All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Mo Salah could leave Liverpool next summer

Liverpool have hit a brick wall in contract negotiations with Mohamed Salah so far, and now a new update has emerged on the player’s future at the club.

What’s the latest?

According to The Athletic, people close to the Egyptian winger have claimed that he could remain in England should he leave Liverpool next summer.

As per the report, there is a possibility that Salah would continue to play in the Premier League without a Liverpool shirt on his back when his contract expires, and Chelsea are named as the club who would be the most likely suitors to accommodate that move for the player.

Klopp would be furious

There is no doubt that Klopp would be furious at the thought of losing both Sadio Mane and Salah in the space of just 12 months as it would be an even bigger blow to Liverpool’s attacking threat.

Salah has scored 158 goals for the Reds, making him the ninth all-time top goal-scorer for the club, with at least one more season ahead of him to score more and improve that ranking.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-liverpool-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-salah-gnabry-isak-romano” title= “Read the latest Liverpool news!”]

The £225k-per-week star was hailed “extraordinary” and a “machine” by Ian Wright, when speaking on his Wrighty’s House podcast last year:

“He’s an extraordinary goal-scorer. He went to Roma and did it in Rome, then he came to Liverpool and got 32 goals in 36 and I thought this guy is a goalscoring machine.”

The Egypt international’s output has led Liverpool to win their first-ever Premier League title, a Champions League trophy, the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup since he joined back in 2017, and it isn’t just losing his attacking prowess that will leave FSG with a headache.

Salah is now an £81m-rated player and, at the rate he is going, Liverpool’s asking price for interested parties could likely go north of that valuation quite comfortably, but if the powers at Anfield cannot come to an agreement on a contract extension for the player he may well leave on a free with no profit made by the club upon his exit.

With that being said, FSG and Klopp must do everything they can to get a deal over the line or come to a decision that can mutually benefit both the player and the club moving forward as they could be set to lose millions if they let the player leave next summer.

AND in other news: Klopp could land dream Mane heir with Liverpool bid for “world-class” £200k-p/w dynamo

Everton can land major Allan upgrade with swoop for Matheus Nunes

It’s no secret that Everton need a major summer overhaul following on from their narrow escape from Premier League relegation at the end of last season.

Frank Lampard inherited a squad which should have had enough quality to finish much higher than their eventual position of 16th in the table, and he now has the summer transfer window to clear out some deadwood and bring in a few upgrades.

One player that the 43-year-old should be aiming to bring in sooner rather than later is Matheus Nunes from Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon.

The midfielder has been linked with a move to Goodison Park according to O Jogo, who claimed that Everton showed initial interest in 2021 before continuing to watch him develop; and after a great season at Sporting, they are now looking to swoop.

Journalist Santi Aouna tweeted: “Info: Nunes has received approaches from Wolverhampton, Newcastle, and Everton. He will only be sold at the price of his release clause which is €60m.”

This works out as around £51m and would be a massive outlay for Everton, but they need to add quality to their ranks, and he is a major upgrade on Allan.

Not only is Nunes more of a goalscoring threat, netting three goals last season to the Brazilian’s zero, he also took more shots (22 to seven), giving himself a better chance of scoring.

Nunes created six big chances in the league last term, whereas Allan didn’t create any, and the Portuguese gem also took 12 more touches on average compared to the Everton midfielder (59.5 to 47.5), showing his composure on the ball.

Nunes was only dribbled past 0.7 times per match last season, while Allan let opponents go past him 2.5 times per 90 minutes.

These figures show the type of player that Lampard requires, and he could finally axe Allan in the process. Having been described as “one of the best players in the world today” by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, then it’s clear he will be able to excel in the Premier League.

AND in other news, “Full agreement”: Fabrizio Romano drops Everton transfer claim that’ll delight Lampard

Everton transfer news on Mina

Yerry Mina has reportedly now been ‘told’ by Everton that he is ‘leaving’ this summer.

The Lowdown: ‘Big player’

Frank Lampard has previously admitted that Mina is a ‘big player’ for him and the Goodison Park outfit, and they tend to perform better when he is in the team, as they lost a whopping 19 out of the 30 games where he did not play last season, compared to just four in the 14 matches that he did (Transfermarkt).

However, his contract on Merseyside is set to expire in 2023, and there has not been any talk of a renewal as of yet.

The Latest: Leaving…

Taking to Twitter, TUTTOmercatoWEB journalist Raimondo De Magistris has revealed that Mina has now been ‘told’ by the Toffees that he is ‘leaving’ this summer:

“Yerry Mina is leaving Everton this summer. One year before the expiration of the contract, the Toffees told the Colombian defender that he is not part of future plans.”

The Verdict: Big blow

We feel it will be a big blow to lose a key player in Mina, especially given the fact that he could end up leaving for a relatively cheap price with only one year left on his contract.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-7/” title=”Everton news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

However, it looks as if central defender James Tarkowski is set to arrive on a free transfer from Burnley having reportedly had a medical at Finch Farm, which would soften the blow.

Nonetheless, the Blues should be looking to tie Mina down to a new deal if possible, instead of willingly letting him go this summer with just 12 months of negotiating power.

In other news, find out which ‘quality’ starlet EFC are now eyeing here!

Leeds eye Gelhardt 2.0 in Sonny Perkins

Leeds United director of football Victor Orta could repeat his Joe Gelhardt masterclass as the Yorkshire giants look to continue their investment in the club’s impressive academy set-up.

According to The Athletic’s Phil Hay earlier this week, the Whites are targeting a move for West Ham forward Sonny Perkins, who has been a standout for their development squad this season, earning a professional debut in the Europa League.

The 18-year-old was recently named April’s Premier League 2 ‘Player of the Month’ and he ended the 2021/22 campaign with back-to-back braces, taking his total to 14 goals and two assists for the Hammers’ youth sides.

Perkins is widely believed to be one of the hottest prospects coming through the system at the London Stadium, at least as per club insider ExWHUemployee.

“One thing to also pay attention to is a West Ham youngster called Sonny Perkins,” he revealed to his ‘The West Ham Way podcast. “This is someone I’ve spoken about on the podcast before as a talent, and he’s really beginning to stand out now at academy level, really getting rave reviews.”

“From what I’ve heard in the academy circles, he could be the next Declan Rice. So just keep your eye out for his progression within the next few years.”

Given the success the Whites have had in recent times, improving their academy with additions like Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood, it certainly makes sense for Orta and co to continue to make great strides for the long-term future.

Signed on the cheap from Wigan Athletic last summer, ‘Joffy’ has quickly emerged as a fan-favourite at Elland Road after he announced himself on the big stage with an assist from the bench against Wolves in just his second appearance before an eye-catching consolation goal against the then Champions of Europe, Chelsea.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more-2″ title=”Read the latest Leeds news, transfer rumours and more!”]

The 20-year-old then found the net a second time in Leeds’ crunch match with Norwich City, a goal that ultimately saw them over the line with safety.

Perkins, capped at England U18 level, could easily be the next to follow Gelhardt’s lead, should the Whites manage to prize him away from east London.

Whilst he would not be a signing for the immediate, he is certainly an exciting prospect and one that could play a part in the club’s long-term future.

Orta must look to repeat his recent success with youth signings by signing the 18-year-old prodigy this summer.

AND in other news, “On the agenda”: Phil Hay drops exciting Leeds transfer claim, supporters will love it…

Liverpool: Takumi Minamino ‘closing in’ on Anfield exit

Liverpool forward Takumi Minamino is now ‘closing in’ on an Anfield exit and it could be done ‘quickly’, according to reliable journalist David Lynch.

The Lowdown: Bit-part player

The 27-year-old first made the switch to the Premier League when he joined the Merseyside outfit from Red Bull Salzburg back in 2019, where he’s since gone on to make 55 first-team appearances for the club to date.

Having only played 11 times in the top-flight this season however, there is plenty of speculation that the Japanese gem could be looking for a move elsewhere during the upcoming window, and following a fresh update, it appears as though that is exactly what he’s doing.

The Latest: Lynch drops Minamino update

In a new post on his personal Twitter account, Lynch revealed that Minamino’s agent has travelled to Europe to find out more information about the interest that multiple clubs have registered in his client. He wrote:

“Takumi Minamino closing in on an LFC departure with his agent having flown to Europe to field interest from Leeds, Southampton, Wolves, Fulham and Monaco. Situation likely to be resolved quickly – Liverpool hoping to secure £17m.”

The Verdict: Ward not messing around

After making just one start in the Premier League for the Reds this campaign, it comes as no surprise to see the 40-cap international seriously considering his next steps.

Even though he’s been pretty low down in the manager’s pecking order, the former Salzburg maestro was once hailed an “unbelievable” player by teammate Joe Gomez. He has also shown how prolific he can be in the final third when given a proper run in the starting XI, having racked up four goals and one assist in just five EFL Cup games, as per Transfermarkt, and he deserves to be a regular starter somewhere.

And new sporting director Julian Ward will need to get to work on sales as the Reds close in on the expensive capture of Darwin Nunez. Ward is expected to cash in on Neco Williams for around £15m, Sadio Mane for £42.5m and now Minamino for £17m, which would go a considerable distance to covering most or even all of the Nunez fee.

Assuming the Reds can bank an eight-figure fee for his services, this feels like a win-win for both player and club, and the first step in Ward proving he can bank huge money from sales just like his predecessor Michael Edwards.

In other news… the Reds are now ‘close’ to reaching an agreement to sign a new attacking addition to their squad.

Celtic: Nixon confirms Harwood-Bellis interest

Reliable journalist Alan Nixon has confirmed that Celtic are interested in signing Manchester City defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis this summer, but the Hoops may have to wait to wrap up a deal. 

The lowdown: Rising star

Born in Stockport, Harwood-Bellis has risen through the heralded City academy and made a senior bow for the Premier League champions in the Carabao Cup victory over Preston in 2019.

Since then, the central defender has been sent on loan to Blackburn Rovers and Anderlecht before spending the end of the 2021/22 campaign at Stoke City in the Championship.

Now, it appears that the recruitment staff at Celtic Park are attempting to make Glasgow the England youth starlet’s next stage in his development…

The latest: 14 days

Taking to Twitter, following a report from Sky Sports citing the admiration, Nixon confirmed that the Hoops are indeed interested in the 20-year-old, but fans may have to wait around 14 days for something to happen.

He said: “Nothing since last week … there IS an interest … no decision for a couple of weeks.”

The verdict: Fingers crossed

Signing Harwood-Bellis would be a superb coup for the Bhoys. Despite being some way off the first-team plans in Manchester, the youngster – who was once hailed as ‘exceptional’ by Pep Guardiola after his debut outing – appears to be held in high esteem at City.

During a second loan spell of the 2021/22 campaign, the seven-cap England Under 21 starlet earned a 6.78 Sofascore rating at Stoke, making 3.5 clearances, 1.9 interceptions and winning 4.9 duels on average per game – highlighting an impressive defensive acumen.

Valued at £6.3million and under contract until 2024 (Transfermarkt), a loan move would likely be preferable for all parties as Ange Postecoglou attempts to suitably strengthen the ranks for another tilt at the Scottish premiership title and UEFA Champions League action without breaking the bank.

In other news, Celtic are believed to be keeping tabs on one player. Find out who it is here.

Liverpool: Nketiah can replace Origi

Liverpool should swoop for “clinical” Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah this summer. He would be available on a free transfer and would make the perfect replacement for Divock Origi.

According to a report from 90min earlier this month, Liverpool are monitoring the situation of Nketiah who hasn’t signed a new deal with Arsenal as he wants to explore all of his options ahead of next season.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-liverpool-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-salah-gnabry-isak-romano” title= “Read the latest Liverpool news!”]

Their interest comes as Origi is set to leave Anfield when his contract expires in the summer, with it looking increasingly likely he will move to Serie A side AC Milan. Journalist Fabrizio Romano revealed last week that the player had informed Liverpool of his decision to leave and it was likely he would end up in Italy.

Nketiah would represent the perfect replacement for him, but The Reds aren’t the only team interested, with fellow Premier League club Chelsea also keeping a close eye on his future. The player could be tempted by a move to West London given he already plays for a club in the city.

However, Jurgen Klopp will be hoping that Nketiah can become his next Origi, and be a vital squad player for Liverpool who can step up when needed. If he moved to Merseyside he might not start a huge amount of games, but he would get to work with one of the world’s best coaches and likely win a lot of silverware in the process.

He’s rated at £9m, but the fact he would be available for nothing makes it even more appealing, and gives him a lot more options. The 22-year-old has featured 20 times for The Gunners this season the majority of which have come from the bench.

If you compare him to Origi over the course of the campaign it’s clear to see that he would be capable of taking his place. Nketiah has made double the number of goal creating actions than the Belgian this season, and has a higher percentage when it comes to successful dribbles at 38% compared to Origi’s 33%.

Liverpool seems to be the perfect place for young players to go, with Klopp being notorious for getting the most out of them.

Whilst Nketiah, who has 28 senior goals to his name, might not get as much game time if he moved, we think he would be better off for it, and could eventually become a regular when he’s had more time to develop.

IN other news: Exciting news: FSG’s new summer plan for Liverpool will leave supporters buzzing…

Leeds can axe Firpo with MLS star

Jesse Marsch could go back to his roots in a bid to bolster Leeds United’s playing squad this summer…

What’s the word?

According to Transfermarkt, the Whites are interested in signing Philadelphia Union left-back Kai Wagner, who has emerged as one of the best in his position in the MLS

It remains to be seen how much the 25-year-old German would command, though the Yorkshire giants are also facing competition from relegation rivals Burnley, as well as Championship outfit Middlesbrough.

Transfermarkt value him at £2.7m.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more-2″ title=”Read the latest Leeds news, transfer rumours and more!”]

Firpo flop

Part of the MLS All-Star team in 2021, the 6-foot dynamo could be quite an upgrade for the American head coach at Elland Road.

Across 104 appearances in Delaware, Wagner has delivered four goals and 13 assists, averaging a direct contribution once every six games, which is a pretty respectable return for a full-back.

Meanwhile, the former Wurzburger Kickers ace ranks favourably compared to his peers in the division. He is amongst the top 3% for key passes (1.88 per 90), top 4% for passes into the final third (4.35 per 90) and top 4% for goal-creating actions, so whilst he may not always get an assist, he’s evidently a threat in attack.

Also via FBRef, Wagner is pretty solid defensively, having averaged 2.43 blocks and 9.61 ball recoveries per 90, too.

His arrival in west Yorkshire could finally allow Marsch to axe struggling first-choice Junior Firpo, who has often looked lost down that left flank for the Premier League strugglers this campaign.

The former FC Barcelona man ranks outside the top 11 of Leeds’ best performers and has often been criticised for his inconsistent performances.

During a thrashing by Manchester City, Firpo’s defending was described as “schoolboy” by ex-goalkeeper Paul Robinson, whilst the Mirror’s David Anderson dubbed the £10.8m-rated flop a “liability” to GIVEMESPORT recently.

Instead, Wagner – who has been described as a “fighter” by ex-Union defender and mentor Aurelien Collin – could be an instant upgrade on the 25-year-old.

Victor Orta and co must look to make this move.

AND in other news, Radz set for Leeds disaster on £18m-rated “machine”, it’d be an unforgivable decision…

Tottenham: Lo Celso heading for Spurs exit

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte is ready to sell Giovani Lo Celso this summer, according to a report from TNT Sports in Argentina. 

The lowdown: Struggle at Spurs

Signed from Real Betis for £27.2million in 2020 following an initial loan spell under Jose Mourinho (BBC), the attacking midfielder struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League before heading back to La Liga on loan.

Lo Celso made 84 appearances for the Lilywhites, directly contributing to just 14 goals before joining Villarreal on a loan deal until the end of the 2021/22 campaign in January.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-newest-updates/” title=”Tottenham newest updates…” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Due to return to N17 in the coming weeks, the Argentinian international may already be deemed surplus to requirements…

The latest: Conte cuts Lo Celso

As per TNT Sports, Tottenham boss Conte has informed the 26-year-old that he is not part of his plans for next season.

It’s claimed that Spurs ‘intend’ to let Lo Celso go on a permanent basis despite the man hailed as an ‘amazing player’ by Mourinho being under contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium until 2025.

This will be part of a big overhaul, with Steven Bergwijn and Tanguy Ndombele also likely to leave the club during the summer transfer window.

The verdict: The time has come

Clearly out of favour under Conte, selling Lo Celso appears to be the best option for all parties, particularly if there is a deal to be done with Villarreal that may involve sought after centre-back and reported Tottenham target Pau Torres.

Despite playing an integral part in Unai Emery’s plans with the unlikely Champions League semi-finalists, the 38-cap Argentina ace has still only managed two goals and three assists in 38 competitions this season, failing to complete 90 minutes in the Premier League prior to his loan switch.

Holding a market value of £19.8million – albeit down from £45m when he joined, a 56% decrease – and with three years remaining on his contract (Transfermarkt), Daniel Levy will be confident of cutting a lucrative deal for Lo Celso that could see Conte and transfer chief Fabio Paratici’s own transfer coffers boosted handsomely.

In other news: Conte admits one thing this season left him ‘very angry’, find out more here

Leeds: Stephen Warnock blasts Illan Meslier

Illan Meslier’s error in Leeds United’s Premier League defeat against Arsenal on Sunday left BBC Sport pundit Stephen Warnock ‘astonished’.

The lowdown

Leeds slipped into the relegation zone as they fell to a 2-1 loss at the Emirates Stadium while positional rivals Everton won away to Leicester City.

It was a disastrous start for the Whites as Eddie Nketiah pounced on a heavy touch from Meslier following a back pass from Luke Ayling and lunged in to score the opener after just five minutes. Nketiah then doubled the home side’s lead on 10 minutes before Ayling saw red inside the opening half-hour.

Diego Llorente halved the deficit midway through the second half, but the visitors were unable to find an equaliser.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-43/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The latest

Warnock rates Meslier’s highly but says that there was no excuse for failing to ‘put his foot through’ the ball in the lead-up to Nketiah’s first goal. The 40-year-old also questioned Jesse Marsch’s insistence on playing out from the back, claiming that it left Leeds vulnerable.

“Illan Meslier is an incredible shot stopper but you can’t defend him there,” he said on BBC Radio 5 Live [8 May, 2:12pm], as quoted by MOT Leeds News.

“Put your foot through it, this is the problem when you get these managers or players who want to play out from the back so often.

“I’m just astonished the way Leeds are approaching this game. They keep on trying to play out and they are caught again.”

The verdict

Marsch might argue that this strategy was designed to ensure that Leeds had a foothold in the game. By kicking it long, they may simply have given the ball straight back to Arsenal and invited waves of pressure, whereas they could retain possession if they were more patient.

The problem with that tactic, though, is that there is no room for error, particularly against a Champions League-chasing team like Arsenal, and Meslier’s poor touch was all it took for Arsenal to score.

The Frenchman, who joined Leeds on an initial loan basis in 2019 (he signed permanently a year later) while Marcelo Bielsa was manager at Elland Road, was his team’s Young Player of the Year last season but has actually endured a difficult campaign this time around.

Data from FBRef shows that the £22,000-per-week stopper has conceded seven goals more than he ‘should’ have this term, based on post-shot xG.

Perhaps that’s a small part of the reason why his team has struggled throughout the 2021/22 campaign.

In other news, one Spanish outlet has dropped a further update on Raphinha’s future

Game
Register
Service
Bonus