All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Everton slumped to tenth in the Premier League table after goals from Max Kilman and Raul Jimenez secured a 2-1 victory for Wolves at Molineux.

A consolation effort from Alex Iwobi couldn’t prevent the Toffees from slipping to their third consecutive defeat on Monday night, and the visitors could have little complaints after their dreadful first-half showing.

Rafa Benitez’s charges were missing several key players through injury once again, but that was no excuse for their underwhelming opening 45 minutes.

Kilman was allowed a free header at the far post following a Wolves corner after 28 minutes before a horrendous Ben Godfrey back pass was punished by Jimenez just four minutes later.

No Everton player covered themselves in glory bar goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, although some were more disappointing than others.

Godfrey was one of the main culprits but experienced midfielder Allan was one of those who particularly struggled to cope with the home side’s intensity, and he once again looked lost and exposed without the protection of Abdoulaye Doucoure.

Admittedly, his engine room partner Jean-Philippe Gbamin was well off the pace after making his first Premier League start of 2021/22, but the 30-year-old Allan was the one expected to drag his teammate through the evening, not the other way around.

As per SofaScore, the Brazil international received a match rating of 6.4 out of 10, the third-lowest total awarded to any player on the pitch. And when looking at his underlying numbers, it’s easy to understand why.

During the 90 minutes, Allan achieved a measly passing accuracy of just 71%, failed to pick out a colleague with any of his three attempted long balls and lost possession a whopping 17 times.

And the South American was equally as frustrating when trying to stop the opposition’s attacks, an aspect of his game in which he usually excels.

Allan won just five of his 12 duels, was dribbled past on three occasions, and failed to make a single clearance or block a shot.

His improved second-half display will have been some comfort for Benitez and co. but the damage was already done by then, and his poor showing didn’t go unnoticed.

“It was not a great game by the Brazilian’s standards, as it was riddled with plenty of sloppy moments. However, Allan’s hard work and consistent shift throughout the game cannot be faulted,” wrote The Hard Tackle after awarding him a five out of 10.

With Tottenham coming up next for the Blues, Benitez will be hoping his influential midfielder can get back to his best and help put an end to their lengthy losing run.

And, in other news…7 duels lost: Everton lightweight who’s “really struggling” let Rafa down again v WWFC

Celtic have been handed a boost in their bid to bring Zinedine Ferhat to Parkhead in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by French media outlet Objectif Gard (via the Daily Record), who reveal a fresh twist to the story, suggesting the Algeria international is actively pushing for a move away from Nimes this January, with the 28-year-old being absent from the Ligue 2 side’s training on Wednesday.

This will come as a huge boost to Celtic and AS Saint-Etienne, both of whom are reported to be interested in a move for the winger – whose current contract at Stade des Costieres is set to expire at the end of the season.

Postecoglou will be buzzing

Considering the sheer amount of ability Ferhat quite clearly possesses, the news that the forward is very much keen to secure a move away from Nimes this January is sure to have left Ange Postecoglou buzzing.

Indeed, over his 33 Ligue 1 appearances last season, the £4.05m-rated winger scored six goals, provided a highly impressive ten assists – the joint second-most in the league alongside Dimitri Payet – and created nine big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.9 shots and making 1.6 key passes per game.

These returns saw the £13k-per-week 28-year-old earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.07, ranking him by far and away as his side’s best performer in the top flight of French football last time out.

And, with Celtic having suffered a number of injuries to their wide attacking options so far this season, it would certainly appear that, should Postecoglou wish to give his side the best possible chance of sealing the Premiership title this season, greater depth is very much needed on the wings.

As such, considering his rather extraordinary returns in Ligue 1 last term, it would indeed seem like a move for Ferhat would be an incredibly wise one for the Bhoys this January, and, following the latest on the winger, it certainly looks as if there is a deal to be done for Celtic.

In other news: “Opened talks”: Joseph drops major transfer update that’ll have Celtic fans buzzing

Newcastle United are interested in signing Paris Saint-Germain striker Arnaud Kalimuendo, according to Foot Mercato (via Get French Football News).

The lowdown

The young marksman has spent the last two seasons away from the Parc des Princes on loan at RC Lens.

The 20-year-old has scored 10 goals in 30 Ligue 1 appearances this season, putting him three clear of Seko Fofana at the top of the team’s goalscoring charts. Valued at £10.8m by Transfermarkt, he is under contract at PSG until the summer of 2024.

Newcastle have also been linked with another Ligue 1 striker in the form of Reims’ Hugo Ekitike.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-5/” title=”Newcastle news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The latest

According to Foot Mercato (via Get French Football News), Kalimuendo’s agent is due to meet with figures at PSG ‘in the coming weeks’ for talks about his future.

He is apparently ready to commit to the newly-crowned Ligue 1 champions by signing a new deal, but that hasn’t stopped Newcastle or fellow Premier League outfit Leicester City from ‘looking at him’.

The verdict

Kalimuendo is certainly an impressive talent. He has already played nine matches for France’s under-21 side, scoring on just his second start against Ukraine and adding three more to his tally since.

Furthermore, in 2020, he won the Titi D’Or, a prize awarded to the most promising young talent at PSG.

Franck Haise, his manager at Lens, believes that Kalimuendo possesses every attribute that a modern forward needs, describing him as the ‘prototype striker of the present’.

If the 20-year-old’s parent club can’t offer him the opportunities that he craves, then perhaps a move to Tyneside could be on the cards.

In other news, Newcastle are also targeting this left-back

Wolves are looking to sign a new striker before the end of the January transfer window, according to reliable journalist Sami Mokbel.

The Lowdown: Wolves continue impressive form

Wanderers picked up yet another impressive Premier League win on Saturday afternoon, battling their way to a 2-1 victory away to Brentford. Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves were the goalscoring heroes for Wolves, who have now won four games in a row in all competitions.

Despite Bruno Lage’s side excelling at the moment, there could still be a need to bring in new players, ensuring that they keep improving the squad and move in the right direction.

The Latest: Journalist talks up striker move

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Mokbel claimed Wolves are after a striker this month in order to add more firepower in the final third.

He said: “A striker for them, I’m sure, would be at the forefront of Bruno Lage’s mind. Jimenez is back, but they certainly want more goals and more of a different kind of threat than he would offer, as good as a player he is.”

The Verdict: Makes complete sense

While Wolves have been increasingly strong as the season has progressed, they certainly haven’t been renowned for their goalscoring prowess.

They have only scored 19 times in 21 league games – 19th-placed Watford have four more – and both Hwang Hee-chan and Raul Jimenez lead the way with just four goals apiece, highlighting the need for more ammunition in attack.

With Adama Traore seeming likely to join Tottenham, the money should hopefully be there to spend on a striker in January if that deal goes through during the week, hopefully making Wolves even more potent in the process.

In other news, some Wolves fans love footage that has emerged from the win over Brentford. Read more here.

Speaking to Give Me Sport, journalist Ryan Taylor of The Daily Express has made a West Ham United summer transfer claim involving Burnley defender James Tarkowski.

The Lowdown: West Ham eye January move…

A plethora of central defenders were tipped with a potential move to the London Stadium last month as manager David Moyes saw it as a transfer priority alongside the need for another striker (The Daily Mail).

The likes of Duje Caleta-Car were mentioned, with late window talks apparently held for the Croatian, while Manchester City’s Nathan Ake and Bournemouth loanee Nathaniel Phillips had also been linked (The Evening Standard).

Tarkowski, whose contract at current club Burnley expires later this year, was another name on the target list for Moyes with Express reporter Taylor now sharing an update on their interest.

The Latest: Taylor expects summer move

Speaking to GMS, the reporter says West Ham could in fact ‘enter the fray’ for Tarkowski again in the summer.

He explained: “All signs pointed towards him staying to the end of the season, then West Ham could enter the fray.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

While the Hammers couldn’t seal a central defensive signing for Moyes last month, recruitment chief Rob Newman would be remiss if he didn’t at least consider Tarkowski on a free.

The 29-year-old, who was once valued at his £50 million release clause by Burnley, looks set to leave for nothing in the summer and West Ham could secure a short term centre-back option at the very least.

Described as one of Sean Dyche’s ‘talismans’ and a ‘real leader’ by pundit Noel Whelan, Moyes’ side could benefit from a figure like this in the heart of West Ham’s defence – especially for no transfer fee.

In other news: ExWHUemployee: Moyes now personally wants ‘unreal’ international who’s also a Salthouse client, find out more here.

New Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers will have been encouraged by what he saw this midweek as the Foxes ground out a win over Brighton at the King Power.

The former Liverpool and Watford boss has made the big and bold decision to move from Celtic back to the Premier League, and it will be interesting to see just how he adapts to life back in the English game after ever so nearly leading Liverpool to glory.

However, he is going to need to be backed with some of his own players if he is to be a success, and we here in the Tavern wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him raid Celtic for some talent.

And one man who we feel might be of particular interest to Rodgers is attacking midfielder James Forrest, who has once again been in fine form for the Bhoys this term.

Double figures in terms of goals once again show the talent the Celtic man has, and at 27 and heading into his prime years, the challenge of the Premier League might well be too enticing a proposition to ignore.

Forrest is real handful in both wide and central areas, and with the Foxes having never really replaced the creative spark that Riyad Mahrez brought to the club, the Scottish star might well be the answer.

Quick, able to beat a man and with a keen eye for goal, Forrest would be a fine addition for Leicester and Rodgers.

While Celtic might not want to sell, the thought of having Forrest and the ever impressive James Maddison providing the creativity from attacking midfield is an exciting prospect for Leicester if they can convince the Scottish champions to part ways with their key man.

Leicester fans, what do you think? Let us know in the comments!

An update has emerged on Newcastle’s transfer plans for January, regarding Bournemouth centre-back Lloyd Kelly…

What’s the talk?

According to 90Min, the Magpies are interested in a deal for the Cherries defender as they look for alternative options to Burnley’s James Tarkowski.

The Clarets centre-back is said to be an unlikely target due to Burnley being unwilling to sell to a rival, with Kelly now being eyed instead.

Imagine him & Lascelles

Eddie Howe must ensure that he is reunited with the England under-21 international, having managed him at Bournemouth, as he could be a superb addition to the squad. His arrival could end being a dream deal as he could form a strong bond with Jamaal Lascelles at centre-back.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/check-out-the-latest-newcastle-howe-ter-stegen” title= “Read the latest Newcastle news!”]

The £9m-rated Cherries beast has averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.11 in the Championship this season, winning 64% of his duels and making an outstanding 5.2 clearances per game. This shows that he is playing to a high level in the second tier and could be ready to make the jump to the Premier League.

Ex-Bournemouth coach Jonathan Woodgate previously hailed Kelly as a ‘Rolls-Royce’ of a defender and pointed to his pace as an eye-catching attribute. He said:

“He’s got talent. He’s got a lot of attributes which Premier League teams look at. But he needs to be consistent week in, week out now.

“At the minute he just looks like a bit of a Rolls-Royce doesn’t he? He looked very, very good (against Bristol City).

“I was impressed to be honest with you, especially when (Antoine) Semenyo tried to run him down the line and Semenyo gave him two yards and Lloydy overtook him. It’s eye-catching when things like that happen, especially as a fellow defender. When you see things like that, it’s like ‘you’ve got a bit’.”

This highlights one of the reasons why he could form a formidable partnership with Lascelles at the back. The Magpies skipper is not renowned for his turn of pace and these comments from Woodgate suggest that Kelly could be the sweeper of the two and cover runs in-behind, allowing Lascelles to avoid being caught out due to a lack of pace.

It could also allow Howe to deploy a higher line across his defence as the pace of Kelly would facilitate it. Playing a high line with slow centre-backs is a recipe for disaster due to how easy it would be to turn them and get in-behind, but having a defender who can cover ground quickly will alleviate that particular issue. Therefore, the arrival of Kelly could get the best out of Lascelles and be a dream signing for Howe…

AND in other news, NUFC played blinder with “outstanding” gem whose value has soared 1900% in 2 years…

Manchester City are reportedly leading the race to sign in-demand Fiorentina striker Dušan Vlahović, according to reports by La Repubblica (as shared by TuttoJuve).

The Lowdown: Vlahović is hot property

The Serbia international has been gaining plenty of attention ahead of the January transfer window following his fantastic start to the 2021/22 Serie A campaign.

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

Vlahović sits as the top scorer in Italy this season, having netted an incredible 16 times in 18 matches. This has made the 21-year-old one of the most highly sought-after players in European football right now.

Vlahović looks set to be on the move in either the upcoming January window or over the summer, having rejected Fiorentina’s contract proposals, with his current deal set to expire in 2023.

Arsenal, Tottenham and Juventus have all been linked with the player, so Pep Guardiola will be up against some stern competition as he attempts to bring the Serbian to Manchester in January.

The Latest: Manchester City lead the race

According to reports by La Repubblica (as shared by TuttoJuve), it has been suggested that City have the best chance of anyone of signing Vlahović, with Juventus not at the forefront of the transfer race.

Reports have suggested that the 21-year-old’s preference is to remain in Italy until the end of the season before making his move in the summer, and it appears that City are the front-runners in securing the player’s signature.

The Verdict: Would be an unbelievable signing

With many of Europe’s top clubs fighting it out for the striker’s signature, this would prove to be a phenomenal signing for Guardiola. National teammate Sergej Milinkovic-Savic has described the youngster as ‘outstanding’, saying that ‘he’s bound to become one of the greats’.

After failing to bring Harry Kane to the Etihad Stadium in the summer, the City boss is still on the lookout for an attacker, and it is claimed that Vlahović is his priority. He is said to be ‘in love’ with the Serbian’s goal-scoring ability, so this could be a dream transfer for all parties involved.

In other news: ‘Take the £50m and run’, ‘Let him go’ – Lots of Man City fans erupt at Fabrizio Romano transfer claim

As per Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas, some transfer news has come out of West Ham United, and it involves Borussia Monchengladbach star Matthias Ginter.

The Lowdown: Newman and Moyes face big summer…

Hammers officials, according to club insider Claret & Hugh, are soon set for a crunch meeting to determine the amount of money which will be allocated to both David Moyes and head of recruitment Rob Newman’s transfer kitty.

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

Depending on the outcome of these financial discussions, Moyes and Newman could be set for a big window, but a lot could also come down to West Ham’s run in the Europa League or if they qualify for Europe next season.

The free agent market, as a result, could be a fruitful source for talent to bolster West Ham’s squad at zero cost.

Sharing news, Sky journalist Thomas has now lifted the lid on a potential Bosman transfer for the club this summer.

The Latest: West Ham eye Ginter…

As per his sources, the Irons are now eyeing Bundesliga defender and Germany international Ginter – joining ‘a lot of top clubs’ who have been keeping tabs on the in-demand star.

The 28-year-old, as he’s already confirmed, is set to move on this summer after his contract expires – prompting West Ham to now take note as they eye him for Moyes.

The Verdict: Make a move?

Ginter, a mainstay for his club, has played the second-most top flight minutes for Gladbach behind goalkeeper Yann Sommer – all while ranking in as their fourth-best performer by average match rating (WhoScored).

He’s also made the second-most clearances per 90 (3) out of their squad, standing out as a solid and reliable defender who could seemingly strengthen Moyes’ options at centre-half.

Valued at around £21.6 million by Transfermarkt, bypassing this fee entirely and signing Ginter for free comes as a potential bargain for West Ham.

In other news: West Ham insider: Irons officials set for crunch talks as Moyes personally plots ‘special’ player bid, find out more here.

Rangers are among the clubs in the race to sign an England international goalkeeper this summer, according to The Daily Mail. 

The lowdown

The £32,500-per-week contract of West Brom netminder Sam Johnstone runs until the end of June, at which point he will be free to choose his next club.

The Englishman was the Baggies’ first-choice ‘keeper in the Premier League last season and wound up staying put despite their demotion to the Championship. He’s made 34 league appearances for Steve Bruce’s side, who sit 12th in the table.

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

Rangers may need a new goalkeeper for next season, with 40-year-old veteran Allan McGregor also out of contract over the summer.

The latest

The Daily Mail’s Simon Jones and Sam May wrote that Rangers have ‘expressed an interest’ in signing Johnstone, having identified him as a potential replacement for McGregor. However, they face competition from at least four clubs south of the border.

Tottenham Hotspur, who apparently looked poised to sign him at one point in January, want him to provide cover and competition for Hugo Lloris, while recruitment staff at Newcastle United, West Ham United and Southampton have all discussed making a move for the 29-year-old ‘in recent months’ as well.

The verdict

Johnstone would be an excellent signing for Rangers.

He was unfortunate not to get a move last summer, having been a shining light in an otherwise dour to-flight campaign for West Brom. Johnstone was among the nine best shot-stoppers in the division (‘preventing’ 4.4 goals) and was named Player of the Season by both his team-mates and the club’s supporters.

Even after the Baggies’ relegation, the £7.2m-rated stopper earned call-ups for the first three international windows of the 2021/22 season during the autumn. He has won three caps for Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions up to this point, underlining his pedigree.

He may be seen not only as a successor to – but also an upgrade on – McGregor, who was questioned for his role in Celtic’s equaliser in Sunday’s Old Firm defeat. Ibrox legend Ally McCoist said that the £13,000-per-week veteran ought to have parried Reo Hatate’s strike ‘wider’, duly allowing Tom Rogic to convert the rebound.

Would Johnstone pick Rangers over Spurs? The Daily Mail’s report noted the 29-year-old’s ambition to make the England squad for the World Cup at the end of the year, and you could argue that he would be better served playing weekly at Ibrox than his likely destiny as Hugo Lloris’ little-used understudy if he goes to north London, where the Frenchman is virtually undroppable.

In other news, Rangers could suffer a £5m blow