All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Sam Allardyce left his post as West Brom manager last month, and former Baggies midfielder Carlton Palmer believes the rebuild job that may be needed at the club is the reason why.

Following their relegation from the Premier League to the Championship, West Brom look set to lose a whole host of players.

Goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, who is currently with the England squad for Euro 2020, continues to be linked with a move away from the Hawthorns.

Meanwhile, attacker Matheus Pereira is attracting plenty of interest after finishing the season as West Brom’s star performer, scoring 11 goals and assisting six during that Premier League campaign.

A rebuild job now looks inevitable, and Palmer is convinced that is not something Allardyce wants at this stage of his career.

Speaking exclusively to FFC about Big Sam’s departure, the ex-West Brom player said:

“I’m assuming that it’s a big rebuild job. So that’s a two or three-year job, or somebody comes in who can work with what’s there and get them firing to get promotion next season.

“Reading between the lines, I think that Sam thinks it’s a two or three-year job maybe to get them back up, and at his age [it’s not what he wants].”

Having won promotion before, from a West Brom perspective, Allardyce staying would have been a positive development.

A major decision has been made that will affect Rangers and Giovanni van Bronckhorst significantly in the Premiership next season.

What’s the talk?

Sky Sports have reported that VAR will be introduced in the league after the World Cup later this year, which means that it will be in use from December onwards.

41 of the 42 Scottish Professional Football League clubs, including Rangers, voted in favour of the equipment being brought in, although it will only be used in the Premiership and Championship sides will not benefit from it.

It will, however, be used for the Scottish Cup semi-finals and final for any side who makes it there to experience, with the system set to cost £1.2m-per-season.

Neil Doncaster, who is the chief executive of the SPFL, said this about the introduction:

“I believe this was the right decision and that VAR will help referees to ensure tight decisions are more often the right ones and will support a higher standard and more consistent level of decision-making.”

Gio van Bronckhorst will be relieved

The Gers head coach will surely be relieved by this call as it means that his team will not drop any points due to refereeing errors.

This should, in theory, mean that the vast majority of decisions are correct and in line with the laws of the game, in terms of the major calls in matches. Therefore, this is a huge boost as Rangers will not be cursing their luck with officiating and blaming problems out of their control for results.

Van Bronckhorst will be able to go away from each and every match knowing that the result, whether it is a win, draw or loss, is down to his team’s performance and not because of a refereeing error.

Back in January, the Gers held talks with the SFA over the standard of officiating of their clash with Aberdeen as they found eight separate issues with decisions in that particular match.

There was also uproar after a clash with Dundee United earlier this year as Rangers were denied a clear penalty and both Charlie Mulgrew and Ryan Jack escaped red cards.

These decisions can have a huge influence on matches and that is why van Bronckhorst will be buzzing that VAR is being brought in.

It will be a big boost to his side as they will not be stripped of calls that should be going their way, whilst they will need to be at their best to ensure that they are not punished for it at the other end.

AND in other news, Sources: Shock Rangers transfer claim emerges that will leave Wilson excited…

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl admitted recently that the Saints were keen on signing Timothy Castagne last summer and after his impressive debut season with Leicester City, it seems clear that they missed out on a great signing.

Ahead of Friday evening’s clash between the two teams, which finished 1-1, the Austrian confirmed: “I only remember in the summer when we had an eye on Castagne, but for us as soon as they are in the duel, then we have no chance to get him.”

The Foxes brought in the Belgium international from Atalanta in a reported £21.5m deal and he has been a regular in Brendan Rodgers’ side so far this season, as they close in on a top four spot and Champions League football ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

In 23 top-flight appearances for Leicester, the 25-year-old has contributed two goals and three assists, averaging an impressive 6.98 WhoScored rating for his performances.

Considering how desperate Southampton were for full-back cover in January, with Jake Vokins and Yan Valery both sent out on loan, having someone such as Castagne available to Hasenhuttl would have been ideal, especially as he has featured as both a right-back and a left-back regularly in his career.

He could’ve provided excellent cover for Ryan Bertrand and Kyle Walker-Peters at the back, and given his impressive season thus far, he certainly could’ve established himself as first choice in either of those positions in Hasenhuttl’s side.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/southampton-saints-ralph-hasenhuttl-martin-semmens-st-marys” title=”Latest Southampton news, transfer rumours and more”]

Bertrand has had a really disappointing season and looks set to leave in the summer when his contract expires, so having Castagne available as a ready-made replacement would have also been very helpful for the Saints, as they are now likely to be desperately trying to sign a left-back this summer.

After the 25-year-old scored on his debut in the 3-0 win against West Brom, Rodgers was full of praise for the Belgian, saying: “I’ve watched Timothy Castagne for a number of years – he fits the profile of how I want to work. He’s fast, non-stop running – he wants to score but he can defend – good composure. He’s a brilliant signing for us. He’ll prove to be a really good asset for us.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“594431″]

Therefore, it seems that Castagne would’ve been perfect for Southampton this season, and Martin Semmens should be questioned for his failure to stump up the necessary funds to bring him to St Mary’s.

In other news… “Heroic” £9m-rated gem had his best Saints game against Leicester, Ralph surely buzzing

Regardless of where Harry Kane’s future lies Tottenham must bring in at least one striker this window, and Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge has told Transfer Tavern that Dusan Vlahovic is their number-one target.

Kane has been Spurs’ only recognised senior striker for the majority of his time in the first-team, and even when someone like Carlos Vinicius was brought in last season, he wasn’t up to the challenge.

With Tottenham in Europe once again, albeit in the third-tier and the UEFA Conference League, they’re expected to be fighting on four fronts, which means they need someone to support the England captain.

The Telegraph, who recently claimed that Nuno Espirito Santo wants to bring in Danny Ings to play with Kane, believe that the Spurs boss is now looking to sign Serbian and Fiorentina striker Vlahovic, who Serie A expert Conor Clancy told This is Futbol is “incredible”.

He scored 21 goals during his breakthrough season in Serie A last term, which saw him named as the league’s best young player.

Vlahovic is the latest Italian-based player that director of football Fabio Paratici has set his sights on and would cost Tottenham around £50m.

Spurs have already signed goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini and young winger Bryan Gil from Sevilla, and Bridge told The Transfer Tavern that Vlahovic is their priority at present:

“I know that Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic is their number one choice at the moment, and I think it would be to play with Kane.”

David Norris has urged his former club to land Norwich midfielder Todd Cantwell…

What’s the talk?

Ex-Leeds midfielder David Norris has backed his former club to sign Norwich attacking midfielder Todd Cantwell, as he believes that it would be a great deal for the club. He told This Is Futbol:

“I really like him. I’ve seen him over the years and he is a good player who can create chances and score.

“I could see him doing quite well at Leeds, in that attacking line-up. He’s a very good player. If they have a chance of getting him and I saw that Leeds have signed Cantwell, I’d be happy with that.”

This comes after The Athletic’s Michael Bailey ruled out a move to Aston Villa for the Canaries academy product this window.

Bielsa would love him

Victor Orta must sanction a swoop for Cantwell this summer. Leeds were reportedly in talks with Norwich over a deal for the midfielder at the start of last season and ultimately failed to get it across the line, as the player stayed at Carrow Road and helped his hometown team win the Championship title.

With Villa’s interest seemingly cooling in him, it could be the perfect time for Leeds to reignite their flame and enter the race for his signature. The Whites could have no competition to land the Englishman because of Villa’s transfer decision, which could mean that they only need to negotiate a fee with Norwich and would not need to worry about another team coming in to oust them.

Marcelo Bielsa would love to have him at Elland Road for a couple of reasons. For starters, Cantwell has natural talent and is excellent with the ball at his feet. His former Norwich youth team coach, Gary Cockaday, hailed his talents as God-given. He told The Athletic: “Todd looked at one of them in the eye, put his toe under the ball, flicked it back over his head, turned and he was gone. All without looking at the ball.

“He did things every week that were just special. It was God-given. No one taught it. I always believed if you had someone like that, don’t change them or make them conform.”

In 94 league career appearances for Norwich, across the Championship and Premier League, Cantwell has averaged 1.2 key passes and 1.4 dribbles completed per game. This shows that he has the technical ability to beat players with the ball at his feet whilst also providing chances at the end of his runs. Bielsa would love to have a player like this in his team as he could create chances for the likes of Raphinha and Patrick Bamford.

The Argentine coach would also be delighted with this deal as Cantwell is only 23. He has the majority of his career still left ahead of him and Bielsa could enjoy working with him on the training pitch to help him fulfil his potential at the top level.

The ex-Marseille manager would be thrilled with the opportunity to develop another promising young player, whilst improving his Leeds side.

AND in other news, Imagine him and Raphinha: Leeds must land “unplayable” beast to seal terrifying attack…

Reacting to a development that Tottenham have held ‘extensive discussions’ with Roberto Martinez as their next manager, but have now cooled their interest (Football Insider), pundit Noel Whelan has been left baffled by the news and has told Tottenham to reconsider their stance.

The Lowdown: Martinez out of the running?

Indeed, as per Football Insider, the Spaniard had been making a ‘huge play’ behind the scenes to become Tottenham’s next manager and was said to be eager on taking the role after Belgium’s European Championships this summer.

However, the same outlet then brought an update stating that Tottenham have now held extensive talks with the 47-year-old but cooled their interest as a result.

The Latest: Whelan tells Levy to reconsider Martinez as option

Speaking to Football Insider in reaction, Whelan cannot believe Tottenham have cooled their interest in the former Everton boss and has told Levy that Martinez is ‘ticks every box’ for Spurs.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/spurs-gossip/” title=”Spurs gossip” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

“I cannot understand it,” he explained.

“Have they got somebody better than Roberto Martinez? Who have they found that is better than him? That would be incredible. I have no idea.

“Martinez has been a fantastic manager for a number of years now and he is very well respected in European football. You don’t get the Belgium job for no reason. He has done incredible work there with top players. It is not easy to keep them all happy.

“Martinez ticks every box for me as Tottenham manager. He has the man-management skills, the intelligence, the right style of football and he speaks really well.

“I think he would bring out the best in the star players at Spurs. He can manage them the way they need to be managed.”

The Verdict: Whelan half right…

While we believe Martinez is arguably one of the more underrated managerial candidates, especially considering his run to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals with Belgium and FA Cup victory with Wigan, there are better alternatives.

Brendan Rodgers is a name that arguably stands out over Martinez given his superior managerial record and experience.

The Northern Irishman, for instance, has won more games (325) over his managerial career than Martinez (217) whilst averaging more points per 90 (1.83 compared to 1.56).

While his appointment appears unlikely at this stage despite Tottenham’s interest, someone of Rodgers’ calibre is debatably worth the wait despite Martinez recently being lauded as a ‘world class’ candidate by former Scotland boss Alex McLeish.

In other news: 45 y/o now open to joining Spurs, find out more here.

Ange Postecoglou has made Aaron Mooy a top Celtic transfer target, according to 90min.

The Lowdown: Rumours of a Mooy approach

Postecoglou has been heavily linked with two Australian internationals after he took over at Parkhead; Brighton goalkeeper Mat Ryan and Mooy.

The Hoops were set to promise Ryan the number one shirt, whereas talks of a possible approach for Mooy were touted last month.

The pair both worked with Postecoglou during his four-year stint as Australia manager, and it seems as if the 55-year-old has made Mooy a top target.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-7/” title=”Celtic updates” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Recent report

According to 90min, Postecoglou has asked Celtic to prioritise a deal for Mooy this summer.

Sources informed the site that the Hoops hierarchy are still keen on a deal for James McCarthy, however, they are eager to back a specific recommendation from Postecoglou when it comes to Mooy.

The report adds that a deal could cost Celtic around £4m for the 30-year-old, who was described as a ‘game-changer’ by pundit Kevin Campbell last month.

The Verdict: Good signs

It’s good to see that the Hoops are eager to grant Postecoglou his wish when it comes to signing Mooy.

He’s a player the Hoops boss knows well, and it could’ve been easy for Celtic officials to brush off signing Mooy in favour of a free transfer for McCarthy.

That may well still happen, but as long as Celtic are doing everything they can to get Postecoglou the players he wants, there should be no complaints from his end ahead of the new season.

In other news: Celtic transfer twist emerges on ‘fantastic’ ace; Dominic McKay trying to play a blinder, find out more here. 

Speaking to Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur insider John Wenham has lifted the lid on a collapsed stadium deal which saw chairman Daniel Levy squander ‘millions’.

The Lowdown: Spurs eyeing financial boosters…

Following the easing of coronavirus restrictions and life slowly getting back to normality, Tottenham have seen numerous prestigious events being hosted at their brand new state of the art ground.

The NFL, for example, as well as the recent heavyweight boxing bout between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk, will have grossed the club millions of pounds worth of off-field revenue.

However, in a revelation, insider Wenham has claimed that Spurs could have been earning more over lockdown as he lifts the lid on collapsed stadium sponsorship discussions just before COVID.

The Latest: Wenham makes stadium deal claim…

As per the club insider and Spurs source, speaking to FI, the Lilywhites and Levy were actually in talks with HSBC over the stadium’s naming rights but a deal ‘fell through’.

“I know Tottenham were previously in discussions with HSBC, that fell through for whatever reason,” he explained.

“That was right before the pandemic. In hindsight, would Tottenham have taken that deal? Who wouldn’t?

“We could have been earning millions for two years even while the stadium was shut.”

The Verdict: Big blow…

Given Tottenham and Levy announced a £63.9 million loss during the pandemic last year, it’s safe to say a naming rights deal would have assisted the club in a major way financially.

Spurs ended up having to borrow £175 million through the bank of England in what was a turbulent time off-field for the club.

After the HSBC blunder, Tottenham will be hoping to secure the right naming rights deal as soon as possible.

In other news: Spurs already have offered pencilled in to sign ‘world class’ player who Hoddle called outstanding, find out more here.

Mohamed Salah’s recent comments about finishing his career at Liverpool have put a lot of pressure on FSG, according to James Pearce.

The Lowdown: Salah wants to stay for good

The Egyptian King was again unstoppable on Sunday afternoon, scoring a hat-trick the Reds’ unforgettable 5-0 win away to Manchester United.

There is constant speculation surrounding Salah’s long-term future but he recently claimed that, in an ideal world, he would stay at Liverpool forever. The 29-year-old made it clear that the decision over a new-and-improved contract lies with FSG and not him, putting the ball in their court.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375258″]

The Latest: Pearce makes FSG claim

Speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic on Sunday, Pearce said it is now up to the owners to sort out the situation, delivering an 11-word response to a reader’s question.

When asked if Salah had “checkmated” FSG by saying that he wants to stay at the club for the rest of his career, putting it up to the club to sort out a new contract for him, the journalist replied: “Certainly puts the pressure on the owners to get it sorted.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-8/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Get it done

Frankly, if Salah isn’t rewarded with a new deal after the level of performances he is producing, FSG will never be forgiven.

Liverpool have the world’s best player in their ranks on current form – he has scored 10 goals and registered five assists in just nine Premier League games this season – and he deserves to be paid far more than his current £200,000 weekly wage.

Granted, it isn’t always healthy to have one player earning comfortably more than anyone else at a club, but Salah is a special case because of his extraordinary talent. As Pearce says, the pressure should come on FSG to not let the impasse fester for much longer.

In other news, Liverpool are thought to be eyeing up a move for one exciting player. Find out who it is here.

Football.London’s Chelsea correspondent Sam Inkersole, has virtually ruled out Timo Werner exiting the club this window.

The German made the much-anticipated move from RB Leipzig 12 months ago, and despite the Blues winning the Champions League and Werner scoring more goals and assists than anyone else in squad, he’s been mainly underwhelming.

He contributed to 27 goals in his 53 appearances in all competitions, which are impressive numbers, but missed several big chances – and netted just six times in the Premier League.

Despite his confidence issues in front of goal, Thomas Tuchel continued to back his compatriot, with only Mason Mount playing more for Chelsea than the Germany international last term.

His poor first campaign in English football led to speculation over his future and whether the Blues would look to cash-in on him after just one season.

But with Olivier Giroud expected to complete a move to AC Milan, and both Tammy Abraham and Michy Batshuayi both out of favour under Tuchel, Inkersole told Football FanCast that Chelsea’s lack of strikers should lead to Werner staying at Stamford Bridge:

“There’s not a lot of strikers on the books at Chelsea. I’d be very surprised if Werner left after one season.

“Tuchel showed a lot of trust in him, he played him regularly. You have to put it into perspective, it’s his first season away from Germany, new league, new team, but I’d be staggered if he goes anywhere this summer.”