All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Celtic will have one thing on their mind this summer – building the squad and coaching staff to mount a title challenge.

The Hoops have surrendered their grasp of the Premiership title and it has cost Neil Lennon his job.

What’s the word?

One area where they may look to improve is offensively. Odsonne Edouard has regularly been linked with a move away and the latest on his situation is that Liverpool are interested in securing his services.

That’s according to Anfield Central, who reported this week that the Reds were ready to structure a deal which would see Divock Origi go in the opposite direction.

The Belgian has received minimal game-time this season and thus could leave Merseyside when the window opens this summer.

Edouard has been linked with a number of Premier League clubs in recent months, with West Ham and Leicester also reportedly interested in the Frenchman.

Ideal replacement

Origi has only scored once this season but that isn’t a fair barometer of the striker’s abilities. After all, he has started just twice in the Premier League throughout 2020/21,

The Belgian has a habit of scoring big goals, however. Whether it was against Barcelona in the 2018/19 Champions League or in the final itself, he is often the man for the big occasion.

Origi is still only 25 and you sense there is far more to come from a player who has had two successful loan spells away from Liverpool in the past.

He scored seven times during a short stint with Wolfsburg after netting nine times for Lille in 2014/15. Despite his lack of game-time, he has also scored 35 goals for Liverpool. You don’t manage that sort of tally without having a bit of quality about you.

Brendan Rodgers also rates him highly, something which should add to the lure of him replacing Edouard. Just as he did with the Frenchman, the former Celtic manager was the man who initially signed Origi for Liverpool.

Speaking about the forward in previous years, Rodgers noted: “We had him [Origi] at Melwood, the scouting team there had a wonderful presentation showing him from 15 years of age and we showed him how we would like to progress his game.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-boupendza-mcgeady-marsch-mccarthy” title=”Latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

Rodgers added: “He is a great talent. He hasn’t been allowed to show it as much as he would like because of the talent that is there [at Liverpool].”

If a player is good enough for Rodgers, then he’s certainly good enough for Celtic.

Origi feels like the type of player who could thrive in the Scottish game and get his career back on track. It would also be cost-effective including him in a deal with Edouard.

AND in other news, 4 dribbles, 4 key passes: Keane surely licking his lips at Celtic star’s int’l display…

Southampton earned their first win in 10 league matches with a 2-0 win against relegation-threatened Sheffield United on Saturday afternoon, with Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side well worthy of the three points at Bramall Lane.

A penalty from James Ward-Prowse gave the Saints the lead before Che Adams came back to haunt his old club by scoring a screamer to seal the points in the second half.

Truthfully, it could have been more comfortable for Hasenhuttl’s side, with Takumi Minamino and Nathan Tella guilty of big misses, but the Austrian will surely be relieved that his side were finally able to bring an end to their woeful recent form.

Whilst Tella is rightfully earning a lot of plaudits for his display, as he won the penalty in the first half and caused the Sheffield United defence all sorts of problems with his pace, it was arguably Stuart Armstrong who was the star performer against Chris Wilder’s side.

As per SofaScore, the Scottish international earned an impressive 7.4 match rating for his display, which was the best of any Southampton player, and the joint-best of any player from either side on the pitch. Tella, meanwhile, earned a 7.0 match rating.

During the 90 minutes, Armstrong played four key passes, which was the most of any player on the pitch (SofaScore), and he also picked up an assist for Adams’ goal as his chested lay-off was perfect for the former Birmingham striker to rifle home an incredible volley.

The former Celtic man was more than willing to run at the Sheffield United defence, as he completed two of his five dribbles during the game, more than the 1.5 dribbles per game he has averaged in the top-flight so far this season.

He was not just impressive from a creative point of view, however, as he also worked superbly with Kyle Walker-Peters down the right-hand side from a defensive point of view.

During his time on the pitch, the 26-year-old completed five tackles and made three interceptions, which is far more than the two tackles and 0.9 interceptions he has averaged in the Premier League this season.

Therefore, whilst Tella might be the name on a lot of Southampton fans’ lips after his promising display, it was arguably Armstrong who was the star at Bramall Lane, and Hasenhuttl will surely be delighted with the work he put in from both an attacking and a defensive perspective.

And, in other news… Leach confirms injury boost to “super-talented” gem, Ralph surely buzzing

Despite the arrival of Thiago Alcantara last summer, Liverpool are reportedly interested in bolstering their midfield options again, this time with Sheffield United’s Sander Berge.

According to EuroSport, the Reds are contemplating making a move for the Norwegian, with him likely to be available following the Blades’ inevitable relegation to the Championship.

With the Reds seemingly keen to improve their midfield depth following a disastrous 2020/21 title defence, Berge appears to be a great option.

Before signing for Sheffield United in the winter transfer window of 2020, it was clear Berge was already a talent.

He had already earned 20 caps for his country, as well as interesting some of Europe’s biggest clubs. Ahead of his move to Bramall Lane, it was reported that Tottenham Hotspur were interested in signing him.

Jurgen Klopp had even made his admiration of the Norwegian clear in the past labelling him as a “very interesting player” following a meeting between Genk and Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League.

The midfielder seemingly took like a duck to water in the Premier League upon his arrival in Sheffield, scoring a goal and notching an assist during his first half-season, whilst also racking up an impressive 1.6 tackles per game, according to WhoScored.

Whilst Berge hasn’t been so impressive throughout this season, with the Blades embroiled in a relegation battle, he has still been a solid performer in what has been a disastrous campaign for his team.

With the Blades also about to slip down into the second tier, the Reds might be able to negotiate a better fee for the £16.2m-rated ace.

After all, they have struck gold with Championship-bound stars before in the form of Georginio Wijnaldum from Newcastle United and the signing of Hull City’s Andrew Robertson.

Should the Reds choose to make a move then, they would likely pair Berge with Thiago in the Anfield midfield. This would give the former Bayern Munich man, much less defensive responsibility – an attribute that has somewhat hindered him following his summer arrival.

A move for Berge then makes a lot of sense for Liverpool and FSG and is one that they really should pursue despite the prior signing of the Spaniard.

AND in more news, take a look at how crucial Ozan Kabak was to Liverpool’s win against Wolves on Monday…

Many Wolverhampton Wanderers fans were delighted with striker Willian Jose during his side’s Premier League tie against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

The 29-year-old recently moved to Molineux on loan until the end of the 2020/21 campaign, with an option to buy for £22m in the summer.

Nuno Espirito Santo gave him his first start on Saturday down in South London as Wolves looked to right the wrongs from their recent slump in form, and he showed moments of brilliance from the start.

His movement and his awareness to find a pass was picked out by some fans, particularly early on during the game as the Brazilian attempted to find his feet in the Premier League.

With this in mind, supporters were delighted with Willian Jose’s performance and are looking forward to future matches to see if he can improve further.

Willian Jose is the talk of Wolverhampton

“Jose looks like he is going to be a little bit naughty”

Credit: @katie_lwwfc

“It’s only been 6 minutes but I already love Willian Jose. Great positioning, already causing some problems. Trust in Nuno.”

Credit: @eddieniedorf

“Willian Jose’s movement already looks top-notch”

Credit: @Blakey_Mitchell

“Willian Jose is the real deal. First time watching him. He’s HUNGRY. #wolves”

Credit: @ORFJOE

“Willian Jose looks decent so far”

Credit: @eager_harry

“I really like Willian Jose already”

Credit: @wwfchay

In other news, Ex-referee commented on crucial incident during Wolves’ draw against Chelsea.

Celtic may have already accepted that they will be relinquishing the Premiership crown to Rangers this season, but they can still end their campaign on a high.

Despite an inconsistent campaign littered with injury problems, the Bhoys are back into high gear and are pushing on to what they will hope is a fourth consecutive win. St Johnstone will play host to Celtic on Sunday and won’t want to come away with anything but a victory on home soil.

In order to upset them, the Hoops must attack the match as they have done for their last three fixtures. Neil Lennon has been taking some risks when it comes to his team choices, with one being the decision to axe Shane Duffy and promote Stephen Welsh to the starting lineup.

Odsonne Edouard is back to his goalscoring ways, but Lennon has decided to pair him up with a strike partner for the last six games. The clinical Frenchman has played alongside Mohamed Elyounoussi, Leigh Griffiths and Albian Ajeti up front, but none have made much difference to his performances.

The latter bagged himself a goal against St Mirren last time out, which was his first goalscoring contribution since his assists against Lille in the Europa League back in October. Ajeti is a rather inconsistent performer and he struggled to do much against the Saints midweek.

According to Sofascore, the striker managed just 16 successful passes and had 29 touches, which was less than Scott Bain in goal with 21 passes and 37 passes. Ajeti also failed to register a single shot towards goal before he was hauled off the pitch just after the hour mark.

Speaking to Football Insider during the week, Frank McAvennie had a lot to say about the £13,500 per week forward’s performance. The former Scotland international blasted Ajeti for “strolling about” during the St Mirren fixture and admitted he would not be satisfied with the Swiss as Edouard’s permanent successor.

To avoid a dip in form, Lennon must make a brutal decision on dropping Ajeti, despite him starting the last three games. Celtic cannot afford to become placid in attack or they risk dropping even more points this term.

In other news, Ryan Christie silenced doubters with performance vs St Mirren…

Southampton have been linked with a move for Leicester City ace Demarai Gray recently and the winger could be the man to replace Nathan Redmond at the South Coast club.

What’s the word?

According to Portuguese news outlet Record (via Sport Witness), Southampton have ‘taken the first steps’ towards signing Gray on a free transfer next summer when his contract with the Foxes expires.

It suggests that although Benfica are interested in signing the 24-year-old, Southampton have contacted his entourage and would be able to offer better financial terms to the Englishman.

Redmond successor?

The former Birmingham City man is clearly surplus to requirements in Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester side, having made just one substitute appearance in the Premier League this season, featuring more prominently in the Premier League 2 with the Foxes’ U’23 side.

During his time with the club, he has made 169 appearances, contributing 13 goals and 17 assists, suggesting that he has never really been able to consistently score and create goals in the Leicester side.

However, he has shown glimpses of his ability, with Rodgers labelling his performance against Bournemouth last season as “excellent”, whilst also suggesting that, despite his lack of appearances, he is a “big talent”.

Gray’s best season in the Premier League perhaps came in the 2018/19 campaign, where he made 34 appearances and contributed four goals but he followed that up with just three starts in the top-flight last season.

However, he could still be an excellent signing for Southampton, if Ralph Hasenhuttl was able to unlock the winger’s obvious potential.

Considering he is valued at £10.8 million by Transfermarkt, it would make a lot of financial sense to sign him on a free transfer, as even if he wasn’t able to perform for the Saints, they would surely be able to make a profit on him in the future.

It could also be argued that Gray could prove to be the successor to Redmond at Southampton, with the former Norwich City man having struggled to perform at times this season, with one goal and no assists in nine appearances in the top-flight, resulting in a less than impressive 6.51 rating.

Gray has rarely enjoyed a strong run of starts in the Leicester team and if Hasenhuttl gave him the opportunity to impress as a regular in this Southampton side, there’s no reason why the former England U21 international couldn’t become a success in the Premier League, so this definitely looks like it could be a worthwhile signing for the Saints.

And, in other news… Southampton should axe 21 y/o once dubbed “fantastic”; he has no future under Hasenhuttl

Crystal Palace are preparing for one of their toughest tests of the season as they travel to face 4-time Premier League champions Manchester City tonight.

Roy Hodgson’s side shared the spoils with Arsenal at the Emirates last time out and they will be hoping that they can carry their momentum into the Premier League clash with the Citizens at the Etihad on Sunday night.

However, Hodgson will be well aware it will be no easy task, as Pep Guardiola’s side have been in brilliant form since the start of the year – having won their past four games across all competitions this season, including a 2-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Here is Football FanCast’s predicted starting line-up for Palace this evening, which sees Hodgson make three changes from the draw with Arsenal.

The Eagles returned to Premier League action on Thursday, recording their first clean sheet in the top flight as they drew with Mikel Arteta’s side at the Emirates.

It was also just the third clean sheet of the season overall for Hodgson’s men as Palace moved to 13th in the table and level on points with newly-promoted Leeds United.

Now they face another tough test against Guardiola’s side, with Palace making the trip to the Etihad on Sunday evening.

Hodgson has no new injury concerns to contend with ahead of today’s clash with City, but this game may come too soon for Gary Cahill, who has worked his way back to fitness.

The Palace boss has called upon the services of Vicente Guaita for every single game in the Premier League this season with the veteran Spaniard continuing to keep Jack Butland out of the side.

Also back are fullbacks Nathaniel Clyne and Patrick van Aanholt, with Joel Ward and Tyrick Mitchell dropping to the bench.

In the midfield Jairo Riedewald will probably come back into the side after being rested on Thursday to start alongside Luka Milivojevic, with Andros Townsend keeping his place on the right in the absence of Jeffrey Schlupp.

This means Eberechi Eze will be free to roam the left-hand side of the pitch, with Wilfried Zaha the focal point in attack.

Christian Benteke was a constant thorn in Arteta’s side and he will hope to extend his recent run of form too.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace still want to sign Ismaila Sarr despite Watford demands…

Ahead of the January transfer window, Everton have been linked with yet another midfield option, though it’s one they should avoid at all costs…

What’s the word?

According to Calciomercato, the Toffees are ‘making concrete steps forward’ in their reported pursuit of Juventus outcast Sami Khedira over a potential deal.

It’s claimed that the German World Cup winner wants to leave Turin and is working to have his contract terminated before the turn of the year.

The 33-year-old is said to want a move sorted out before he leaves the Serie A giants, which is where Everton come into the equation. It remains to be seen where the Merseysiders currently stand in this regard.

Gbamin 2.0?

Khedira is yet to play for Juventus this season and has not featured for the Italian champions since their 0-0 draw with AC Milan in the Coppa Italia back in June.

In fact, that has been his only competitive showing in 2020. This is because the former Real Madrid powerhouse has been battling injuries for the latter part of his career.

During the last two years alone, the veteran midfielder has gone under the needle twice for two knee surgeries and that has got to be a major red flag, especially considering this effectively mirrors the problems the club have been dealing with in the shape of 2019 arrival, Jean-Philippe Gbamin.

The 25-year-old has played just twice for the Toffees since joining for £25m. Whilst it is not his fault, director of football Marcel Brands cannot afford to risk his reported £184k-per-week wages when there’s a risk he won’t even play let alone be the back-up to Allan.

In the past, Khedira has been lauded as an “intelligent and smart player” by Joachim Low whilst Jose Mourinho dubbed him the “best” in his position.

Even Ancelotti has recently waxed lyrical about his former player, he told reporters: “I have a good memory of Sami Khedira, he was with me at Real Madrid and was a fantastic professional. I would love to work with him, but unfortunately, he’s not the only one! I’ve had fantastic players in my career, I’ve had good memories of them.”

Regardless of what he once was, Khedira would be an awful signing for the Toffees to make. It would be inexcusable to crack on and sign him this January, even if he arrived on a free transfer.

AND in other news, Everton flop was worse than Tom Davies during defeat to Leeds…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former West Brom and England midfielder Carlton Palmer has issued a stark January transfer window to the club after the appointment of Sam Allardyce earlier this week.

The Baggies hierarchy pulled the trigger on sacking Slaven Bilic just hours after his side picked up an impressive 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium against Manchester City.

Big Sam was appointed on Wednesday afternoon, ending a two-and-a-half-year hiatus from management. He was sacked from Everton back in May 2018.

The 66-year-old ‘firefighter’ has a mighty job on his hands with Albion second-from-bottom on just seven points and ahead of next month, Palmer has delivered a word of warning to Allardyce, sporting director Luke Dowling and owner Guochuan Lai.

He told FFC:

“It’s difficult, I think they lack the quality all the way through the side. I mean, real quality.

“So you’re not going to be able to change all that without running the risk of putting yourself in a financial hole, and then still not remaining in the Premier League.

“You know, you’ve got to identify the areas where you can strengthen, bring in maybe two or three players that give you that extra bit of quality, that’ll get you enough points to stay in the division.”

Indeed, in recent seasons Fulham have been the case in point that free-spending doesn’t guarantee safety, so it would be wise for Dowling and co to arrive at the upcoming window with a solid strategy.

Something which they didn’t have throughout the summer, leading to frustrations between Bilic and the board. The Croatian very nearly resigned after they sold Ahmed Hegazi behind his back too.

Allardyce will need to be backed and backed well if Albion are to stand a chance in hell of remaining in the top-flight.

One name has already been linked with a move to the Hawthorns in former Hammers and current Palace defender James Tomkins, as per Football Insider.

He’s a familiar name to Big Sam, but his new side are also among the lowest scorers in the division, so there are plenty of holes to plug in a short amount of time.

AND in other news, West Brom exclusive: Pundit drops DAMNING Luke Dowling claim after Slaven Bilic sacking…

Plenty of Liverpool fans have been voicing their displeasure towards defender Joel Matip after reports suggest he could be ruled out until their clash against Manchester City next weekend.

According to The Times, the Cameroonian centre-back is set to miss the Reds’ Premier League game against West Ham United and their next Champions League clash away to Atalanta next Tuesday.

The report adds that he could be fit enough to face Manchester City the following Sunday, which means that Jurgen Klopp will have Joe Gomez as his only available senior centre-half in the meantime, with youngsters Rhys Williams, Billy Koumetio and Nat Phillips for cover.

Matip has consistently struggled to remain fit – fracturing his collarbone during the 2018/19 campaign and suffering a knee injury last season are two of seven different injuries that he has picked up at Anfield, missing a total of 60 games (TransferMarkt).

Alongside him in the treatment room, Virgil van Dijk has just had surgery for a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament and Fabinho limped off clutching his hamstring during Liverpool’s victory over FC Midtjylland.

With this in mind, supporters have run out of patience with Matip and believe that he should be offloaded at the end of the season.

Fans have had enough of Matip

In other news, Jurgen Klopp overlooks 6 foot 2 asset for the second time in the space of a week.