All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

With their 2-1 win over Ross County in the Premiership now behind them, Celtic have the Scottish League Cup final against Hibernian to deal with before continuing their push for the top-flight title.

In terms of which players Ange Postecoglou could pick to start against Hibs, one player who featured in the win in Dingwall and should be in the starting XI this afternoon is Liam Scales, who is currently earning £5k-per-week according to Salary Sport.

Why Scales must start

Playing at left-back against Ross County, the 23-year-old central defender showed Postecoglou just how capable he is in that position on his first league start of the season after coming on as a substitute in the second half of their 3-0 win over Dundee United, when he got himself on the scoresheet.

During his 90 minutes on the pitch in midweek, the Irishman made himself a real nuisance for Ross County in an attacking sense by completing two key passes, two crosses and two long balls, as well as having one shot whilst completing one successful dribble and setting up Liel Abada’s goal.

From a defensive point of view, Scales made two tackles and one interception and won eight of his 12 duels, proving why he was previously described as an “aggressive” player by one-time St Johnstone man Graham Gartland and why he could potentially bully Hibernian’s players today.

This display ultimately earned the 23-year-old a solid overall match rating of 7.5/10, making him Celtic’s third-highest rated player on the night according to SofaScore.

Even though Greg Taylor has often played at left-back for Celtic this season, Scales has shown that he is more than capable of delivering a top performance in that position.

Therefore, we reckon Postecoglou should stick with the Irishman on the left-hand side of defence, as he could bully Hibs and help the 56-year-old to lift his first trophy as Hoops manager.

In other news: Celtic handed potential injury boost ahead of Hibs which will surely leave fans thrilled

Aston Villa could still lose midfielder Douglas Luiz this transfer window ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline day with Tottenham Hotspur reportedly planning a bid for the Brazilian.

What’s the latest?

According to The Daily Mail, Villa’s Premier League rivals Tottenham are preparing a £32m bid for the 23-year-old with the north London club reportedly panicking ahead of the transfer window closing on Monday.

Antonio Conte’s side are still yet to make a signing having missed out on Wolves’ Adama Traore and Porto’s Luis Diaz, but are also looking to add Juventus attacker Dejan Kulusevski to their ranks as well as Luiz.

With 18 months left on his contract, the Aston Villa midfielder will have to make a decision as to whether or not his long-term future still lies in the West Midlands soon, however, Villa boss Steven Gerrard wants to ensure that he will have the services of one of his star players until the end of the season at least.

Villa must keep Luiz

Since the arrival of Gerrard, the Villans’ season has significantly turned around for the better. The Birmingham outfit are 11th in the Premier League and have at least one game in hand on numerous teams near them.

Qualifying for European football this term looks to be a tall task, however, it’s certainly not impossible. If the Englishman and co. are serious about a push to finish the season amongst the top-flight’s elite, then keeping Luiz will certainly be vital.

The Brazilian has made 17 league appearances this term and is an essential cog for Gerrard’s setup. The 41-year-old has often deployed a 4-3-3 formation with Luiz in the heart of midfield alongside John McGinn and the likes of Marvelous Nakamba or Jacob Ramsey.

Nakamba is set to stay on the sidelines until April and therefore the Villa boss cannot afford to lose a midfielder this transfer window, particularly to a Premier League rival. It’s safe to say that doing so would be something of a disaster, especially with the club yet to bid for Rodrigo Bentancur.

They’d ultimately have very few options in midfield, something that could have dire ramifications for their campaign.

Averaging 1.2 interceptions and 1.9 tackles as well as an 84% passing accuracy per game in the top-flight, Luiz’s physicality in midfield is a significant asset, with the 23-year-old often entrusted to be Villa’s engine.

With just over a day left of the window, it would certainly deal Aston Villa a hefty blow if the 23-year-old departed for north London, particularly mid-season with there still so much to play for at Villa Park.

Former Scotland manager Alex McLeish believes that Nicolas Tagliafico is a player who could help take Leeds United up another level.

Marcelo Bielsa may be looking for reinforcements all over the pitch this summer, but left-back would appear to be a priority position. With Ezgjan Alioski expected to move on to pastures new, an experienced campaigner to replace him is of the utmost importance for Leeds.

Tagliafico has emerged as a prime candidate to move to Elland Road, having enjoyed a successful spell at Ajax which has brought with it two Eredivisie titles.

McLeish talks up Leeds’ move for Tagliafico

Speaking to Football Insider, McLeish explained why he thinks the 28-year-old would be a shrewd addition if Leeds bring him to Elland Road, saying:

“Alioski has not really done anything wrong. He’s been shifted into left back, he’s usually a forward player and did well in those areas when coming from midfield.

“You have to give him credit but for any team to look at going forward they need to look at which positions they can improve.

“With Alioski not being a natural left back, you think Leeds would be looking at somebody like Tagliafico.

“It makes sense, Leeds want to get to the next level and to do that they need to get more quality in.”

Transfer Tavern take

In truth, it is hard to find too many negatives with regards to Leeds signing Tagliafico, with the left-back possessing a perfect mix of experience and quality. He knows how to win trophies and is an established Champions League competitor, while 27 caps for Argentina also speaks volumes about his pedigree, with four of those coming at the 2018 World Cup.

At 28, he isn’t a player who would be arriving in the twilight of his career either, with several more years at the top to be expected. Plus, his defensive numbers this season are strong, averaging 2.1 successful aerial duels, two successful tackles and 1.9 interceptions per league game – each of those compares quite favourably with the figures posted by Leeds’ current squad.

Therefore, McLeish is right to talk up the Whites’ transfer links with Tagliafico.

In other news, a pundit has made a big claim about one Leeds player’s future. Find out who it is here.

Journalist Julian Laurens has been reacting to an Aston Villa transfer ‘reveal’ involving Marseille midfielder Boubacar Kamara.

The Lowdown: Gerrard, Lange and Purslow in attendance

Steven Gerrard appears to be making a head start when it comes to summer signings, with midfield seemingly a key area he wants to bolster.

Geoffrey Kondogbia and Ibrahim Sangare have both been recently scouted, while Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips is also on their radar.

Kamara is the latest player Villa have now watched, with Gerrard, Johan Lange and Christian Purslow in attendance to look at the Marseille star in action against Nantes on Wednesday.

The Latest: Laurens reacts

Laurens took to Twitter to react to the update involving Villa and Kamara. He labelled the 22-year-old as a ‘fantastic player’ and appeared to be excited for Villa, should they land his services on a free transfer.

“RMC reveal that Steven Gerrard was at Marseille – Nantes at the Stade Velodrome tonight to watch Boubacar Kamara. He is out of contract in the summer. What a signing he would be for Aston Villa. Fantastic player.”

The Verdict: Would’ve left impressed…

Kamara is valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt and can also turn out as a centre-back, so a free transfer could be an extremely shrewd move by Villa.

Kamara’s display would have left Gerrard, Lange and Purslow impressed in the 3-2 win for Marseille. As per SofaScore, Kamara was the third-best player on the pitch with a match rating of 7.8/10. Turning out in a three-man midfield, the Frenchman completed a whopping 105 of his 112 attempted passes, won six of his nine duels and even won a penalty.

Villa may now look to step up their interest following his display, with the club able to make contact over a pre-contract agreement right now due to his contract situation in France.

In other news: Source: Villa and Lange now working on another new deal for star Gerrard says has ‘got the lot’. 

According to a report by Football Insider, West Ham United and GSB have made contact over potentially signing Dinamo Zagreb forward Mislav Orsic in the summer – with plenty of Irons erupting as this ‘mad’ news emerges.

Orsic, who has bagged an impressive 19 goals in all competitions this season (Transfermarkt), is also attracting interest from Arsenal as FI claim that West Ham could enter a transfer battle over the player.

An Irons source told the outlet that GSB have already made an enquiry for the 28-year-old, coming after he dismantled Tottenham Hotspur in a memorable Europa League tie.

Indeed, the 28-year-old bagged a hat-trick to knock Jose Mourinho’s men out of Europe – with supporters now wowed as links emerge to his possible signing.

One Hammers fan even called the story ‘mad’, and given their interest has only recently came to light following his noteworthy Europa League outing, it could be considered a surprising development.

Find all of their verdicts on the news down below.

West Ham fans erupt over Orsic news

“Madddd”

Credit: @MorganMcginley4

“Do not MESS WITH ME LIKE THIS”

Credit: @NStampar

“GET HIM IN”

Credit: @whuraffa

“Omggggggg”

Credit: @joelitt78828048

“ya beauty”

Credit: @JackkWHU

“Buy buy buy”

Credit: @FrencHammer

“He’d be a superb signing”

Credit: @HoskingsHammers

“bring this man in”

Credit: @SumCalled

In other news: West Ham are also apparently weighing up this £18m-rated ace who Moyes nearly signed, find out more here.

Crystal Palace are interested in a swoop for Borussia Dortmund midfielder Thomas Delaney as he eyes a move to England [The Boot Room via Sky Germany].

The Lowdown: Crystal Palace drift closer to the 2021/22 campaign

Looking towards 2021/22, much mystery still surrounds the direction of the Eagles as they remain manager-less owing to the departure of Roy Hodgson last month [Independent].

Still keen on recruiting players, they have made one addition to the Selhurst Park fold this window in the form of 22-year-old American midfielder Jacob Montes [Crystal Palace FC Official].

They could now be set to target a major coup following recent claims.

The Latest: Delaney linked with Palace; other Premier League sides are also interested

Palace are embroiled in a transfer pursuit for Denmark international Delaney [The Boot Room].

He is in the last year of his contract at the Signal Iduna Park, whilst is rumoured to have agitated for a switch to English football should the correct opportunity present itself.

Southampton and Norwich City are also said to be interested in the 29-year-old.

However, Crystal Palace may hold an advantage over at least one of these clubs, following news that the Canaries are set to acquire Chelsea midfielder Billy Gilmour on a season-long loan deal instead [Sky Sports].

The Verdict: Delaney would be a major coup

On the face of it, Delaney would be a top signing whose attributes and mentality would be tailor-made for Premier League football.

In 2020/21, the anchor man was outstanding for the North-Rhine side, making 34 appearances and registering six goal contributions; one goal and five assists [Transfermarkt].

He has also shone at EURO 2020 with his native Denmark, making 16 ball recoveries in four games for the quarter-finalists [UEFA].

A born winner, he has amassed 11 trophies during his time in senior football; five Danish Superliga titles and four Danish Cup trophies with Copenhagen, accompanied by one DFL-Super Cup and a DFB-Pokal in 2021 with Borussia Dortmund [Transfermarkt].

Once described as a ‘very important player’ by Edin Terzić, he has been a midfield lynchpin throughout his career [FanSided], with a mixture of toughness and quality which is sure to improve the Eagles.

Providing battling midfield qualities with two tackles per game in the German top flight this season, Delaney is definitely a player Steve Parish and co should be going all out for.

In other news, Crystal Palace fans react to an official club communication.

Nuno Santo could kickstart his Tottenham Hotspur reign with a massive bang by signing long-time transfer target Joachim Andersen this window…

What’s the word?

The 25-year-old has been firmly linked with a switch to North London over the last few months and now, according to Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, he’s a player that remains on their shortlist following the appointment of the Portuguese head coach.

Back in April, the Telegraph claimed Spurs were one of several Premier League teams monitoring the Dane’s situation as he’s set to return to parent club Lyon after a loan spell at relegated Fulham.

The Ligue 1 outfit are expected to let him depart permanently this summer for a fee in the region of £25m, whilst Eurosport’s Dean Jones told the ‘Touchline Talk’ podcast that the Lilywhites were in “pole position” to secure him over North London rivals Arsenal.

Start with a bang

If Nuno wants to make sure he starts his Spurs career on the right path, then he absolutely has to bolster that struggling backline.

Last season, they recorded the worst defensive record of any of the ‘traditional’ top six, leaking as many as 45 goals from their 38 league outings, and in 2019/20, his Wolves side had a better record than Spurs too.

This largely boiled down to a couple of factors.

The presence of wily veteran Jan Vertonghen was not sufficiently replaced, with the inexperienced Joe Rodon arriving at the club just before the domestic transfer deadline, though that was with one eye on the future.

As a result, there was a serious lack of cohesion in the backline and that led to many players making individual mistakes that cost the side dearly. It was so bad that, at one stage, Jose Mourinho utilised 16 different combinations in defence. 16.

Former Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara even dubbed the duo of Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier “probably one of the worst partnerships in the Premier League” and urged the club to get rid of them to talkSPORT back in February.

Andersen may not seem like the best of options, considering the Cottagers were relegated back to the Championship, but he was their one shining light, so much so that Scott Parker trusted him with the captain’s armband despite never playing in England before.

Indeed, the six-cap Denmark international made 31 appearances, in which he led the side out on 17 occasions (54.8% of matches), as per Transfermarkt.

His attributes match well to Nuno and his likely system in N17.

An average passing accuracy of 81.4% suggests he’s a solid ball-playing defender, whilst that is supplemented with impressive defensive qualities, having also registered an average of 4.8 clearances, 3.2 aerial duels won, 1.4 interceptions and 1.1 tackles, via WhoScored.

The 6 foot 4 colossus, who is valued at £18m by CIES Football Observatory, has been lauded as an “absolutely sensational” defender and “magnificent” by some in the press, which only goes to show that he perhaps did better than Fulham’s form suggests.

Andersen has also been likened to Manchester United skipper Harry Maguire. “Asked a Danish journo mate about Joachim Andersen. Described him as a great talent, captain material, good in the air, could be faster,” claimed The Sun’s Tom Barclay. “Harry Maguire-type, but smaller. Was excellent at Sampdoria, apparently.”

The Lyon centre-back could be an instant solution to Spurs’ defensive issues and that’s exactly why Nuno must push ahead and sign the long-time target this summer.

AND in other news, Paratici can fix two major Spurs problems with bargain swoop for £18m-rated “warrior”…

The story of Celtic starlet Adam Montgomery is an intriguing one. The talented Hoops prodigy came through the ranks as a striker and forward but he’s been reborn in a new position this term.

He is now a left-back and has gone from running rampant in forward positions to keeping players with similar qualities to his at bay.

Celtic are a club with plenty of pedigree in that position too. They let Andy Robertson go when he was in the U15s while they have recently housed the likes of Aaron Hickey and Kieran Tierney too.

None of them are at the club anymore but Montgomery is very much in the boat of trying to replicate the likes of Tierney.

He was a fan favourite at Paradise and won a multitude of honours before departing for Arsenal in a £25m move two years ago. Celtic have since struggled to replace him, however.

Diego Laxalt was brought in on loan from AC Milan but he is set to head back to Italy in the summer. Greg Taylor has developed nicely in recent months but they could save millions in the transfer window by forgetting about new recruits and bringing through Montgomery instead.

The 18-year-old is yet to make a first-team appearance but has been on the bench in recent weeks and is now training with the seniors.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-howe-favre-edouard-desmond” title= “Read the latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

He has come a long way since being a plucky forward but he certainly deserves an opportunity to play. After all, the Bhoys are witnessing a number of young players heading for the exit door as a result of no senior opportunities.

Cameron Harper has already headed back to America while Karamoko Dembele’s future is uncertain too. He is out of contract and it doesn’t look as though he’ll pen new terms.

Montgomery’s rise, however, could make up for their exits. Whether it’s in Dembele’s position on the wing or further back in defence, there are a number of players he could succeed in the squad.

His sheer versatility would also be a huge option for John Kennedy or any new manager that arrives.

Speaking about his transition from attack to defence, the teenager said a few weeks ago: “When [changing position] was first to put me, I was a bit ‘ahh’. I am a tricky winger normally, I like beating players and getting at people.”

The youngster added: “The way Celtic play full-backs is very attacking so going back to full-back, it hasn’t been a massive difference for me. I’m really enjoying it.”

Montgomery’s mentality and attitude to the game certainly has to be admired. His maturity appears to be well beyond his age.

Based on that and his ability to play in various roles, he has to be handed a chance. He could save Celtic from making some costly blows in the transfer market.

AND in other news, Big update emerges in Celtic manager hunt, it could be great news for fans…

With Celtic set to witness a mass range of departures from Parkhead this summer, there will be some players within their ranks that supporters will be sadder to see leave than others.Losing top goal scorer Odsonne Edouard to the jaws of English football would not be ideal while watching Kristoffer Ajer pack his bags would be difficult as well.

What’s the word?

One player that hasn’t been too popular with the fans this season is Ryan Christie.

His performances have dwindled and now he could be leaving Paradise behind with his contract expiring shortly.

Rather bizarrely, the Scot’s current terms expire in January which means they face losing him for nothing next year.

Fortunately, Southampton look as though they could come to the rescue of both player and club.

According to The Sun, the Saints are interested in landing Christie during the upcoming transfer window and are aiming to watch him in action during Euro 2020.

Also interested are fellow Premier League sides Burnley and Norwich City.

Huge boost

With interest this summer comes the greater chance of actually receiving a fee for Christie, something that wouldn’t be possible next year.

That’s a positive for the club but his exit is likely to be welcomed by the supporters too.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-ajer-howe-lampard-wilshere-gauld” title=”Read the latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

They’ve launched some pretty scathing attacks on the Scotland international this season, bemoaning him for his abject performances.

Traditionally a number 10, Christie has been forced to play out wide for large portions of the campaign due to a prolonged injury to James Forrest.

Unfortunately, his form in that third of the pitch has been dismal.

Last term the 26-year-old racked up 20 goals and 16 assists in all competitions but as Celtic laboured to a trophyless climax, he ended the term with only seven strikes.

To sum up how dismal his form was, he only scored twice in his last 24 league outings, being torn to shreds by various sections of fans because of his long-range shooting.

At one stage this term, the attacker had managed only one goal from 51 attempts at goal from outside of the box.

Courtesy of Bhoys Analytics, a video demonstrates the ease at which Christie wastes promising opportunities. He would drift towards the edge of the area but fire an attempt wildly away from goal instead of sliding in teammates standing in a better position.

A classic example came against Ross County when the player fired five shots off target in a shoddy attacking display. He even spurned an opportunity from a matter of yards out, firing handsomely over the bar after being teed up by Edouard.

With that in mind, losing Christie should come as a boost to Celtic’s chances moving forward. It will also delight the supporters who have been left dismayed with his performances in 2020/21.

AND in other news, 57 y/o “interested” in talking to Celtic about manager role, he’s even worse than Howe…

Flocking to Twitter, many Everton fans have erupted over news on Colombia international James Rodriguez amid unrest surrounding his future on Merseyside.

The 2020 signing, whose contract expires at the end of this season, has been left in the wilderness recently.

Indeed, James was allegedly told by new Everton boss Rafael Benitez that he is surplus to requirements at Goodison Park and was even pictured yachting abroad just a few days ago (The Mirror).

The 30-year-old started 21 Premier League matches under former Blues manager Carlo Ancelotti last season, averaging more key passes per game in the final third (1.7) than any Everton player (WhoScored).

News has now emerged on James, with Colombian reporter Pipe Sierra claiming on social media that the player has rejected a last-minute switch to Istanbul Başakşehir (Twitter).

The Turkish transfer window is now closed, as Sierra added that this rejected move means the 30-year-old will remain at Everton for the time being.

Flocking to Twitter in reaction to what one Toffees supporter called ‘brilliant news’, it seems that there are a large section of fans overjoyed that the ‘world class’ James is still an option for Benitez.

Check out some of their verdicts on the news below.

Everton fans erupt over James news…

“Get him on the pitch”

Credit: @CXDexterHaveNot

“Yes lad”

Credit: @efc_1878__

“LET’S GO”

Credit: @Ctorres2144

“On his day our best player so this is brilliant news. Simple as that.”

Credit: @KBURKE1878

“Thank God”

Credit: @Stefairfield67

“I’m excited to see him play. Hopefully he’s fit enough to get on the pitch on Monday”

Credit: @Schmubb

“Great news! Use him, even for 30-40 minutes a game as a second half sub to start out! He’s trying to get back on Colombia’s national team so he will be playing with a point to prove! He’s a world class talent who should be extremely motivated.”

Credit: @SteveL399

In other news: ‘Yesss’, ‘We are massive’…Many Everton fans flock to Paul Joyce’s update, find out more here.