All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Vaccination passport checks could impact Celtic and their supporters going forward, Celts Are Here have reported.

The Lowdown: Hampden Park issues

Scotland were in action on Saturday against Israel at Hampden Park, running out 3-2 winners in a World Cup qualifying thriller.

Celtic captain Callum McGregor and summer departures Ryan Christie and Jack Hendry were in action for Steve Clarke’s side, but before the game, many fans had trouble getting into the stadium.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-15/” title=”Celtic updates!!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Recent report

Journalist Ryan Capperauld shared an image on Twitter of Scottish supporters queuing to get into Hampden Park 15 minutes after kick-off on Saturday. He labelled it ‘a disgrace’ and the use of vaccine passports ‘a disaster’.

As reported by Celts Are Here, the Hoops are set to bring in various checks at Parkhead and Ange Postecoglou’s side will play at Hampden Park in a League Cup semi-final against St Johnstone next month, so trouble could be around the corner for Celtic supporters.

The Verdict: Get to the stadium early

As Celtic mentioned, fans can help themselves by turning up to Parkhead in good time, with turnstiles set to open two hours before kick-off.

Hopefully the same measures will be in place at Hampden Park next month, but if they aren’t, Celtic fans may be in for a wait similar to Scotland supporters on Saturday and could even risk missing the start of the action as a result.

In other news: Journalist reckons ‘fantastic’ Celtic ace could leave, with Postecoglou overlooking him

Kevin Campbell has given his reaction to the transfer statement which was released by Newcastle United last week.

The Lowdown: Transfer statement

The St. James’ Park faithful released a statement shortly after the summer transfer window shut, highlighting what their intentions were.

They claimed that they wanted to take a ‘sustainable’ approach, and so any money spent on transfers would have to be generated either from player sales or through matchday and non-matchday activities.

The Latest: Campbell reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, former Everton and Arsenal striker Campbell has now claimed that the statement will only increase tensions with the fanbase:

“I think the fans have had enough.

“I say that with the utmost respect because I do respect that club a lot. They deserve better.

“They have brought one player in, Willock, and they are not improving in anything. Then a statement comes out like that, unbelievable.

“The fans have had it up to here. They just want a change, new owners and a fresh start.

“They aren’t getting that at the moment, and that’s the frustrating thing.”

The Verdict: Frustrating

It certainly is frustrating that the North East club were only able to sign one player on a permanent deal of note in Joe Willock from Arsenal, who was there on loan last season anyway.

One has to question whether the sustainability model will work out in the long-term, given that other clubs in the Premier League will no doubt be looking to strengthen their squads further over the next few seasons.

Nonetheless, the Toon Army just want to see some sort of progression, ambition and direction, and it will be difficult to get that unless they are able to sign more players to strengthen the team when the January window comes around.

In other news, find out which £25.8m-rated ace NUFC made a ‘verbal offer’ for here!

When Rafa Benitez was controversially appointed as the new manager of Everton at the beginning of the summer, few would have expected him to begin life in the fashion he has.

The Toffees aren’t only in the top four after the first month of football but they sit level on points with the league leaders Manchester United.

On the chalkboard

Everton have spent a considerable sum of money in the last few years without ever really getting close to the Premier League’s elite.

It is typical, therefore, that after a window where they spent an accumulative £1.7m on five players, they were now well and truly gunning for European football again.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has started the season with three goals in three matches but they owe much of their early season form to their two wingers.

Demarai Gray is showing signs of finally living up to his wonderful potential with three strikes in four appearances while Andros Townsend has hit the ground running too.

The left-footed dynamo was simply superb against Burnley on Monday night as he supplied a delicious cross for Michael Keane to head home and then unleashed a quite magnificent long-range effort that flew into the back of the net.

However, they weren’t the only wingers starring at Goodison Park this week.

Magical McNeil

One player that Everton targeted in the summer transfer window was Burnley’s Dwight McNeil.

The 21-year-old was linked with a £25m swoop but the Clarets were able to hold onto him for another campaign.

It feels like it’s only a matter of time before the flanker earns a bigger move elsewhere, especially if he stars as he did in Merseyside on Monday evening.

Despite his team losing the match, McNeil completed all five of the dribbles he attempted, while delivering another handful of crosses and playing two key passes.

Per SofaScore, he ranked as the club’s best player during the 90 minutes which is hardly surprising given his exciting style of play.

Dubbed “special” by his teammate Ashley Westwood, this isn’t the first time that the England U21 international has terrorised Everton.

During a 2-1 win for Burnley at Goodison back in March, McNeil was on the score sheet as he gave Mason Holgate a torrid time down the left side.

He completed three dribbles on this occasion, conjured up four key passes and managed another five crosses.

Coincidentally, he also gave them a fright in the 1-1 draw at Turf Moor last December. During that clash, the forward produced a jaw-dropping ten crosses and was successful with another five dribbles.

It appears as though McNeil relishes playing against Everton but he could become one of their own in the January window.

On the evidence he’s provided Toffees supporters with already, they’d surely love to see him in the royal blue once the winter arrives.

Benitez simply has to secure him when the next market opens.

AND in other news, Bye-bye James: Rafa must unleash Everton’s “sensational” rarely-seen 17 y/o this term…

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a huge injury boost ahead of their Premier League opener this afternoon…

What’s the latest?

Nuno Santo will take the dugout for his first competitive game in charge of the North London outfit when his side welcomes defending champions Manchester City to N17 later today.

And he’ll be massively bolstered by the availability of summer signing Cristian Romero, who appears to be in contention to feature.

The 23-year-old signed on a season’s loan with a €55m (£46.5m) option to buy from Serie A outfit Atalanta and returned from Argentina’s Copa America triumph with a knee injury.

It’s believed that Romero picked up the problem during the final against Brazil, where he was forced off the pitch in the 79th minute. However, it seems that he has shaken off the knock and could now be available to Nuno for this massive fixture.

“Cristian’s injury was in the Copa America. He had his holiday, totally recovered and he’s been able to train,” claimed the Portuguese head coach to the club’s official website. “He’s doing well, but as I said, the players who haven’t had many sessions. We need to be very careful when we decide to put them on the pitch.”

A timely boost

It remains to be seen whether Romero is a contender to start, to feature on the bench or to not be involved at all but the fact that he is injury-free is certainly a major, major boost to Spurs right now.

Last season, the Lilywhites’ biggest problem was in their backline, which is why Fabio Paratici and co have secured a move for him this transfer window.

Indeed, they recorded the worst defensive record of any of the traditional ‘big six’ and that was largely down to a combination of a lack of leadership and individual mistakes.

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

After Spurs sanctioned the exit of Toby Alderweireld to Qatar, Nuno was left with only three centre-backs, of which one – Joe Rodon – is vastly inexperienced in the Premier League.

The other two, Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier, were deemed one of the “worst” partnerships in the top-flight last season by former Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara. That’s who Nuno would be likely to start in the absence of Romero.

The 6 foot 1 monster led Serie A for interceptions per game (3.1) and was handed the division’s defensive MVP award for the 2020/21 season, leading to Italian football expert Conor Clancy dubbing him “phenomenal” to This is Futbol.

If the £31.5m-rated colossus can feature this afternoon, in any capacity, then it gives Spurs a better chance of pulling off a shock result. After all, the North London side finished 24 points behind the Citizens. Not to mention the Harry Kane saga that has since emerged.

As a result, Nuno will surely be buzzing by this latest development.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Romero: Spurs can form scary duo by signing £55m “extraordinary talent”…

Kurt Zouma may not be the only player West Ham United sign from down the river…

What’s the word?

According to the ever-reliable ExWHUemployee, the Irons could explore a move for his Chelsea teammate Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Earlier this month, The Sun’s Alan Nixon reported that the Champions of Europe were looking to send the 25-year-old out on loan once again this season to try and get his career back on track.

He has quickly slipped down the pecking order under Thomas Tuchel at Stamford Bridge. He spent time on loan to relegated Fulham last season and has been capped ten times by England.

Strength in depth

Hammers boss David Moyes must actually consider a move for the 6 foot 3 colossus as he would add some much-needed depth to his threadbare engine room.

If Declan Rice or Tomas Soucek were to get injured this season, it could be disastrous as the club will be competing in the Europa League. Their back-up is the retiring Mark Noble and that’s it.

Signing a player of Loftus-Cheek’s calibre on loan, for nothing, would be a wise and shrewd call from the 58-year-old manager.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-west-ham-news-transfer-rumours-the-latest-gossip-and-much-much-more-2” title= “Read the latest West Ham team and injury news, transfer rumours, gossip and much, much more!”]

It’s easy to forget that the £16.2m-rated beast bagged ten goals and provided five assists from midfield during the 2018/19 season, playing a big part in Chelsea’s Europa League run that year.

Such experience in Europe would be another beneficial factor behind signing him. He and Rice could be a solid unit in the heart of the pitch, especially given past comments on the Englishman.

BT Sport pundit Owen Hargreaves once hailed Loftus-Cheek as an “unstoppable force” following a hat-trick against BATE Borisov, whilst his manager at Fulham Scott Parker described him as “unplayable” back in February this year.

The Chelsea outcast is a player capable of bringing the ball out from midfield, having averaged 1.3 dribbles and 1.2 shots per game, via WhoScored, for the struggling Cottagers last term.

Loftus-Cheek is thought to be earning only £60k-per-week in west London, so the club wouldn’t need to put a sizeable investment into a loan move. It would effectively be pretty low risk and in turn, Moyes would be getting a much-needed and vastly-experienced option in midfield.

AND in other news, talkSPORT drop huge West Ham transfer claim…

Many Southampton fans do not want the club to sign Nathaniel Phillips from Liverpool this summer after they were linked with a move for the centre-back.

The Saints will kick off their Premier League season against Everton at St Mary’s on Saturday. Ralph Hasenhuttl and co will be looking to improve on their 15th-placed finish from last term and they will be hoping that the three signings they have made will provide a boost.

According to The Athletic, the Saints are interested in signing Phillips from the Reds and have made contact with the Merseyside club. As Jurgen Klopp’s side were hit with several defensive injuries last season, Phillips ended up making 20 appearances in all competitions (Transfermarkt) – the Anfield outfit are now said to be looking for between £12m and £15m to part with the 24-year-old, who had played just once for their first team prior to 2020/21.

The news was shared on Twitter by @SaintsExtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts, with many unconvinced by Phillips, perhaps given his relative inexperience at 24.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the Phillips link

“Relegate us now”

Credit: @IsaacPollard12

“Pain”

Credit: @PieterJCL

“Please no and please no to Sorloth”

Credit: @jamesalexwhite7

“Another duffer. The links to the PSV kid and Tammy A just sound like pandering to the fans with little chance of them coming off. Another disappointing pre season”

Credit: @Stumando28

“I’d be livid if we spent anything more than £5m. I don’t rate him at all. Would be a waste of money”

Credit: @SFCMart

“Things just get worse at this club day by day”

Credit: @SaintLiam02

In other news, Southampton want to sign this Ligue 1 defender.

Liverpool have received a significant boost ahead of the new campaign after Virgil van Dijk extended his contract with the club until the summer of 2025.

What’s the story?

A report on Sky Sports revealed that the 30-year-old centre-back had put pen to paper on fresh terms after he announced the news on Twitter.

Van Dijk is the latest Liverpool star to commit his future to the Anfield club, with Alisson Becker, Fabinho and Trent Alexander-Arnold also signing new deals over the summer.

Liverpool fans will be absolutely buzzing

The Netherlands captain became the world’s most expensive defender when he moved from Southampton to Liverpool in a £75m transfer back in January 2018.

Since arriving on Merseyside, Van Dijk has undoubtedly lived up to his price tag, establishing himself as one of the best central defenders in the modern era. He became a crucial cog in Klopp’s setup, scoring 13 goals and providing six assists in 130 appearances for the Reds, inspiring them to a maiden Premier League title and sixth Champions League crown while finishing second in the Ballon D’Or in 2019.

However, a serious knee injury sustained in last season’s Merseyside derby ruled Van Dijk out for nine months, meaning that he missed the majority of 2020/21. With fellow centre-backs Joe Gomez and Joel Matip also sidelined with long-term injuries, it left Klopp needing to cobble together a plethora of previously untried defensive partnerships.

Liverpool’s title defence duly collapsed, with an unprecedented six-game losing streak at Anfield over the winter taking hold in Van Dijk’s absence.

However, after making his comeback to first-team action in pre-season, the former Celtic ace is looking forward to what the new campaign brings.

“All the hard work we’ve put in so far continues, and I am looking forward to what the future brings together with Liverpool. I’m delighted, very happy and proud,” Van Dijk said.

“Since day one, when I joined the club, I felt so much appreciation from the fans and from my teammates and the staff, that I could be a very important member of this football club.

“It has been going well; unfortunately last season for me personally has been a season to forget, to learn from and take with me, but I have enjoyed my time here and will keep enjoying it in the next couple of years altogether with all of you,” he concluded.

Liverpool kick off their new season with an away fixture against newly-promoted Norwich City on Saturday evening, and Van Dijk is excited to get going again.

“I feel like I am ready for the weekend, so we’ll see what the manager decides. It is going to be a totally different atmosphere and mindset for me personally as well,” he added.

The club’s supporters will be absolutely buzzing that their talismanic defender has signed a new contract, giving them a new wave of hope and optimism ahead of the upcoming campaign.

In other news…Liverpool must axe “unbelievable” £7.2m-rated beast this summer, he’s not good enough 

The Transfer Tavern’s EFL spy reckons that Ipswich will be able to make some good quality loan deals this window.

Paul Cook’s team will be hoping it’s third time lucky in their bid to return to the Championship after their second season at League One level ended disastrously.

The Ipswich boss is expected to be a busy man this summer as he looks to bolster his squad ahead of another promotion push.

One position that desperately needs filling is between the sticks.

Whilst he’s already signed Salford stopper Vaclav Hladky, Ipswich have already lost two senior goalkeepers and are expected to move on last season’s number one Tomas Holy, who’s reportedly surplus to requirements at Portman Road.

With that in mind, the EFL insider reckons that Cook should turn his attention to Aston Villa’s Jed Steer, who made just two Carabao Cup appearance for Villa last season and will be looking for more regular first-team football.

He exclusively told The Transfer Tavern:

“Obviously, Ipswich being a big club helps but with them needing a central midfielder and goalkeeper, good quality loans will still be attainable for them. Jed Steer at Aston Villa has top handling and would be a great option.”

Arsenal are said to be leading the race to sign Manuel Locatelli in this transfer window…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Sassuolo sporting director Giovanni Carnevali, who confirmed that the Gunners have held talks with the Serie A outfit over a potential move for the midfielder, as per Sky in Italy.

He explained: “There is interest from their side, we haven’t explored all the terms and evaluations, but we have an excellent relationship with Juventus so we will continue these talks.

“It’s true that other clubs from abroad are interested, Arsenal are one of these and they are ahead of everyone else because they tabled the only concrete offer we have received so far.”

Locatelli’s asking price is believed to be in the region of €40m (£36m).

Imagine him and White

The 23-year-old is currently at Euro 2020, where he has excelled under Roberto Mancini for Italy. Heading into their quarter-final clash with Belgium tonight, Locatelli has picked up his 13th cap by featuring in three of their four games thus far, in which he has found the net twice, via Transfermarkt.

Only three other players have managed a better average rating than his 7.46, as per WhoScored figures, and that merely continues on from his fine season in the Italian top -flight.

Again, only international teammate Domenico Berardi outranked the £36m-rated Locatelli in Sassuolo’s 2020/21 season, whilst he topped the charts for tackles per match (2.4) and wasn’t far behind for interceptions (1.5 per game), shots (1.2) and key passes (1.1), via WhoScored.

This suggests that the 6 foot 1 beast is an impressive box-to-box midfielder, so it should come as no surprise to see him described as a “real dominator” in the engine room, as well as being dubbed “complete” by Eurosport Italy journalist Carlofillipo Vardelli.

The Gunners are also thought to be closing in on the signing of Brighton centre-back Ben White as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his backline following the departure of David Luiz, on top of last season’s disappointing finish.

If sporting director Edu Gaspar can secure both White and Locatelli, then he will certainly give the Emirates Stadium faithful something to shout about, especially with crowds expected to return to full capacity.

Securing both players would be phenomenal business and the sort of double coup which can bring excitement back to north London to get the club rocking once again.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Bellerin: Edu can strike gold with Arsenal swoop for “special” £20m-rated gem…

Aston Villa rate Tyrone Mings very highly and are willing to accept his flaws, journalist Luke Hatfield has told Football FanCast.

This comes after former Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor claimed his old side would not sell Mings for £60m.

The 28-year-old central defender has been such an important figure for manager Dean Smith, making 36 appearances in the Premier League last season.

Mings can be prone to making the odd mistake now and again, something some pundits have been quick to notice and criticise.

Given his playing style, though, it is something Villa accept and they still rate him very highly, according to Hatfield of the Express & Star.

“He does have a little bit of a mistake in him now and then, but I think Villa are willing to accept that, because he is brave on the ball and willing to play out,” the Aston Villa journalist said.

“He is capable of those long passes in behind and I think we’ve seen it, not only for Villa but also for England at times, where he is willing to put that long ball forward. So he does have his flaws it’s fair to say, but he’s still an improving player as well and at centre-back, you’ve got plenty of years left in the tank.

“Villa clearly rate him highly and Dean Smith does see him as one of his favourites.”

£60m would obviously be a lot of money to turn down. But given all of the above, it is not hard to imagine Villa rejecting big bids for the England international.

When you also look at their determination to keep hold of captain Jack Grealish, simply put, the Villans are not coming across as a selling club.