joel Ward will also miss out through suspension after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season at Elland Road.

In the words of Thomas Tuchel, fellow midfielder Connor Gallagher has been “quality” since joining on loan from Chelsea and Cheikhou Kouyaté is currently averaging a per match rating of 6.88 according to SofaScore. Thus, once McArthur is available again, it would seem most likely that Jefferey Schlupp would be the one to be withdrawn from the side.

It’s promising news for Palace fans that McArthur is reportedly close to a return ahead of a hectic festive period, however, they will be without their reliable asset in what is set to be a tricky test against Manchester United on Sunday. For that reason, they will understandably be gutted.