All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Southampton look to have been robbed blind in their negotiations with Tottenham Hotspur for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the summer, with the Danish international continuing to impress in Jose Mourinho’s side this season.

The former Saints captain was sold to the North London club for a reported fee of just £15 million, despite Southampton reportedly setting an asking price of £35 million earlier in the summer.

Of course, they were able to negotiate a deal with Spurs that saw Kyle Walker-Peters move the other way for just £12 million, which has proved to be an excellent deal for the club, but you could definitely argue that the South Coast club could have negotiated a much better deal for the defensive midfielder.

In his time at Spurs, Hojbjerg has seen his market value rise to a career-high of £31.5 million, despite being valued at just £18 million during the summer.

He has been a mainstay in Mourinho’s Spurs side this season, making 29 appearances in the Premier League and averaging a very solid 6.96 rating for his performances.

After impressing in Spurs’ 2-0 North London derby win earlier in the season, Mourinho was full of praise for the former Bayern Munich man, saying:

“Simplicity is genius. And the guy is so simple in everything he does with the ball. And I think he’s a phenomenal player. Congratulations, Mr Levy.”

The fact that Mourinho was saluting Spurs’ chairman Daniel Levy, who is renowned for his ability to negotiate transfer deals, suggests that even the Portuguese manager believes that they got a bargain when signing Hojbjerg.

Although Southampton were almost forced into a decision with Hojbjerg due to his old contract being set to expire at the end of this season, the fact that the Danish international’s value has gone through the roof during his time at Spurs definitely suggests that they could’ve demanded a bit more.

If he continues to impress with the Lilywhites, then you could definitely argue that Southampton were robbed blind by Levy in the negotiations for Hojbjerg.

And, in other news… Saints can forget about relegation after news on £75k-p/w star; Ralph surely buzzing

Carlo Ancelotti doubts that James Rodriguez will be fit for Everton’s trip to Chelsea on Monday night but is hopeful that Tom Davies will be able to make his return at Stamford Bridge.

The Toffees duo missed each of last week’s 1-0 wins over Southampton and West Bromwich Albion with minor knocks, while Seamus Coleman and Robin Olsen were also sidelined.

Rodriguez had penned his eighth assist of the season across all competitions during his last appearance, setting up Richarlison to break the deadlock in February’s 2-0 Merseyside derby win away to Liverpool.

Ancelotti is optimistic that Rodriguez will be able to feature in Everton’s clash with Burnley on Saturday. But, as the Colombian is unlikely to play a role at Stamford Bridge, here’s a potential line-up that the Goodison Park natives could name against Chelsea…

Ancelotti has stated hope that Davies will be fit to earn his 17th appearance of the Premier League season in Monday’s trip to the capital, which could see Everton move above their hosts and replace Chelsea in fourth-place with a win.

“I hope Tom can recover soon and that he will be available against Chelsea,” Ancelotti said during his pre-game media duties on Sunday.

“With James, I don’t know. I think we have to check. I think maybe he is not ready for the game against Chelsea. But for the next game against Burnley, yes [he could be available].”

Yerry Mina has missed Everton’s last three games with a calf injury and it is uncertain if the Colombian defender will be fit to feature at Stamford Bridge, alongside Coleman and Olsen, while Fabian Delph played no role in his side’s last two games with a tendon issue.

Midfielder Allan made his first start since sustaining a hamstring injury in December’s 2-0 win over Leicester City during last Monday’s victory at home to Southampton and was initially rested away to West Brom as a precaution.

The Brazilian made an instant impact from the bench once he was introduced against the Baggies, and will be expected to open the action against Chelsea to help Everton gain control in the engine room battle beside Davies and Abdoulaye Doucoure.

Allan and £14.5m-rated Davies both being recalled to the starting line-up will see Andre Gomes and Alex Iwobi fall out of the XI, having featured from the off at The Hawthorns.

Iwobi was hauled off in the 58th minute for Allan’s introduction after wasting a handful of promising opportunities to create attacking chances, while Gomes’ standards slipped as the game wore on following a strong start to proceedings.

Bernard, who was named in the starting line-up for only the third time in the top-flight this season against West Brom, will also be expected to be axed for Monday’s clash with Chelsea after an ineffectual return last week.

Gylfi Sigurdsson will likely take the Brazilian’s place after providing his fourth assist of the league campaign on Thursday.

Richarlison, who has scored in each of his last four league games, and 13-goal top-scorer Dominic Calvert-Lewin will lead the attack, while Lucas Digne, Ben Godfrey, Michael Keane and Mason Holgate will line up in an unchanged backline after three-straight clean sheets.

AND in other news, Everton eye summer transfer of £4.5m-rated titan raised by Carlo Ancelotti…

Dean Windass has exclusively told Football FanCast that he still believes his former side Sheffield Wednesday can get themselves out of trouble.

The Owls ended their seven-match losing run in the Championship by drawing with Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield Town on Wednesday evening, although Birmingham’s victory over Reading left Darren Moore’s team eight points from safety and in serious trouble.

Wednesday face another Yorkshire derby at highflying Barnsley on Saturday, and are still looking for their first win under new manager Moore – with the former Doncaster boss collecting just one point from his first three games.

Windass himself was involved in a relegation battle during his first season back at Hull City, and thinks that one victory could be the catalyst for Wednesday to put a run of wins together.

His Tigers side ended up surviving on the penultimate day of the campaign – with Windass’ winning goal at Cardiff City securing their Championship status back in 2007.

He told Football FanCast:

“There’s still a lot of points to play for, and I know the Championship really well in a sense of being at the bottom of the league with Hull when we survived. And you go on a two or three-game winning run, and it’s easy to say that, but there’s a lot of games to play for.

“In Josh’s opinion, they’ve got the players in the changing room that can win football matches. Darren has got to stamp his authority on how he wants to play, what system he wants to play.

“They have got Barnsley on Saturday and Josh thinks there is enough points on the board that they can get out of it.”

Steve Bruce can deliver an upgrade on Fabian Schar by signing Omar Colley amid claims Sampdoria are open to selling the Newcastle United target.

What’s the word?

According to TuttoMercatoWEB, Toon chiefs have begun discussions with Colley’s representatives as they look to beat off rival interest from Super Lig giants Fenerbahce.

Colley only put pen to paper on a new four-year contract extension earlier this month, but has been granted permission to leave the Luigi Ferraris Stadium during the final week of the January transfer window.

Fenerbahce made unsuccessful efforts to sign the 29-year-old in December but have returned with a revised approach, after missing out on former Arsenal defender Sokratis following his move to Olympiacos having been released by Mikel Arteta’s side.

Colley was also linked with a move to Sheffield United recently, as Chris Wilder eyed a deal for the Gambia international to help fix the Blades’ leaky backline that has allowed 32 goals in 19 Premier League games this season. The report also claimed Colley would be excited by the prospect of a move to England, having previously enjoyed stints playing in Finland, Sweden, Belgium and most recently Italy.

Colley has made 14 appearances across all competitions for Sampdoria this season, starting their last nine Serie A fixtures after replacing Bartosz Bereszynski 20 minutes into December’s 2-1 defeat to AC Milan through injury.

Should Newcastle sign Colley?

Bruce has a solid group of central defensive options at Newcastle already, yet would sign an instant upgrade on Schar if Colley were to move to Tyneside before the February 1st 23:00 deadline.

Form would suggest United should be in the market for upgrades at the back, too, as only West Bromwich Albion (48), Crystal Palace (36) and Leeds United (35) have conceded more often than the Magpies (34) in the Premier League this season.

The Toon also lost a sixth game on the bounce when beaten at home to Leeds on Tuesday night to extend a now 11-game winless run across all competitions, that has seen Bruce’s side keep only one clean sheet.

Schar, who Rafa Benitez once claimed had evident “quality”, may have been lauded by supporters for his performance in Tuesday’s loss to Leeds, yet has also performed at a lesser level than the likes of Ciaran Clark, Federico Fernandez and even holding midfielder Isaac Hayden when fielded in defence in the Premier League this term.

The 29-year-old’s average WhoScored match rating sits at just 6.51 to his defensive colleagues’ respective 6.57, 6.78 and 6.74, thanks to Schar providing the lowest average number of successful tackles (0.9) per top-flight game among the quartet.

Schar’s defensive efforts further trail those of 6 ft 3 colossus Colley in the Serie A in almost every aspect, with the £4m-rated Sampdoria titan – who boasts an average WhoScored rating of 6.8 – recording a higher average of successful tackles (1.1) and giving away fewer fouls (1.1 to 1.4) per game.

He also breaks up opposition play with more interceptions (2.4) than any Newcastle player, catches opponents offside 0.9 times a game (Schar forces 0.3) and clears danger 4.1 times a game – only Fernandez (5.6), Clark (4.5) and Jamaal Lascelles (4.3) have forced an end to opponent’s attacks with a greater frequency in front of Karl Darlow this term.

Yet Colley is not afraid to play the ball out from the back with 39.2 accurate passes a game – only Jonjo Shelvey (48.7) completes more – showing how he can help United enjoy more possession, with the Magpies ranking second-last to West Brom for time spent on the ball in the English top-flight per game.

If Newcastle are to get out from their slump by playing defensive football, Bruce will need defenders who can both stop opponents and start attacks. And that is exactly what Colley would offer.

AND in other news, Newcastle may have found Steve Bruce’s ideal midfielder in a £1.9k-p/w target.

Everton have landed a huge boost with Carlo Ancelotti confirming that Dominic Calvert-Lewin will make his return from injury against Liverpool in Saturday’s Merseyside Derby.

The striker, who has 18 goals to his name in 25 appearances across all competitions this season, has missed his side’s last two Premier League fixtures with a hamstring issue sustained in the FA Cup.

Calvert-Lewin was forced off the field 55 minutes into the 5-4 fifth-round victory over Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month, after scoring the Toffees’ first and assisting two strikes to mount a first-half comeback following Davinson Sanchez’s early opener.

Gylfi Sigurdsson occupied a false nine role as Everton lost 2-0 to Fulham in Calvert-Lewin’s absence, while Richarlison led the line on his own as Manchester City won 3-1 at Goodison Park last time out.

The Blues now head to Anfield striving to record their first win over Liverpool since 2010 and first away victory since 1999, with a chance to draw level on points with Jurgen Klopp’s sixth-placed defending Premier League champions.

And Ancelotti has confirmed that Calvert-Lewin will be fit enough to start on the red side of Stanley Park, along with midfielder Allan who has been out with a hamstring injury since December 16.

“Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Allan are back,” Ancelotti said on Friday.

“For the fact we have a lot of games in this period, it is important to have all the squad available. We are close to having all the players fit.

“This is important. We can rotate a little bit and keep the squad more fresh.

“Allan was out for two months. To have him back is really important for us.”

Having Calvert-Lewin back will be hugely beneficial for Everton in their hopes of recording a rare win over Liverpool on Saturday and at a time when the Reds have lost their last three fixtures held at Anfield.

While Sigurdsson and Richarlison, the Toffees’ two record signings at £45m and £50m, led the attack in Calvert-Lewin’s absence, neither offer the same presence as the England international, who was acquired from Sheffield United for just £1.5m in 2016.

Calvert-Lewin has offered a team-high 2.7 shots per game in the Premier League this season, the eight-most across the division, which is 1.7 more than Richarlison and 2.0 more than Sigurdsson when either has been fielded as a de facto centre-forward, per WhoScored.

He also offers an imperious aerial presence compared to either the Brazilian (1.3/4.7 duels won) or the Iceland international (0/0) with success in 4.6 of his 9.1 contests, only four players across the top-flight win a higher amount per game than the 23-year-old.

That’s on top of his goal output, which makes Calvert-Lewin the joint-third top-scorer in the Premier League and with the third-highest contribution rate, having netted 37% of Everton’s 35 efforts struck home to date.

So, clearly, having Calvert-Lewin back fit and available for Everton’s trip to Anfield will be hugely beneficial for Ancelotti, as he gains a colossal upgrade on his recent stand-in options.

AND in other news, Everton face a £35m asking price to land Carlo Ancelotti’s 21-year-old target…

Liverpool secured their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup after beating a young Aston Villa side 4-1 at Villa Park on Friday night.

The hosts were forced to play their U23 side after an outbreak of the virus at Boodymoor Heath training ground earlier this week and the youngsters put up a great fight, with the scores level at half-time.

However, Jurgen Klopp’s side emphasised their greater experience and quality in the second-half and three quickfire goals would ensure the Reds’ progression.

There will still be cause for concern that for 45 minutes, Villa’s youngsters were a match for Liverpool’s stars, with Louie Barry deservedly bringing the home side level shortly before half-time, with some of Klopp’s side perhaps cruising slightly after Sadio Mane’s early opener.

Despite scoring twice in the game at Villa Park, the former Southampton man’s overall performance was nowhere near his usual standard.

As per SofaScore, the winger would lose possession 22 times during his time on the pitch, which was the most of any Liverpool player.

After the 28-year-old headed the Reds in front early on, he drifted out of the game somewhat, as he was only able to complete 21 of his 35 attempted passes during the game, resulting in a less than impressive pass accuracy rate of 66%.

Mane was also unsuccessful in both of his dribble attempts, whilst he won just six of his 13 total duels during the game, with the Villa youngsters perhaps putting up more of a fight than the Senegalese international expected.

The £108 million-rated forward also failed to find a Liverpool shirt with any of his five attempted crosses suggesting that from a creative point of view, he struggled against the Villans.

Therefore, despite his looping header to score Liverpool’s third goal, Mane should be disappointed with his overall performance against Villa, as he was often second best against the inexperienced home defenders.

And, in other news… Imagine him and Fabinho: Edwards must seal bargain swoop for Champions League defender

Just when you thought things could only get better from here, Celtic go and prove that they can go that little bit lower.

Neil Lennon’s faltering side slipped to a dismal 2-2 draw against Livingston on Wednesday night, with Scott Brown compounding his manager’s misery by getting sent off in the final few minutes of the game.

And whilst Brown will take a lot of the headlines for his red card, Shane Duffy produced yet another shocking display for the Hoops – you only have to look back to his brief cameo against Rangers to see just how poor he has been.

The Brighton loanee’s troubles with passing out from the back was there for all to see on Wednesday, completing just 73% of his passes, the lowest of any Celtic defender on the pitch – it was no surprise that his total of losing possession 23 times on the night was the worst among his teammates.

Duffy looked to go too long far too often, with his 20 attempts the most of any player, and it just came at odds with what Celtic actually needed. They needed one of their defenders to step out from the back to get attacks going, instead the Irishman was content to punt it forward in hopeful fashion.

In his post-match player ratings, Glasgow Live’s Chris Doyle gave him a measly five, saying: “I think Celtic fans have had a big enough sample size to come to the conclusion they can do a lot better. Always seems like a mistake is waiting around the corner. Neil Lennon continues to start him. Unconvincing once again.”

Former Rangers ace simply said that Duffy looked like he has “no confidence at all”, whilst Frank McAvennie last month urged the Bhoys to end Duffy’s loan spell early.

He said: “I think Duffy should go back in January. He has not hit the ground running. It is unfortunate, I was hoping for somebody to come up and lead that defence but he is doing more harm than good. I think his legs have gone.”

With reports in recent days and weeks claiming that other clubs are interested in signing Duffy, including Nottingham Forest, Celtic must surely seize their chance to end this disaster of a signing once and for all.

Meanwhile, Celtic must unleash this young star…

This has been an enormous week for Sunderland and Stewart Donald.

After sacking Phil Parkinson from his job as manager, they hired former Bristol City boss Lee Johnson.

That came just a day after the Black Cats appointed Kristjaan Speakman as their new sporting director and together with Johnson, they have enormous work to do in order to secure promotion.

Of course, the club is on the verge of changing ownership too. Donald has agreed a deal with Juan Sartori and Kyril Louis-Dreyfus but that hasn’t entirely been tied up.

With a huge change, you’d be forgiven for thinking that supporters might be a little more positive now. However, if you thought that, you couldn’t be more wrong.

Sunderland are now five games without a win in League One and Johnson’s first game in charge on Saturday was a drab affair, one they lost to Wigan 1-0.

Johnson hasn’t even had a training session with his new team yet so things can only improve but he won’t have been best pleased with the showing from his players.

In particular, the performance of Chris Maguire should have left him seething.

The forward was Sunderland’s top scorer last season but in 2020/21, has been a shadow of his former self. Maguire has now failed to find the back of the net in seven matches and simply has to be dropped, especially with Aiden McGeady now back in the frame too.

Against Wigan he lacked penetration and urgency, losing possession of the ball 19 times. Furthermore, he completed just one accurate cross of eight attempted and performed only one dribble.

On top of that, Maguire had just one shot in the entire game, one that was off target. It’s unsurprising that Sunderland failed to score with him on the pitch.

Having scored three times in 14 outings this season, his quality has been lacking and Johnson will now be seeking for answers.

If he can get Maguire firing, it will be a great start to Johnson’s reign. The early signs aren’t good, though.

In other news, check out what HUGE problem Speakman could solve instantly at Sunderland…

Crystal Palace centre-back Gary Cahill played through the pain barrier on Saturday afternoon but this wasn’t enough to prevent The Eagles from conceding seven goals against Premier League leaders Liverpool at Selhurst Park.

What’s the word?

Despite his best efforts, the Eagles fell behind early on after Sadio Mane set up Takumi Minamino, who slotted home from close range to score his first Premier League goal. Mane doubled Liverpool’s advantage shortly before the break and Roberto Firmino scored finished off a lovely move to further rub salt in the wound just before half-time.

Jordan Henderson scored a screamer just after the restart before Firmino bagged his second of the game and Mo Salah added the extras.

Palace’s chances were few and far between, although Jordan Ayew forced a fine save from Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson, but the Eagles were unable to get a foothold on the game.

Speaking in the post-match conference, Roy Hodgson cut a sorry figure as he delivered his verdict on the shocking manner of the defeat. The Palace boss confirmed Cahill has suffered a reoccurrence of the hamstring injury that saw him miss the start of the season, saying:

“That was a bit frustrating because we did ask him on many occasions if his hamstring was ok, but he kept ensuring us it was ok and that he could carry on, but then in the last 10, he felt it even more and, of course, we had to sort of push him up front and labour on with 10 men.

“Again, one of those things I suppose that’s going to happen in a game of football sometimes. There’s so much more for me to ponder and concern myself with and be very, very sad about today than whether Gary should have come off or not.”

Get it done, Eagles

Should Cahill be sidelined for the foreseeable future, it’s highly likely Hodgson will be forced to call Scott Dann into action, which is precisely why Steve Parish must reward him with a new contract as his current deal will run out at the end of the season.

Having started seven out of his nine appearances in the Premier League so far this season, the Liverpudlian was left as an unused substitute on the bench as Jurgen Klopp’s side put the Eagles to the sword.

We’ll be the first to admit that we’ve criticised Dann on occasions, as he was largely at fault for the abysmal display against Newcastle United.

However, given his status as one of the elder statesmen at Selhurst Park, it’s clear Hodgson has a lot of faith in the defender. His reliability at the back could prove useful in the absence of Cahill, who was run ragged by the Reds as Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson caused havoc on the wings.

Valued at £2.5m by Transfermarkt, Dann has become an integral part of Hodgson’s side as they’ve cemented their place in the Premier League. Once lauded as a “terrific” true professional by his former manager Alan Pardew, in 16 appearances in the top flight last term, he averaged a staggering 4 clearances per game, via WhoScored.

With the 33-year-old recently linked with the Selhurst Park exit amid interest from Fulham, Parish would be wise to sanction an extension for the veteran, as there’s no doubt he will have a big part to play between now and the winter break.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Burnley boss Sean Dyche tipped to replace Roy Hodgson at Crystal Palace…

Ian Rush remains one of Britain’s greatest strikers of all time. The former Wales international, who was described by the Yorkshire Evening Post as a “prolific striker” for Leeds United, is most famous for his two spells with Liverpool, where he scored 346 goals in 640 appearances, a club record which still stands to this day.

According to The Daily Mail, as relayed by The Scottish Sun, Rush came so close to signing Glasgow Rangers before he moved to Anfield instead. Picture this for a second – Rangers legend Ally McCoist and Rush up front. Just imagine what the pair might have been able to achieve at home and abroad. It almost doesn’t bear thinking about.

One of the greatest ever strikers to play for Liverpool, he began his career as a professional footballer at Chester City, even scoring for the Seals in a shock 2-0 win over Newcastle United in the FA Cup. He eventually left Chester for Liverpool for a then-record fee for a teenager at the time and went on to form a deadly partnership with Kenny Dalglish.

Rush spent seven years in his first stint at Merseyside, before he eventually moved to Juventus in 1986, breaking the British transfer record in the process. He was still with the Italian giants in 1988 when then-Gers manager Graeme Souness came calling, with The Scottish Sun’s Scott MacArthur revealing that his former teammate Dalglish brought him back to Anfield just days after the phone call with Souness.

He told The Daily Mail, via The Scottish Sun: “If Kenny hadn’t called a few days later, I would have been at Rangers with Souey. In the end, I went to Liverpool because I knew I was going back home.

“I’d gone to Italy and realised the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. I knew the club at Liverpool and knew exactly what to expect there.”

All signs seemed to be pointing in the right direction before Dalglish swooped in for the kill. Had it not been for the former Celtic striker , Rush may very well have become a club legend at the Ibrox outfit. Without wanting to rub salt in the wound, he would end up winning another league title, FA Cup and League cup during his second spell with Liverpool. Who knows what he might have achieved with Rangers, but he almost certainly would have scored goals galore.

It just wasn’t meant to be, was it? The Welshman had the chance to don the light blue. Instead, he will forever be known for his time with the Reds. One thing’s for sure, it’s one of those transfers that you can only wish had happened.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers striker Kemar Roofe steals the show against Standard Liege…