All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Many Wolves fans have been left to buzz as a transfer update emerged on Lee Kang-in.

As per Super Deporte, the Midlands club are currently watching the Valencia ace along with a whole host of other teams in Europe.

The La Liga side are open to selling him in the summer window, with the Molineux faithful knocking on the door for his potential signature.

Transfermarkt currently value him at £13.5m, but he could be sold for lower than his market value.

Given that he is just 20 years of age, and a number of top European teams, including the likes of Atletico Madrid, Fiorentina, Milan and Napoli are also interested in signing him, the Wanderers should seriously consider pouncing on what could well turn out to be an absolute bargain.

Wolves fans on Lee transfer update

These WWFC supporters buzzed as the transfer update was shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that the South Korea international would be a ‘steal’:

“See this is content we like to see Dave”

Credit: @cal_wolvesfc

“Huge dub”

Credit: @amreik

“Looks like a steal for around £10 mil”

Credit: @Joe_Callow_

“Straight swap with Mir I reckon….Poss we have to give a bit of £££. Left footed, creative, would be class in the role Lage played Joao Felix in at Benfica”

Credit: @dmarsden1988

“I love this guy, he’d be a great signing. Really talented dribbler and passer, offers creativity and plenty of dynamism, and on the cheap – would be a great signing for us. #wwfc”

Credit: @SamJGollings

“The scenes”

Credit: @Oli_Dorr

In other news, find out which £25.8m-rated ace Wolves are ‘leading the race’ to sign here!

Former Leeds United goalkeeper Paddy Kenny has hailed a touching gesture from Luke Ayling towards his Whites teammate Kalvin Phillips.

The Lowdown: Phillips prepares for Euro 2020 duty

Phillips is currently on England duty, hoping to make his mark in a major tournament by taking his club form with him onto the international stage.

Leeds fans will be desperate for the 25-year-old to impress, but his teammates are no different, especially in Ayling’s case.

The right-back has bought an England shirt with Phillips’ name on it, in what is a lovely gesture that outlines how close the pair are.

The Latest: Kenny discusses Ayling gesture

Speaking to Football Insider, Kenny spoke glowingly about Ayling, lauding the Leeds hero for his efforts:

“I thought this was great. It shows the togetherness in the dressing room. They are close them two and I’m sure Ayling will be wearing that shirt while the Euros are on.

“It would be funny if you were in a beer garden watching the game and you saw that, wouldn’t it?”

The Verdict: Unrivalled team spirit

This perfectly sums up the team spirit that Marcelo Bielsa has created at Elland Road, with players genuinely desperate for their teammates to do well.

That togetherness has played a huge part in Leeds’ success in recent years, with their willingness to fight for each other and run until the final whistle arguably the best in the Premier League.

The fact that Ayling is clearly so happy for Phillips, despite not getting selceted to play at the Euros himself, speaks volumes about him as a person and about the unity in the Leeds squad.

In other news, one pundit is keen on Leeds signing a British midfielder this summer. Find out who it is here. 

Roberto Firmino may consider leaving Liverpool this summer due to Sadio Mane’s shift into the middle, says former top flight manager Alex McLeish.

The Lowdown: Firmino down the pecking order

The Brazilian has become an undisputed Reds legend since joining from Hoffenheim back in 2015, winning the Premier League and Champions League, not to mention leading the line superbly.

Firmino finds himself down the attacking pecking order these days, however, with Mohamed Salah, Mane, Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota all arguably seen as stronger options by Jurgen Klopp, especially since Mane moved to a central role after Diaz’s arrival in January.

The 30-year-old’s current Liverpool deal runs out at the end of next season and the idea of him leaving this summer hasn’t been completely ruled out.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-29/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Pundit casts doubt over future

Speaking to Football Insider, McLeish admitted that he could see Firmino moving on due to the shift Klopp has made in recent weeks with Mane, moving Firmino further down the striker pecking order.

Ultimately, he says, the decision will be up to the player himself:

“I think he’s still making an impact. You see him in games coming on and getting a couple of goals and assists. He’s still, I think, very integral to their success this season.

“Like everybody else, he will want to maybe play more football at the end. Who knows, maybe it suits him, the way it is just now. One thing’s for sure, Liverpool are a great club and will do the right thing by their players.

“They will do whatever Firmino wants to do, I would think. Maybe keep him on and keep doing his cameo. Or does the guy want to play more football? I think that would be in Firmino’s hands.”

The Verdict: Don’t leave, Bobby

While it would be understandable if Firmino decided to enjoy a fresh challenge this summer, the hope with the vast majority of Liverpool fans is that he stays put.

At 30, he still has a huge amount to offer, even if his best days are behind him, and he is a perfect foil for different styles of players around him in attack. If he is content being a squad player, the matter should be settled immediately.

Firmino isn’t a player who is reliant on pace, which further highlights why he can be a force for years to come, and the idea of such a popular player leaving doesn’t bear thinking about.

In other news, an exciting Liverpool transfer update has emerged. Read more here.

Newcastle United are still in with a chance of landing Diego Carlos in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Kaveh Solhekol, with the Sky Sports journalist revealing on a recent episode of The Transfer Show that, despite Monchi recently suggesting that the Magpies’ move for the centre-back was all but over, there is actually the slim possibility of PIF managing to strike a deal for the 28-year-old this month.

Speaking about Newcastle’s interest in Diego Carlos, Solhekol said: “Sevilla [are] playing hardball. They don’t want to sell him to Newcastle for less than €45m, we’ve been told. It looked like that deal was not going to happen.

“The Sevilla sporting director, Monchi, came out yesterday and said: ‘It’s not happening. We saw their offer, it’s not enough. The player is going to stay with us. There isn’t enough time for us to sign a replacement.’

“But, I was told earlier this morning that there is still a small, small chance that this could happen. Somebody involved in the deal said: “Don’t say it’s impossible, don’t say it’s finished. The window is still open, so there is a possibility.’

“I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up because I still think it’s unlikely that it will happen, but, behind the scenes, people are still working to try and make it happen.”

Fans will be buzzing

Considering just how talented a defender Diego Carlos quite clearly is, should Solhekol’s latest update regarding Newcastle’s interest in the Brazil international prove to be correct, the St. James’ Park faithful will be buzzing.

Indeed, over his 21 LaLiga appearances so far this season, the £40.5m-rated centre-back has been in remarkable form for Sevilla, helping his side keep 10 clean sheets and scoring two goals, in addition to making an average of 0.8 interceptions, one tackle, 3.6 clearances, 60.3 passes and winning 63% of his duels per game.

These returns have seen the £40k-per-week defender average a SofaScore match rating of 7.13, ranking him as Julen Lopetegui’s third-best performer in the top flight of Spanish football – a highly impressive feat considering the 28-year-old is part of a side currently sitting just four points off first place in the league table.

As such, it is clear for all to see that, should a deal remain on the table for Carlos prior to the closure of the transfer window on Monday evening, PIF must do all they can to bring the centre-back into the club – as his signing would undoubtedly provide the Magpies’ survival chances this season with a substantial boost.

In other news: Luke Edwards drops major update on late Newcastle transfers, PIF finally mean business

An update has emerged regarding Aston Villa’s interest in Norwich midfielder Todd Cantwell.

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, Villa are currently working on a deal to sign the Canaries attacking midfielder. Johan Lange is pushing to sign the England under-21 international for a ‘sizeable’ fee, although no specific figures are mentioned.

It was reported earlier this week that it would take between £40m and £50m for Norwich to part ways with Cantwell this summer, having already sold Emi Buendia to Dean Smith’s side.

Nightmare

Lange must avoid a transfer nightmare with Cantwell this month. It would be a mistake for the club to pay up to £50m for the midfielder this summer, as it would be a significant overpayment for his services.

He is valued at £19.8m by Transfermarkt, whilst his former teammate Buendia’s value is listed as £31.5m following his £34.56m move to Villa earlier in the window. This suggests that he is not worth anywhere near as much as the Argentine, which is why Lange must not pay £15m more for Cantwell than he did for Buendia.

There is also the question of where the 23-year-old would fit in. Dean Smith currently has Anwar El-Ghazi, Bertrand Traore, Emi Buendia, Leon Bailey Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins at his disposal in attack. Watkins, Ings and El Ghazi all hit double figures for goals in the Premier League, whilst Bailey scored nine in the Bundesliga and Buendia managed 15 goals and 16 assists in the Championship.

Meanwhile, Cantwell scored six goals and set up another six in the second tier for the Canaries. This suggests that he may not be a better option than any of the aforementioned players, which means that he could only be a back-up at Villa Park next season.

His former Norwich coach Gary Cockaday called his talent God-given when speaking to The Athletic in October, saying: “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.”

Whilst Cantwell may have talent and have the potential to improve further, Villa should not be paying £50m for a player who could be sat on their bench for the majority of the campaign. If the price was significantly lower then it may be a different discussion, but that does not appear to be the case here.

AND in other news, “Going nowhere”: Journalist drops big Aston Villa transfer update, fans will be fuming…

Manchester United are not interested in re-signing Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Ander Herrera, contrary to reports.

What’s the story?

The Reds Devils were linked with a shock move for the experienced 31-year-old campaigner by The Guardian following Lionel Messi’s arrival at the Parc des Princes in recent days.

However, according to well-known reporter Jonathan Shrager, United aren’t looking to bring the Spaniard back to Manchester this summer.

He tweeted: “In terms of today’s report which proposed a possible return to United for Ander Herrera, I am told that there is currently nothing in it”.

Fans will be delighted

United manager Ole Gunnar Solkjaer is thought to be desperate to bolster his engine room options with a new defensive midfielder in the current window.

The likes of Ruben Neves, Saul Niguez and Eduardo Camavinga have all reportedly caught the eye of the club’s hierarchy, but a formal offer has yet to be made for any potential target.

News of the Old Trafford outfit’s proposed interest in Herrera came as a shock, though. The tough-tackling dynamo enjoyed five relatively successful years on English shores before departing for Paris in 2019.

He scored 20 goals and provided 27 assists in 189 appearances for the Red Devils during his time at the club, winning the FA Cup, Europa League and League Cup along the way.

During a tricky time on and off the field for the 20-time English champions, Herrera’s honest, consistent and full-blooded displays endeared him to the supporters, earning his status as a fan’s favourite at the time.

However, talk of his potential return would have done little to excite the United supporters. At 31, the former Athletic Bilbao ace is entering the twilight years of his career and is not the solution to Solskjaer’s midfield conundrum.

The Norwegian tactician is thought to be keen on a holding midfielder capable of providing the necessary support to Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba, allowing him to drop the ‘McFred’ double pivot.

Whether such a player even exists is up for debate, but the answer certainly doesn’t lie in Herrera’s ageing legs, and a large section of the fanbase will surely be delighted that a return appears to be off the cards.

And, in other news…Man Utd plot big-money move for £36m-rated “conductor”, Ole would love him 

Liverpool fans feared the worst as they struggled at the back earlier this season but after a consistent run of games, Nat Phillips established himself as the number one centre back for Jurgen Klopp, and Paul Jewell believes that the 24-year old won’t be happy sitting on the bench next season.

With Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez expected to be fit for the start of next season, Klopp is likely to select his trusted centre back pairing whenever possible, despite Phillips showing his ability to lead and be a threat in both boxes.

Since Liverpool clinched a spot in the top four, reports have emerged that they are willing to sell Phillips this summer if any club is willing to pay £10 million for a 24-year old who has only played 36 league games in his career.

Phillips became a fan favourite during his run in the first team and he won’t be happy to go back to the reserves or just settling for cup appearances, something Jewell explained exclusively to Football FanCast:

“This is the scenario that Nat has where he was on loan last year in Germany, he’s done well in the Liverpool side but it’s likely that Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez will come back into the starting line up next season. That’s the problem that young players have once they’ve had a taste of playing regular football.

“He won’t be happy to sit on the bench every week so that will be a discussion for him and Liverpool to have and if he’s not going to play regular football at Liverpool, does he go and seek regular first team football elsewhere?”

The £64,615 per week had established what appeared to be a reasonable partnership with on-loan signing Ozan Kabak, but it appears that the Schalke defender won’t be staying at Anfield when his loan deal expires this summer.

Recently, Van Dijk confirmed that he would miss the European Championships this summer so that he can be fully fit for the start of next season for Liverpool.

An update has emerged on Aston Villa midfielder Marvelous Nakamba, regarding Newcastle’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, the Magpies are lining up a January swoop to sign the midfielder as they look to strengthen their options in the middle of the park.

The report claims that he could cost a fee in the region of £15m, with Newcastle believing that he can add energy to their team.

Fans would love him

PIF must ensure that they are able to secure a deal for Nakamba in the January transfer window. They must splash out the £15m required to sign him in order to strengthen the squad, with the defensive midfielder a potentially excellent addition to the side.

Nakamba is a hard-working player who the Newcastle fans would love to watch in action in their midfield. He puts himself about and chips in with important defensive interventions, averaging an impressive 4.5 tackles and interceptions combined per match throughout his career.

Along with his fine defensive statistics, he has also completed 90% of his passes in the Premier League this season after averaging a success rate of 84.2% across his first two campaigns in the division. This shows that he is able to retain the ball after winning it back off the opposition.

Dean Smith’s comments on Nakamba upon his arrival at Villa Park highlight this. The manager hailed him being impressive with the ball at his feet, saying:

“Marvelous fits the criteria of the type of player we were looking for.

“He’s very mobile, he’s very good in possession and he will fit in with our style of play.”

Therefore, supporters would love the £34k-per-week beast as he has shown that he can play to a decent level in the top-flight and be a reliable operator. At £15m, he could be a bargain addition to the team and add some steel to the midfield, improving Newcastle’s defence whilst still having a player in the engine room who is capable of passing the ball efficiently.

This is why PIF must secure a swoop for the midfielder in January. The fans could be buzzing with this shrewd piece of business, with this deal potentially getting the ball rolling as the new owners attempt to bolster the entire squad in the next window.

AND in other news,  PIF must avoid first NUFC blunder over £20m “mentality monster”, fans would be fuming…

Newcastle United are expected to make an official offer in the January transfer window for Altay Bayindir, according to reports in the player’s homeland.

The Lowdown: Too many goals conceded

The St. James’ Park faithful have conceded as many as 19 goals in their first eight games in the Premier League so far this season, the most out of any team in the division (Transfermarkt).

If they continue to concede at that kind of rate, then it will be very difficult for them to survive come the end of the campaign.

The Latest: MbS wants Bayindir

As per Turkish outlet En Son Haber, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS), who is part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium to have completed the takeover in the North East, wants to bring Bayindir to Tyneside in January.

The Magpies are expected to make an official offer for the six-foot-four colossus, as Fenerbahce have set an asking price of €20m (£16.9m) for his signature.

The Verdict: Not a priority

Signing a new goalkeeper should not be a priority for the new owners for now, given that they already have Martin Dubravka, Karl Darlow and Freddie Woodman already on their books.

Although Bayindir is an established goalkeeper, having played for the Turkey national team at just 23 years of age, with Fenerbahce president Ali Koc even going as far as to claim that he is a ‘special’ player, now is not the time to be signing him, unless they can offload a couple of their other men in between the sticks first of all.

In other news, find out which ‘fantastic’ manager is in talks with NUFC here!

Crystal Palace are keeping tabs on Falkenbergs ace Matthew Garbett, according to The Sun.

The Lowdown: Garbett profiled

Garbett, who can play as an attacking midfielder, right-winger or centre-forward, has just 18 months remaining on his deal with the Swedish side.

The 19-year-old has made 26 appearances for Falkenbergs after joining in January 2020 and is currently at the Olympics with New Zealand.

He is thought to be one of the most sought-after teenagers in Europe, and it seems as if Patrick Vieira’s Palace are interested in the 6ft 1 ace.

The Latest: Palace not the only club keen

According to The Sun, Palace, along with newly-promoted Brentford and Watford, are tracking the forward.

The report adds that scouts of all three interested sides were impressed with Garbett after he helped his country to the quarter-finals of the Olympics.

The Verdict: Building for the future…

Vieira has already made five additions to his squad, three of whom are 21 years of age or younger.

Garbett seems to fit the bill if Palace are looking to build for the future, and he could play in two positions where Vieira reportedly wants to add too.

According to Sky Sports’ Transfer Centre (July 29, 14:33), Palace still want to sign another defender, winger and striker this summer.

It appears as if they may have competition for the London-born forward, though, so they may have to act quick to win the race.

In other news: ‘Parish out’, ‘Relegation’ – Many Palace fans react to Matt Woosnam’s transfer claim.