All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

According to a report from Italian outlet Calciomercato (via Sport Witness), Tottenham Hotspur are in contention to sign Real Madrid forward Marco Asensio. 

The lowdown: Asensio profiled

The 26-year-old has enjoyed a stellar career to date and has been part of a Los Blancos side that has lifted no few than 12 major honours including two La Liga titles and two UEFA Champions League successes.

Despite the trophy-laden time at the Bernabeu, Asensio has struggled to cement a place under Carlo Ancelotti this season and could be on the move this summer as a deal in the Spanish capital fast approaches its final 12 months (Transfermarkt).

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-copy/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

A fresh update regarding the former Mallorca man has emerged from Italy, suggesting that Spurs could well be taking a closer look at the versatile star…

The latest: Tottenham ‘appear’

As per the report from Calciomercato, translated by SW, Conte could provide a ‘new path’ for the 26-cap Spain international.

It’s claimed that Asensio’s switch to ‘super agent’ Jorge Mendes could open up a move the Lilywhites as the N17 club ‘appear’ in the frame for the signing.

The report cites interest from AC Milan and Arsenal but it’s stated that Mendes would like to take the ace once hailed as ‘world class’ by ex-Spain boss Vicente del Bosque to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The verdict: No brainer

Albeit Asensio has only completed 90 minutes on five occasions this season, the classy Spaniard has racked up 230 club appearances in seven years at Real Madrid and clearly possesses plenty of quality, actually trending closely with current Spurs’ favourite Son Heung-min in terms of style of play (Fbref).

Predominantly operating as a left-winger, the £36million valued star can play anywhere across the frontline as well as in more conventional midfield positions and would therefore offer all-important versatility to Conte’s options.

Boasting an impressive 7.06 average Sofascore rating from 28 league outings this term – only bettered by eight members of a star-studded Madrid squad – Fabio Paratici would be wise to remain attentive to the possibility of adding Asensio to the ranks in north London as the long term future of Steven Bergwijn remains unclear.

In other news: ‘That’s for sure’ – Sky Sports reporter now backs big transfer news out of Tottenham, find out more here.

With seven Premier League games played in Bruno Lage’s reign at Wolves. and three wins and three defeats under their belt, it’s been a rather mixed start for the 45-year-old at Molineux.

During this opening run, the Old Gold have managed to score just five goals, leaving only Norwich City (two) having scored fewer and conceded six goals, the same number as Liverpool, Brentford and Manchester United.

Looking ahead to their next Premier League match against fellow Midlands club Aston Villa after the current international break, one player that should be dropped from the team, who started in Wolves’ previous league match against Newcastle United, is on-loan winger Francisco Trincao.

On the chalkboard

Wolves signed the 21-year-old on loan from Spanish giants Barcelona back in the summer.

Since then, the Portuguese winger, who is currently valued at £19.8m according to Transfermarkt has made seven appearances for the Old Gold across all competitions, scoring just one goal, which came in their 4-0 win over Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup back in August.

Despite playing in the majority of Wolves’ Premier League games so far this season, except their 1-0 win over Southampton where he was an unused substitute, the 6-foot dynamo has failed to score a goal or provide an assist in the league for Lage’s side.

Evidently, he has struggled for several weeks but that may be expected, having not featured outside of Portugal or Spain during his career.

His latest performance for the club in their 2-1 win against Steve Bruce’s side saw Trincao fail to register a shot on target, lose seven out of the 12 ground duels he was involved in, get dribbled past four times and lose possession on 12 occasions before being substituted off late in the game, ultimately earning himself an overall match rating of 6.4/10, making him the lowest-rated Wolves player on the day according to SofaScore.

Taking all of this into account, it would be best if Lage dropped Trincao, who was described as being a “smooth” player by Wolves goalkeeper John Ruddy, from the team when they come up against local rivals Villa in their next league outing.

However, with the winger only being at Wolves on a loan deal, they would still need to make sure they are getting as much as they can out of him before he returns to Barcelona, so perhaps using him as an impact substitute against Villa before eventually putting him back in the starting XI if he impresses would be the best way forward for all parties.

In other news: Forget Silva: Wolves can find their new Jimenez in 17 y/o who scores “poachers’ goals” – opinion

Sunderland are in advanced talks over a deal to bring Ryan Alebiosu to the Stadium of Light this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Northern Echo, who claim that the Black Cats are increasingly confident of securing a deal to bring the Arsenal right-back to the club on a season-long loan deal before the closure of the summer transfer window on Tuesday.

The report continues by stating that, while the majority of his transfer business is complete, Lee Johnson is still eager to bring in greater depth at full-back, with Kyril Louis-Dreyfus believed in advanced talks with the Gunners for the 19-year-old.

“Great signing”

It is easy to see why Johnson is keen to bring in a further body who is capable of operating at full-back over what remains of the summer transfer window, as, at present, the Mackems manager has just three natural options across both the left and right-back positions in his first-team squad – in the shape of Dennis Cirkin, Niall Huggins and Luke O’Nien.

However, with O’Nien often being required to play in central midfield, Johnson has regularly had to deploy midfielder Carl Winchester on the right-hand side of his defence.

As such, a move for a player in the role would appear to make sense for the Black Cats, and, should the club manage to get a deal over the line in the coming days, Alebiosu could well be a great addition for the League One side.

Indeed, the 19-year-old – who can also play at left-back – was a regular in the Arsenal U23 side last season, making 18 Premier League 2 appearances, over which he provided one assist, as well as featuring in three EFL Trophy fixtures.

Furthermore, Sunderland legend Kevin Phillips has also given his approval regarding a move for the defender, stating his belief that Alebiosu could be a “great signing” for his former side.

As such, following a highly impressive start to their League One campaign – with the Black Cats topping the third tier table after five games played – the addition of a player as highly rated as the £1.7k-per-week Arsenal youngster would only appear to provide Sunderland’s chances of finally securing promotion back to the Championship this season with a major boost.

In other news: Sky Sports provide update on “shining light” that’ll leave SAFC fans gutted

Fulham have been dealt a blow regarding the fitness of Rodrigo Muniz ahead of their upcoming Carabao Cup clash.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a report published on the club’s official website, which revealed that the centre-forward is a doubt for the clash with Leeds United on Tuesday night due to a knock the 20-year-old picked up in the Cottagers’ 2-1 defeat to Reading on Saturday.

Speaking shortly after the weekend’s loss, Marco Silva discussed the Brazilian’s injury, stating: “He had a strong knock in the last 10 minutes, he couldn’t run, but we had to keep him on the pitch because we didn’t have any more changes. He’s in pain now, but we have to wait and check.”

The report added that Harrison Reed is also a doubt for the visit of the Whites, while Joe Bryan could make a return to the side after missing the Reading game.

Silva will be gutted

Considering how little Muniz has featured for Fulham since his £7.2m move from Flamengo earlier this summer, the fact that the centre-forward now looks set for a spell on the sidelines is sure to have left Silva gutted.

Indeed, having made his debut for the Cottagers’ in their 1-0 loss to Blackpool towards the start of the month, featuring for 11 minutes against the Seasiders, the 20-year-old then failed to get on the pitch in the 4-1 victory over Birmingham City last week.

However, after being introduced in the second half of the Reading game, Muniz did manage to score his first goal for the club, although subsequently it also appears that the forward picked up an injury.

As such, it looks as if Silva will have to make do without the Brazilian against Leeds tonight, something which will undoubtedly come as a blow to the Portuguese manager, as the Carabao Cup fixture very much seemed to be the perfect opportunity to test out the striker from the start.

In other news: Fresh twist emerges on “fantastic” £225k-rated Fulham starlet, Silva would be gutted

Understandably, Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah is the talk of the town at the moment after scoring 15 goals in 12 appearances across all competitions for the Reds.

However, one winger at the Merseyside club that we feel is and has flown under the radar in recent times is Sadio Mane.

Liverpool signed the attacker back in the 2016 summer transfer window from fellow Premier League side Southampton in a deal worth a reported fee of £34m.

Since then, the 29-year-old, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £100k-per-week according to Spotrac, has made a total of 230 appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s side in which he has managed to rack up an impressive total of 103 goals and 43 assists in the process.

So far this season, Mane has managed to score six times in 12 appearances across all competitions. In addition to this, the winger has managed to rack up an average of 3.4 shots at goal per game, showing just how much of an attacking threat he is in the team alongside Salah.

All of this has seen his market value rise considerably. In August 2016, shortly after joining the Reds, Transfermarkt had Mane’s value listed at £27m, whereas it now stands at a massive £76.5m, highlighting a massive increase and how much he has progressed and thrived at Liverpool under Klopp.

His rather mesmeric performances saw him star against Barcelona last term which led to him being described as “unbelievable” for his exploits in Merseyside by Liverpool coach Peter Krawietz.

Also, this says to us just how much of a great buy he has been from Liverpool’s owners FSG who have certainly delivered an absolute star to the club.

With the Senegal international’s current contract at Anfield set to expire in 2023, we feel that the club should definitely try and get him signed to a new one to keep him at the club for the foreseeable future to see if he can continue scoring goals and providing assists on a regular basis.

If he does put pen to paper on a new deal, even though he’s reaching the age of 30, we feel that Mane’s overall market value could go up even further if he keeps performing well for the team.

Either way, there’s no denying that he’s been a brilliant signing for the Reds.

In other news: Never mind Salah: “Intense” £90k-p/w LFC gem who made 2 key passes was vital yesterday – opinion

Dean Windass has exclusively told Football FanCast that he cannot believe Arsenal let Joe Willock leave.

Since breaking into the Arsenal first-team more than three years ago, the midfielder unable to establish himself as a regular under Unai Emery or current manager Mikel Arteta.

The bulk of his 78 appearances came in the Europa League and the domestic cups, with the Gunners academy graduate failing to get a proper opportunity in the Premier League.

However, last January Willock moved out on loan to Newcastle and was given his first genuine chance to prove himself at Premier League level.

And Willock more than exceeded expectations, scoring an incredible eight goals in under 1000 minutes of league football for Steve Bruce’s side – becoming the youngest player to score in seven consecutive Premier League games in the process.

In contrast, none of Arsenal’s central midfielders managed to score more than once in the league last season, but that didn’t stop them from cashing in on Willock when Newcastle came calling once again for a permanent deal this summer.

Windass exclusively told Football FanCast:

“I just don’t get it; he’s done so well for Bruce. There’s not many teams that have midfield players that can get you goals – and Arsenal need as much help as they can get at the minute.”

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has made a claim on Leeds United and possible move for Barcelona right-back Sergino Dest.

The Lowdown: Dest links

Victor Orta and Jesse Marsch met earlier this month to discuss the profile of player they want to target this summer ahead of the latter’s first full season in charge.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-updates/” title=”Latest Leeds United updates!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-04-02T155252Z_391313781_UP1EI421841M9_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-SOU-REPORT.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Dest was linked with a move to Yorkshire prior to those talks, with sources revealing that the USA international is on Orta’s radar alongside RB Salzburg’s Brenden Aaronson.

Dest is currently under contract at the Nou Camp until 2025 and has made 69 appearances for the Catalan giants, turning out at full-back and on the wing on both sides.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments

Talking to This is Futbol, O’Rourke said that Leeds will be on the hunt for a right-back and name-checked Dest, suggesting it could be a ‘big deal’.

“They’ll be looking at a right-back, I think, as well. Sergino Dest has been mentioned possibly as that one which will be a big deal for Leeds.”

The Verdict: Ayling replacement?

By the looks of it, the Whites will be ‘looking’ to bring in a right-back over the summer, which could result in Luke Ayling becoming second-choice at Elland Road.

Ayling has grown with the club since joining in 2016 and has made 217 appearances for the Whites. However, he will be entering the final 12 months of his contract in the summer, where he will turn 31.

He reportedly wants to stay at Leeds for the rest of his career, however, he may have to accept dropping down to the bench going forward, should the Whites land someone like Dest over the coming months.

In other news: Leeds and Orta want ‘extraordinary’ ace in Bosman move; same agent as Bamford. 

A Tottenham Hotspur insider has shed some light on rumours of Gareth Bale potentially returning to Spurs in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Conte wants Bale

According to journalist Eduardo Inda, Antonio Conte has asked for the North London club to sign Bale once more in the winter.

Of course, he was with the Lilywhites on loan last season, and managed to score 16 goals and make a further three assists in 34 games in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt).

Bale ended up as their third-highest scorer behind only Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min, and so it is not a surprise that Conte would like him to return once more, given that THFC are currently the Premier League’s second-lowest scorers with just nine goals in 11 games so far.

The Latest: Insider sheds light

Speaking to Football Insider, Tottenham insider John Wenham, who regularly breaks news about Spurs on his Lilywhite Rose social media channels, has shed some light on the rumours of Bale’s potential return, and thinks that he would be a ‘brilliant’ signing in January:

“The stats speak for themselves.

“I have seen some ridiculous statements that joked Bale was using Tottenham as a gym ahead of the Euros.

“Actually, he scored 11 league goals in very minimal playing time. He scored the same amount of league goals as Aubameyang and Mane.

“He scored more than Antonio and Firmino and he barely played.

“People were asking what he did in the cups, he didn’t play. Mourinho, for whatever reason, did not play him.

“He then had a real purple patch under Mason and scored a brace on the last day of the season, a result that earned us European football over Arsenal.

“I had hopes we were going to extend his loan after last season because I think we have missed his goals.

“Would I welcome him back? Absolutely, he’s a Tottenham legend. He ticks a lot of boxes. It would be brilliant.

“I hope we look at that. However, Alasdair Gold said there was basically nothing in it, so at the moment I think it’s just a rumour.”

The Verdict: Bring him back

Bale’s impact in North London during his loan spell last term is nothing to be sniffed at, and there is no doubt that he can make the same impact again.

Of course, he is 32 years of age now, but is still playing at the highest level with Real Madrid.

Nonetheless, as Wenham puts it, he is simply a legend at the Lilywhites, being part of the team that won the League Cup in 2008 and winning Player of the Year in the 2012/13 campaign (Transfermarkt), and would thus be a signing that would help get the fans onside during what could be a potentially tricky next few months.

In other news, find out what transfer boost Conte has been gifted here!

Celtic supporters should ‘love’ the fact that shareholder Dermot Desmond is a lifelong Hoops fan, according to finance expert Doctor Dan Plumley.

The Lowdown: Desmond a lifelong fan

The 71-year-old has been hugely involved at Parkhead since 1995, having also owned part of Manchester United before the Glazer family’s takeover in the 2000s.

Desmond recently stressed that he wouldn’t sell his stake in the club even if he offered ‘three or four times the share price’, such is his love for Celtic.

While billionaires aren’t always universally loved by supporters, Plumley believes the situation is different with Desmond.

The Latest: Expert provides thoughts on billionaire

Speaking to Football Insider, the ‘finance guru’ stressed that the Irishman’s Celtic roots should be something that supporters admire in their shareholders:

“There are good and bad aspects to this. Most fans would argue that it is a good thing to have a genuine supporter of the club in charge.

“Business investment probably takes on a slightly different form as a fan. But the flip side is that if somebody did offer three or four times the share price, they might have the potential to grow the club even further.

“That is a very hypothetical situation, but you can see the good and bad here. However, in general, most fans would love to keep an owner who is passionate and personally invested in the club.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/key-latest-celtic-updates-2/” title=”Key latest Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Makes a fair point

While Plumley’s comments could be divisive due to Desmond not necessarily always pleasing Celtic supporters, he does make a fair point.

If you know you have a fellow fan in charge high up, it instantly suggests that big decisions made will be in the best interests of the club, rather than by billionaires who care more about their wealth.

The Hoops could certainly have worse majority shareholders than Desmond and it could be a case of only fully appreciating him when he eventually moves on.

In other news, Celtic have been backed to seal the signing of one player. Find out who it is here.

Wolves could still sign a replacement for outgoing winger Adama Traore in the next two days, according to journalist Ryan Taylor.

The Lowdown: Traore off to Barcelona

The Spaniard is on the verge of completing a return to Barcelona, having initially spent time in the club’s academy before making four first-team appearances.

Traore will join the Catalan giants on loan initially but the deal could become permanent at the end of the season (Sky Sports).

With the winger leaving Molineux and no replacement lined up yet, it could be argued that Wolves are looking light in attacking areas between now and the end of the season.

The Latest: Journalist talks up new signing

Speaking to Give Me Sport, however, Taylor claimed a new face could still arrive before deadline day ends on Monday:

“If Traore completes his move, he’ll (Bruno Lage) probably push for another signing within the final days of the window.”

The Verdict: Is it needed?

In an ideal world, a ready-made replacement for Traore would arrive in the coming days, ensuring Lage isn’t left with a lack of attacking depth.

That being said, Traore wasn’t a key starter for Wanderers – he has started 10 out of 21 Premier League matches this season – and the returning Pedro Neto could feel like a new signing after a long injury absence.

Should Traore leave permanently in the summer, they should receive big money for him, at which point it is vital that Wolves use the funds effectively on new signings. Perhaps that would be better than rushing into a January deal.

In other news, Wolves have suffered a transfer blow regarding one player. Find out who it is here.