All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Sky Sports journalist Michael Bridge doubts that Tottenham Hotspur will swoop to sign Danny Ings this summer.

Spurs have been linked with a potential bid to sign the Southampton striker in this transfer window after he rejected a new contract at St Mary’s Stadium.

He has also been linked with the likes of Manchester City and West Ham United, with a variety of clubs seemingly interested in signing him in this transfer window.

Spurs may need to bring in as many as two new strikers, particularly if Harry Kane leaves the club amid links with City.

Carlos Vinicius has returned to Benfica after his loan spell in north London last season, meaning that the club don’t currently have a back-up to Kane if he remains at Spurs.

Nevertheless, Bridge has cast doubt on any potential bid for Ings, who scored 12 goals in 29 Premier League games last season.

In total, Ings has netted 46 goals in 100 appearances for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.

Bridge said: “I’d be surprised. Look, he’s been on Spurs’ list for quite a long time but I don’t think Spurs and Southampton have a particularly good relationship at the moment.

“And let’s face it, he’s very injury prone, Danny Ings. When he’s fit he’s brilliant but that doesn’t strike me as a Spurs signing at the moment and I’d imagine Spurs will probably look abroad there as well.”

Football Insider have shared numerous demands Sunderland striker Charlie Wyke has made to Celtic ahead of a potential cut-price move to Parkhead.

The Lowdown: Wyke ‘very keen’

Wyke, who scored 30 goals in 53 appearances last season, is out of contract at the Stadium of Light in a matter of days.

The Hoops began talks with the 28-year-old last week, with a new forward the club’s priority.

Wyke was thought to be ‘very keen’ over a move to Glasgow, but a number of demands have now emerged regarding a possible Scotland switch.

The Latest: Wyke’s demands

According to Football Insider, who have been informed by a Celtic source, Wyke is holding out for a deal until 2025.

He’s on £6,400-a-week with Sunderland and reportedly wants his pack packet doubled, should he put pen to paper on a Celtic deal.

Finally, Wyke also wants a multi-million-pound signing-on fee.

The Verdict: What should McKay do?

With no director of football in place, you’d expect new CEO Dominic McKay would be leading discussions with Wyke.

There would be no transfer fee required, but with Wyke wanting a big signing-on fee and a possible £12,800-a-week long-term deal, a move could cost the Hoops over £2.5m in wages alone across the four years.

Wyke, who former Black Cats boss Phil Parkinson described as ‘excellent’, showed in League One that he can find the back of the net with ease, and with Odsonne Edouard still expected to leave the club, the Hoops may be happy to take a punt on Wyke despite being forced to pay a pretty penny for his services.

In other news: Ange Postecoglou already in talks for first Celtic signing as Glasgow arrival sparks action, find out more here. 

Some Manchester City fans have been reacting to the news that Bernardo Silva is determined to leave the Etihad Stadium this summer.

The Citizens completed the signing of Portugal international from Porto in 2017 for £43m (Sky Sports). He has proven to be an important player for Pep Guardiola’s side over the last four years – he has made 201 appearances in all competitions, scoring 35 goals and providing 44 assists (Transfermarkt) – while he even won Manchester City’s Player of the Season award in 2019.

However, it seems that he is not content at the Etihad Stadium. According to Duncan Castles of The Times, the 26-year-old wants to leave the Citizens to further his career in another country. Indeed, the report claimed that he expects to change clubs during this summer’s transfer window.

The news was shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from City supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the matter, with one insisting that rumoured target Jack Grealish is signed if Bernardo moves elsewhere.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the Bernardo Silva news

“heartbreak.”

Credit: @bratkevic

“Don’t leave us Bernardo”

Credit: @TheDiasDynasty

“lool everyone is leaving”

Credit: @jjustjjam

“what’s going on”

Credit: @LangleyBen

“No excuses not to get Grealish then”

Credit: @SilkyCyrus_74

“We shouldn’t lose this guy”

Credit: @RockyRhymes3

In other news, some Man City fans react to this Harry Kane news.

Southampton have been heavily linked with Manchester United full-back Brandon Williams ahead of the summer transfer window and his signing would surely lead to Yan Valery’s time working under Ralph Hasenhuttl coming to an end.

Hampshire Live have suggested that Southampton and Norwich City will battle it out to sign the 21-year-old this summer as Hasenhuttl looks to add to his full-back options at St Mary’s.

The Saints were very interested in signing the United academy graduate in January but a deal fell through after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer decided he wanted to keep him at Old Trafford. However, a move away could be on the cards this summer, as he is third-choice behind Luke Shaw and Alex Telles and managed just four Premier League appearances last season.

Described by Gary Lineker as an “exciting” talent, he could be an ideal option for the Austrian manager this summer, as he is desperately short of full-backs in his squad ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, and Williams has featured as both a left-back and a right-back during his time with the Red Devils.

Whilst Romain Perraud looks set to arrive as Southampton’s Ryan Bertrand replacement at left-back, Williams would still be a smart signing as he could provide cover for the Frenchman on the left and Kyle Walker-Peters on the right.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-southampton-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read the latest Southampton transfer rumours and news!”]

This would leave little room for Valery in Southampton’s squad, with the young Frenchman a player who has been touted for a permanent exit this summer after failing to impress Hasenhuttl during his time at the club.

Despite a lack of cover at right-back this season, the Austrian manager decided to send Valery out on loan to Birmingham City in the Championship, where he would manage just seven appearances despite the Blues’ struggles in the lower half of the table. That certainly doesn’t bode well for his future at Southampton.

Once a regular under Mark Hughes, the 22-year-old has failed to push on at Southampton following a promising start, with the Athletic journalist Dan Sheldon describing him as the “weak link” in Hasenhuttl’s side last season.

Therefore, if Williams does arrive from Manchester United this summer, he will likely be back-up to Walker-Peters at right-back, which could allow Hasenhuttl to get rid of Valery for good.

And, in other news… Southampton can repeat Armstrong masterclass with swoop for “outstanding” beast

West Ham United are in the race to seal Nikola Maksimovic in a free transfer this summer…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Plaza Deportivo, who claim the Irons are in a battle with La Liga outfit Valencia to sign the 29-year-old centre-back, whilst there’s also thought to be interest from Italy and Real Betis.

Maksimovic will be free to join whoever he wants next week when his contract finishes at Napoli, where he has been a regular presence for the past five seasons.

He’s currently valued at £9m by Transfermarkt, so it could certainly present some fantastic business for a team like West Ham, especially as manager David Moyes is said to be keen to bolster his central defensive options this window.

Absolute bargain

Given the need to strengthen areas right across the pitch, landing a vastly experienced defender could be an astute move to make.

The need for a new striker is perhaps paramount, whilst there is little depth in central midfield and at full-back, where injuries plagued the Hammers throughout 2020/21.

Capped 25 times by Serbia, the 6 foot 4 colossus would be a low-risk solution to Moyes’ needs. He has played 132 times in the Italian top-flight and 41 times across both European competitions, via Transfermarkt, something that cannot be said for much of the current squad.

In the past, he has been likened to former Manchester United brute Nemanja Vidic, which could suggest he’d be the perfect fit for Premier League football.

As would his average of at least 1.8 aerial duels won per game across the last two seasons whilst Maksimovic has also proven his ability on the ball, managing an impressive career average passing accuracy of 89.3%, via WhoScored.

It’s no wonder former Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti, who managed him at the Stadio San Paolo, dubbed him the “complete” defender. “He has no problems. I am satisfied, he is an excellent defender, complete, flexible and fast, he can play both centre-right and centre-left.”

Moyes must urge a move for the free agent next week, he won’t cost GSB a penny.

AND in other news, Moyes can repeat West Ham’s Lingard masterstroke amid ExWHUemployee transfer claim…

Celtic are thought to be closing in on Manchester City man Fergal Harkin as their new director of football, according to the Daily Record.

The Lowdown: Hoops’ longstanding interest

Celtic have been after the Irishman for some time. The Hoops opened talks with Harkin way back in March, just weeks after Neil Lennon resigned as manager.

A deal for Harkin, who is a ‘massive’ Hoops fan, was thought to be close last month, however, as we know, a deal is yet to be announced for the newly-created role.

It seems as if Harkin has his heart set on a move to Parkhead, though, after a recent development regarding the 44-year-old.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-4/” title=”Celtic updates” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Harkin turns down Belgium move

According to the Daily Record, Harkin has turned down a director of football role with SK Lommel.

Harkin, who is currently Manchester City’s football partnerships manager, has rejected the chance to become more hands-on abroad.

Irish sources believe that his decision regarding snubbing a switch to Belgium is down to his move to Glasgow edging closer.

The Verdict: One step forwards two steps back?

It seems as if Celtic’s rebuild was really starting to take shape. Eddie Howe was reportedly set to be announced as the club’s new manager, so Howe and Harkin could have ended up working closely together.

However, in a huge development, Howe’s talks with Celtic are thought to have collapsed, so Harkin, who looks to be the new DoF, may now have a huge say on Lennon’s successor, as was expected back in March.

Celtic have been linked with Harkin for a number of months, and it now appears as if they’ll be landing his services, so you’d expect him to be extremely busy from the get-go, should he put pen to paper.

In other news: Hoops make approach for Barcelona youngster, find out more here. 

Many Everton fans have been left to gush as a Sunday report from The Athletic was shared following football’s social media boycott by @EvertonNewsFeed on Tuesday.

As per the report, the Goodison Park faithful are preparing a bid for Ivan Toney in the summer transfer window, but may find themselves in competition with Leicester City to sign the Brentford striker.

The 25-year-old has been nothing short of exceptional in the EFL Championship so far in the 2020/21 term, notching up no fewer than 30 goals and a further 10 assists in 44 games in total (Transfermarkt), and is clearly ready to make the move up to the Premier League.

The Merseyside club are in desperate need of some depth and firepower to challenge Dominic Calvert-Lewin up top come the start of next season, and Toney could very well be that man.

Everton fans on Toney transfer update

These Toffees supporters gushed as the news of the transfer bid was shared on Twitter:

“Get him in, raid the Championship for promising young, players who are prepared to graft and appreciate their opportunities.”

Credit: @ctayts

“Said for ages we should be all over this guy.”

Credit: @sarahmallory88

“Get it done Everton.”

Credit: @josh_smith10

“Yes please Everton”

Credit: @finn_noone

“Yes. Yes. Yes.”

Credit: @bittertoffee

“It’d be mad if we can pull this off. I’ve followed Brentford all season and he’s some forward”

Credit: @mannie_efc

In other news, find out whose display was slammed versus Aston Villa here!

Flocking to an official club post, plenty of West Ham United fans have shown no shortage of reaction after loanee sensation Jesse Lingard picked up the Premier League Player of the Month award for April.

Voted the English top flight’s best player for last month, the midfielder continued his fine form since joining the Irons in what was a productive few weeks for him individually.

The 28-year-old was recognised by Premier League supporters for his brilliant performances during the month of April, which saw him bag an impressive four goals and one assist in just four matches.

Many West Ham fans were understandably excited over the announcement – with some slightly baffled by the decision given that it arguably wasn’t his best month compared to February and March.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-rumours-and-gossip-two%2c-electric-boogaloo/” title=”West Ham rumours and gossip two, electric boogaloo” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

After the official West Ham Twitter account shared this ‘great news’, there were no shortage of diverse opinions and reactions on social media. Find a flavour of the reaction from Irons supporters below.

West Ham fans react as Lingard news emerges

“actually surprised. He was far more deserving of the award in Feb and March”

Credit: @stephenlott

“FINALLYYYYYY”

Credit: @MitchellWHU

“Siuuuuuuuu”

Credit: @joelitt78828048

“Letssss goooo the most deserved winner of the season.”

Credit: @ryan_rudman

“HE WASNT ROBBED TEARS IN MY EYES”

Credit: @J0K3R870

“Great news but his poorest month since signing.”

Credit: @jamiewright1973

“Finally! Pls buy him and stay with us next season”

Credit: @WHU99

“Yesssss”

Credit: @boorer_dyl

In other news: West Ham fans are also excited by this ExWHUemployee claim, find out more here.

West Ham are edging closer to making their first signing of the summer it appears…

What’s the word?

Earlier this week, reports emerged in Russia claiming that Spartak Moscow midfielder Alex Kral has agreed to personal terms with the Irons ahead of a potential switch in the upcoming transfer window.

And this has since been confirmed by a very reliable source in ExWHUemployee. When asked by one Hammers fan on Twitter, he replied:

Another masterclass?

When it comes to those ‘in the know’ at the London Stadium, there aren’t many better than the anonymous source, so this should come as hugely exciting and positive news.

Kral may be an unknown name right now but nobody knew who the likes of Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal were before they became a quickfire hit in East London.

Could David Moyes be about to repeat his stroke of genius in the transfer market? It certainly appears so.

Back in November 2020, the Mirror claimed the Czech Republic international was valued in the region of £30m and was attracting interest from across the Premier League, so if the Hammers have won the race ahead of their rivals, then it is another encouraging sign.

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

The 23-year-old star is capable of playing anywhere in the engine room, though his personal preference is in the no.8 role between a defensive midfielder and a playmaker.

Kral provided five assists from an anchorman position for Spartak this season, and has averaged 1.8 interceptions, 1.5 tackles, and one key pass per outing in the league, via WhoScored.

It’s no wonder the club’s official Twitter account claimed that “he can do it all.”

Furthermore, the 6 foot 1 powerhouse has drawn inspiration on how to model his playing style from some pretty big names like Real Madrid superstar Toni Kroos and Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong.

Despite never featuring outside of the Czech and Russian leagues, the Hammers should have no fear over splashing the cash on Kral, thanks to the success of his fellow countrymen.

Soucek has arguably been Moyes’ Player of the Year this term, at least according to WhoScored, where he ranked first for average rating (7.36) ahead of Jesse Lingard, Michail Antonio and Declan Rice. He also finished the campaign as their joint top-goalscorer on ten goals.

Coufal is in with a shout too, as Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher not only named him in his Premier League Team of the Season but also dubbed the right-back a “manager’s dream.”

The 28-year-old is also represented by the same agency as Kral, only bolstering their claims.

Once lauded “one of the most versatile youngsters in world football,” Moyes seems to be on the verge of completing another fantastic piece of business for the Irons.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Ogbonna: GSB must seal £20m “diamond” who’s “very keen” to join West Ham – opinion

A number of Liverpool supporters have been praising Dejan Lovren for speaking out against the formation of a European Super League.

It has been a tough year for football, with the global pandemic taking its toll on the sport. For supporters, the game has been a pale imitation of its former self, with empty stadia making for lifeless atmospheres and poorer spectacles.

[freshpress-quiz id=“350790â€]

From a Liverpool perspective, not having fans inside Anfield has felt significant, playing a part in the Reds’ insipid defence of the Premier League title.

In what is a case of typically poor timing, news broke on Sunday regarding a European Super League, with Liverpool and the rest of the Premier League’s ‘big six’ clubs all agreeing to join it.

There has been a fierce backlash to the news, and while very few footballers who have spoken out so far, Lovren took to Twitter to provide his thoughts:

Liverpool fans hail Lovren’s tweet

These Liverpool fans hailed the former Reds centre-back for his thoughts.

“Hero. We’ve missed you this year mate”

Credit: @unrealxherdan

“Thank you Dejan”

Credit: @eliiseheather

“The Big Dog has spoken”

Credit: @aaron_cutler

“LOVREN FROM THE DEEEPPPP”

Credit: @Covid19_VAX

“Dejan, the people’s hero”

Credit: @DianaKristinne

“Finally a leader of men speaks”

Credit: @NoIdentityFound

In other news, one Liverpool player has reportedly told his friends he wants to leave this summer. Find out who it is here.