All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Wolves legend Steve Bull has backed Joao Moutinho to stay at the club as an ambassador once his legs won’t let him play anymore.

Moutinho has been with Wolves since he arrived from AS Monaco in 2018 for what now appears to be a bargain of just £5 million as he brought experience and a winner’s mentality.

In two-and-a-half seasons in the Midlands, Moutinho has made 131 appearances and played 38 games in the Premier League during the last two seasons as Wolves achieved back-to-back seventh-placed finishes.

Speaking on why Moutinho is a good player to keep at the club despite his age and how Wolves need both youth and experience in their squad, Bull told FFC:

“Yeah, I think Moutinho is a good one to keep at the club even if he isn’t playing because he’s probably good in the changing room and a good ambassador to have.

“Moutinho will be good for the younger players to help nurture and grow them.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/exclusive-andreas-sondergaard-wolves-premier-league” title=”Exclusive! Andreas Sondergaard talks all things Wolves”]

“Whoever Nuno decides to keep, whether it’s the old legs or the young legs, you still need a bit of both in the squad and we do need somebody to go box-to-box.”

This is the first season that Joao Moutinho has missed some games as he has appeared 27 times out of the 29 games Wolves have played in the league.

Wolves have a 50% win ratio when the £100,000 per week midfielder hasn’t featured in the league, losing 1-0 to Leicester City, before beating Chelsea 2-1, thanks to a 90th-minute winner from Pedro Neto.

Marcel Brands must seize on a dream scenario for Everton to sign Kalidou Koulibaly with Napoli reportedly considering a swoop for Yerry Mina.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, Koulibaly’s Serie A side are keen to sign Mina this summer and could look to include the defender in a player-plus-cash exchange.

Mina has seen his future at Goodison Park be thrown into serious doubt with Carlo Ancelotti said to have desires of being reunited with Koulibaly, and marking the Senegalese colossus as his top defensive target.

Everton may have to sell Mina first in order to meet Napoli’s €50m (£43.5m) asking price, though it is only expected that the Colombian – who has emerged as a target for Valencia, Inter Milan and Fiorentina – could fetch around £20m.

Ancelotti has decided to target upgrades at centre-back in the upcoming off-season as he is believed to have fears Mina is too erratic and error-prone while having doubts over what his best current partnership can be.

Brands could now look to answer Ancelotti’s request by negotiating a swap deal with Napoli for Koulibaly, with the Serie A side entering the race for Mina’s services.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-everton-news-and-views” title=”Latest Everton news and views!”]

Koulibaly is believed to be interested in a move to the Premier League, which may see the 29-year-old reunite with Ancelotti after one-and-a-half-seasons together at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

Should Everton swap Mina for Koulibaly?

If Napoli’s interest in Mina is genuine, Brands will be in a dream scenario to negotiate the transfer of Koulibaly this summer as he can use the unwanted Everton centre-back as a makeweight in landing a lower fee.

The heightened interest in Mina’s services will also help Brands to recoup more of the £27m he paid to Barcelona in 2018 than the Blues’ Director of Football may have previously felt possible. In turn, further driving down the additional funds necessary to sign Koulibaly.

Everton clearly face a challenge in meeting Napoli’s current asking price for Koulibaly – who Ancelotti once described as “the best defender in the world” – without selling Mina, and may struggle to raise the needed funds by letting him join the financially struggling Valencia.

Much will depend on where Mina sits in Gennaro Gattuso’s order of potential replacements, as the Napoli boss may be loath to see Koulibaly’s departure in turn strengthen a rival by his predecessor going on to join Inter Milan or Fiorentina while weakening his own options.

The Diego Armando Maradona Stadium natives may be grateful to be given a free run at Mina and be more open to letting Koulibaly join Everton, thus seeing their former head coach land his supposed top defensive summer target.

So, if the interest is there from Napoli, Brands must seize on the emerging dream scenario to get two deals done at once.

AND in other news, Marcel Brands could hand Carlo Ancelotti his own Dayot Upamecano with £7m Everton transfer…

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has revealed that Raphinha is a “major doubt” for Leeds’ clash against Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

The Brazilian missed the 1-1 draw against Liverpool last time out in the top-flight after being forced to limp off in the closing stages of the game against Manchester City.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side secured an impressive result against the Reds without him, but there no doubt would have been major hopes that he could make his return for the visit of United.

However, Hay has now revealed via Twitter that the winger is yet to actually train with the first-team since picking up his injury, and is now considered a major doubt for the game at Elland Road.

Given that he is yet to get at least some kind of training in before United, it seems highly unlikely now that Bielsa will be able to count on Raphinha, who has been an absolute revelation for the Whites this season.

Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson said: “He’s full of energy, he’s got a (good) work ethic as well where he works for the team, he just does everything right.

“I’m a big fan of his and the recruitment there to find that player, because for £17m, there will be people now scratching their head going ‘why didn’t we get him?'”

Raphinha’s performances even led to teammate Patrick Bamford raving about him after the game against Crystal Palace earlier this year, saying on Sky Sports: “I think, to be honest, he has been a steal for Leeds. I am surprised. As soon as he came in, you saw him in training, you know sometimes with players whether they are good or they are top class, and he really was. He stood out straightaway.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Latest Leeds transfer rumours and news”]

“I am surprised that bigger teams, more established Premier League teams I should say, haven’t taken a punt on him because he really is someone special, and he is young.”

Given that he is set to miss out yet again for Leeds, Bielsa will no doubt be gutted that his talisman isn’t available to play against United this afternoon.

Meanwhile, Leeds must unleash this “absolutely outrageous” U23s starlet…

Leeds United youngster Mateusz Bogusz has hinted that he could again leave the club on loan this summer in order to earn more playing time.

The 19-year is an exciting academy product at Elland Road, with the midfielder currently on loan at Spanish second tier outfit Logrones this season.

Bogusz has been handed three first team appearances by Marcelo Bielsa, starting Leeds’ Carabao Cup clash with Hull City back in September, with the Whites going out on penalties.

First team opportunities are understandably hard to come by, considering the quality and depth at Bielsa’s disposal, coupled with Bogusz’s tender years.

[freshpress-quiz id=“347980″]

Bogusz could leave Leeds on loan this summer

It now looks as though the youngster could be set for another temporary spell away from the club, telling LUFCFANZONE podcast [via Leeds All Over] that a loan move appeals:

“I think I will go on loan next season because the team plays very well, they play in the Premier League and I think I’m not ready to play in the Premier League or to just be a sub.”

Transfer Tavern take

It makes perfect sense for Bogusz to continue his development at another club, rather than potentially outgrow the under-23s upon returning to Leeds and not maximising his potential there.

The experience of playing first team football elsewhere could be key to his development, allowing him to become a more polished footballer whenever the time comes for him to be fully integrated into the Whites’ first team squad.

In other news, Leeds have reportedly been boosted in their attempts to sign a world-renowned star this summer. Read more about it here.

Danny Mills has warned Celtic against pursuing Mick McCarthy for the vacant managerial role at Parkhead.

Speaking to Football Insider, Mills suggested that the Cardiff boss does not fit the profile of coach Celtic need. McCarthy was said to be one of the names shortlisted in the search for Neil Lennon’s long-term replacement (via Football Insider).

The Irishman took over at Cardiff in January and has enjoyed an excellent start to life in south Wales. He is unbeaten in his first nine matches, overseeing six wins, three draws and an ascent to play-off contention. He also played for Celtic in the late ’80s and won a league title at Paerkhead.

Mills says Celtic need young blood

However, Mills maintains that it wouldn’t be the right fit to hire McCarthy, saying:

“He’s done an absolutely unbelievable job at Cardiff with what he’s done.”

“But if Celtic are looking to progress and move forward when you look at styles of play and everything else they’re probably looking for a slightly newer-style manager and slightly younger manager.”

Transfer Tavern verdict

Even though McCarthy has made a magnificent start at Cardiff, this wouldn’t necessarily be an appointment to excite the Celtic faithful.

Whilst regaining the Scottish title is an immediate priority, the Hoops also harbour ambitions of going deep into European competitions, and their choice needs to underline those lofty goals.

In other news, Guillem Balague tips one man as a ‘fascinating’ Neil Lennon replacement.

Tottenham Hotspur will make the short trip to the Emirates Stadium for the 132nd North London derby as Jose Mourinho’s side look to get back into top-four contention.

The Lilywhites have an impressive recent record against Arsenal, avoiding defeat in the last five meetings, whilst they have also picked up five straight victories in all competitions in the lead up to this exciting encounter.

On Thursday night, Mourinho named a pretty strong side for their Europa League Round of 16 first-leg clash with Dinamo Zagreb, so it will be interesting to see what sort of lineup he’ll select this afternoon.

Here’s the XI we’re predicting along with the latest team and injury news from the Spurs camp…

We’re expecting there to be as many as four changes from the side that won 2-0 on Thursday night.

Club captain and no.1 Hugo Lloris is likely to remain between the sticks once again, though he should anticipate a similar back four to their last league outing – a 4-1 thrashing of Crystal Palace.

That means Sergio Reguilon and Toby Alderweireld come back in to replace Ben Davies and the £26m-rated Eric Dier on the left-hand side of the defence with Davinson Sanchez and Serge Aurier keeping their places from midweek, too.

Midfield enforcer Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg should also return, having been one of the few to earn a rest and he’ll partner Tanguy Ndombele once again at the base of the engine room.

It means the £90k-per-week Moussa Sissoko is also axed.

There’s a decision to be made for that advanced role, however. Dele Alli started there on Thursday, and Lucas Moura started there last weekend, though we could see the livewire Erik Lamela deployed there instead.

His energy and work-rate could be exactly what’s needed to disrupt Spurs’ arch-rivals today.

Gareth Bale was another who was rested against Zagreb, so he will surely return to the starting XI here, replacing Alli, with Heung-min Son and Harry Kane keeping their place as both surprisingly started the midweek victory.

Only Giovani Lo Celso is expected to miss the trip through injury.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Spurs can still finish second, says Tottenham legend…

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

Sam Allardyce’s chances of keeping West Brom in the Premier League took a turn for the worst earlier this week after the Baggies were beaten by rock-bottom Sheffield United.

It leaves them ten points adrift of safety with crucial games against Spurs, Manchester United, Burnley and Brighton on the horizon.

Albion have brought in five new names this transfer window, though their two deadline day additions – Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Okay Yokuslu – are yet to feature.

“When you have decided to attack the situation by bringing new players in – if I didn’t think there was a chance (of survival) I wouldn’t have pushed as hard as I did to get those players in,” revealed Big Sam in the wake of Tuesday’s defeat.

So how will the pair of them fit in? They’re both in line to make an instant impact against Spurs…

On the Chalkboard

Both arrivals hit towards Allardyce sticking with a three-at-the-back formation as it would allow Yokuslu to be deployed in a defensive midfield role at the base of the engine room, whilst the versatile Arsenal star can act as the right wing-back.

It does, however, mean there are some big calls to make over the like of Jake Livermore, Romaine Sawyers and Grady Diangana.

The Baggies have a plethora of central defensive options, so it makes sense for Allardyce to want to utilse such a formation, and he has done before when saving Sunderland from the brink of relegation.

It means we could see Dara O’Shea, Kyle Bartley and Semi Ajayi in front of Sam Johnstone with Conor Townsend and Maitland-Niles on the two flanks.

As already mentioned, we’re likely to see Yokuslu come straight in as a defensive midfielder as that’s a position Big Sam was desperate to secure in the window.

It does, however, likely mean that two of Slaven Bilic’s long-serving favourites are axed in Romaine Sawyers and Jake Livermore. Both started at least 42 league games last season and have continued to be a presence this term.

The pair rank as the two worst West Brom regulars as per WhoScored ratings, and with a better defensive anchor in place, it could allow Robert Snodgrass and Matheus Pereira some extra freedom further up the pitch.

There’s also a major decision to be had on Grady Diangana because when he’s fit, he’s a shoo-in to start (started all four games under Allardyce prior to injury).

But given the formation tweak, there’s just no place for him in the lineup, meaning he’s likely to have to settle for a role off the bench.

Whilst upfront, we could see a ‘David and Goliath’ partnership of Mbaye Diagne and Karlan Grant.

The likes of Callum Robinson, Matty Phillips and Kieran Gibbs would all also be substitute options.

AND in other news, Missed bargain: Dowling’s WBA call over “fearless” £2m beast looking worse by the week…

After getting sent off just before half-time against Crystal Palace, Tyrone Mings would no doubt have been relieved to see his Aston Villa teammates pick up the slack brilliantly and come away with an emphatic 3-0 victory.

The centre-back subsequently missed the clash against Chelsea through suspension, but with his one-game ban now up, is free to be used by Dean Smith.

And whilst Kortney Hause and Ezri Konsa performed impressively well to hold Frank Lampard’s side to a 1-1 draw in the Premier League last time out, Smith must bring back the £50k-a-week earning Mings for the game against Manchester United on Friday night.

His former teammate, Tommy Elphick, raved about his leadership skills, and added that he’s improved considerably technically too. He said: “He can almost be the manager’s voice out on the pitch. When he’s in the team meetings, he absorbs everything quickly so he knows what the manager wants and is able to transfer that out onto the pitch.

“The biggest improvement is how he has developed technically. He always had the attributes to be a top centre-half, with his height, power and pace. Being left-footed as a centre-half these days is always good as well as there’s not too many about.”

His current teammate at Villa, John McGinn, dubbed him a “colossus”, and his return to the fold on Friday night could hold the key to marshalling a multi-million pound United attack featuring the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Edinson Cavani and Marcus Rashford.

Organising the back-line, and making sure they can stand up to one of the Premier League’s most dangerous attacks, will be a tall order. Getting Mings into the team would be Villa’s safe bet to ensuring they can stop them.

Southampton winger Josh Sims is attracting interest this month as a result of his impressive performances on loan with Doncaster Rovers, and the South Coast club should cash in on the 23-year-old, in order to avoid losing him for nothing at the end of the season.

It was reported earlier this month by Football Insider that both Doncaster and Championship side QPR are keen on signing the Saints academy graduate during the current transfer window.

Sims’ contract with Southampton expires at the end of this season and therefore, despite his strong form at the moment, Martin Semmens may be best served by cashing in on the winger this month.

In his time with Darren Moore’s side in League One, the 23-year-old would contribute three goals and seven assists in 14 appearances, averaging an assist every two games, so he had clearly established himself as a key player with the South Yorkshire outfit.

He has now returned to Southampton but considering he hasn’t featured on the bench recently, despite the South Coast club’s lack of options on the wing at the moment, it seems clear that he doesn’t have a future in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.

Therefore, if QPR or Doncaster do make an approach for the winger, or any other side for that matter, then Southampton should try and cash in on the £1.44 million-rated man.

During his time with the League One side, Sims admitted that he is now in the stage of his career where he needs to be playing regular football, something he was never really able to achieve with Southampton, so it seems as if he is keen to leave the Saints in the near future.

In total, he managed 27 appearances for the South Coast club, contributing no goals and three assists, with a long-term knee injury setting back his progress in 2017.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem likely that he will feature again any time soon for Southampton’s first-team, so Semmens should cash in on him now rather than losing him for free at the end of the season.

And, in other news… Forren 2.0: Hasenhuttl delivers worrying update on Southampton’s “big talent”