All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

As per Football Insider, a Tottenham source has revealed that Antonio Conte is pushing the club to bring in a multitude of signings in January after identifying areas of weakness – with ten or more deals in the pipeline.

The Lowdown: Time to spend, Levy

Tottenham have seen improved Premier League form recently under new manager Conte – producing three consecutive wins in their last three games. The Lilywhites currently sit in fifth place with a game in-hand, and a further three points would take them past London rivals West Ham into the top four.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/spurs-developments-2/” title=”Spurs developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

However, Conte is not fully satisfied with his squad and believes that Spurs need to strengthen in multiple areas if they are to achieve Champions League qualification. The Italian was highly critical of the money spent in the summer of 2019 and also of the January window of 2020.

£150m was spent on the likes of Tanguy Ndombele, Steven Bergwijn, Ryan Sessegnon, Giovani Lo Celso and Jack Clarke – none of which have fully established themselves as permanent members of the starting 11.

The Latest: Biggest Spurs window ever?

Football Insider have now reported that a Tottenham source believes Conte and recruitment chief Fabio Paratici are planning an overhaul which will see the “biggest January window in the club’s history”.

The 52-year-old will prioritise the recruitment of at least one proven centre-back who can be utilised in the manager’s favourite back-three defensive system. Paratici is also in the process of identifying players across a wide range of positions.

Multiple departures are to be expected too – this includes the likes of Joe Rodon, who is seeking a permanent or temporary exit. When all is said and done there could be ten-plus comings and goings.

The Verdict: Need to strengthen

It is clear that Conte will need to bring in some additions to the squad if they are to challenge the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, West Ham and Manchester United for a top four place.

The latter have had a poor start to the season themselves, but they spent £126m on three elite players this summer, the sort of business Paratici and Daniel Levy will need to replicate to give Conte a fighting chance.

This business will also include a clear-out of fringe players who are not favoured by the former Chelsea boss. Someone like Rodon, who Dimitar Berbatov once claimed is “a great player for the future”, is young enough to bank a decent fee if sold and therefore could see the door.

Conte and Paratici have plenty of work to do in order to overhaul this Lilywhites squad, so the fact that they are not hanging around until the summer to start the process should be music to fans’ ears.

Michael Ball believes that appointing Duncan Ferguson as the new Everton manager is the only way to win the fans back.

Everton are reportedly set to name Rafael Benitez as their next boss, which has led to a huge backlash from the Toffees faithful due to his Liverpool connections.

The Spaniard spent six seasons at Anfield from 2004 to 2010, winning both the Champions League and FA Cup, with Everton supporters having been left angry with the imminent appointment.

This comes after ex-Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo was on the verge of replacing Carlo Ancelotti in the Goodison Park dugout, but attention quickly turned to Benitez.

It’s been almost three weeks since the Italian left to re-sign for Real Madrid, and Ball has suggested that only club legend Ferguson is capable of reuniting the fans.

Ferguson impressed during a caretaker stint prior to Ancelotti’s appointment back in December 2019 but has no other experience of management.

However, Ball exclusively told Football FanCast that Ferguson would bring the club back together:

“Duncan, I feel that’s a good one, and one the fans would want.

“The fans have lacked watching the players with desire and passion over the last few years and that’s what Duncan would bring, so I feel right now to get the fans back on board, that’s the only option for the board.”

Making an announcement on Twitter, West Ham United confirm that the club have won their appeal against Fabian Balbuena’s red card during the 1-0 loss to Chelsea with the decision now overturned and the Paraguayan eligible for their trip to Burnley on Monday.

The Irons ace was controversially sent off following a collision with Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell as Balbuena went to clear a ball inside his own half.

The 29-year-old managed to catch Chilwell on the follow through in the back of his leg upon completing the clearance and was subsequently dismissed.

However, in a turn of ‘great news’ as one fan puts it, West Ham have confirmed that the ban has been overturned and Balbuena will be available again for the trip to Turf Moor.

While plenty of supporters are happy to see him back as an option for David Moyes amid plenty of injuries, there are also some who have blasted the decision in the first place whilst calling for more action to be taken.

Find all of their verdicts down below.

West Ham fans flock to club announcement

“That’s great news. Don’t be mad with the refs everyone, it’s not the people at fault, it’s the system. VAR is dysfunctional.”

Credit: @RalphMHarrison

“It’s crazy that this had to be done twice in the same season. The state of officiating and VAR is a disaster in the Premier League :/”

Credit: @EvanTheGregor

“Justice!”

Credit: @BGorbell

“looool they’ve just admitted they’re wrong AGAIN”

Credit: @WhuEthan

“FANTASTIC!!”

Credit: @tonkiragu

“This is getting ridiculous. Twice we’ve had red cards overturned due to incompetent officials….they need to been held accountable”

Credit: @YouLoveCess

“Marvellous. It was a bizarre decision.”

Credit: @salfordrev

“So what’s happening to Kavanagh then? Ban for a poor decision? Pushed down to the championship? There needs to be consequences.”

Credit: @westhamhour

In other news: West Ham fans also want this colossus signed, find out more here.

Nottingham Forest face a crisis after Lewis Grabban was forced off through injury in yesterday’s 1-0 win over Peterborough United.

Promotion chasing Forest have been without Grabban for the majority of the year, after he suffered an ankle injury at the end of January. He has only recently returned so to see him out injured again is a huge setback for Steve Cooper’s side.

With their victory the club have taken a big stride towards securing a top six finish, they currently sit fourth in the Championship on 73 points. Since Cooper took over as boss at The City Ground, Forest have been in exceptional form and sit second only to already promoted Fulham.

Grabban came on as a substitute yesterday for the goal scorer Sam Surridge but then had to come off in the 89th minute.

The 34-year old has contributed massively this season making 32 appearances and being directly involved in 16 goals. If they are to be without him for the rest of the season then it could seriously affect their hopes of being promoted to the Premier League.

When Cooper was asked about the injury he told Nottinghamshire Live: “He was clear straight away that he needed to come off. We’ve got our fingers crossed for him.”

His contract expires this summer and whether or not he stays might be dependent on Forest’s promotion chase. He has experience of playing in the Premier League for both Norwich City and Bournemouth, however, he’s always failed to replicate the form he’s shown at Championship level and at his age now it may be asking too much.

Not keeping him on will also allow the club to save on their wage bill with the former Jamaican international on a wage of £25k-per-week.

The injury adds to the list of dilemmas that Cooper faces, with on-loan Aston Villa star Keenan Davis also out meaning Surridge is the only recognised senior striker at the club who’s fit.

The Reds haven’t been in the top flight since the turn of the century and many would like to see them make a return due to the history and stature of the club.

IN other news: Nottingham Forest set for disaster on Djed Spence…

Everton could struggle to recoup much of their initial outlay on Gylfi Sigurdsson but looking at a younger replacement remains sensible, Kevin Phillips has told Football Insider.

It follows a report from the website that Everton will listen to offers for the Icelandic international this summer. The outlet claimed that the 31-year-old will be available for a ‘fraction’ of the £45m sum paid to recruit the attacking midfielder from Swansea City in 2016.

Sigurdsson’s strong 2020/21 campaign

Sigurdsson has been in decent form this season, scoring six goals and assisting a further nine in all competitions. He has well surpassed his meagre tally of six goal contributions from last season.

Carlo Ancelotti has utilised his versatility, deploying him as a deeper-lying central midfielder and even a centre-forward on occasion.

Sigurdsson has just over a year remaining on his £100,000-a-week contract and is valued by the CIES Football Observatory at somewhere between £6m and £8.5m.

Phillips issues Sigurdsson transfer verdict

Whilst such a sale would represent a huge loss for Everton, former Premier League Golden Boot winner Phillips says that now might be the ideal time to refresh the squad with a new number 10.

“They aren’t going to get anywhere near what they paid for him, that’s for sure,” he said.

“Maybe that’s a sign of Everton thinking ‘he’s a 31-year-old who’s had a good a season’ but will they get that again next season?

“His value is only going down. Maybe it’s time to cash in and bring someone in who’s younger, who they’ll get more years out of.”

Intriguingly, Phillips also suggested that Sigurdsson may dig in and look to see out his contract if Champions League football was on offer at Goodison Park next season. The Toffees are currently five points behind fourth-placed Chelsea but crucially have a game in hand.

“It’ll be interesting to see how that one plays out,” the 47-year-old said. “If Everton were to finish in the top four, would Sigurdsson really want to leave?”

Transfer Tavern verdict

Sigurdsson has demonstrated this season, after a disappointing 2019/20 campaign, that he can be a valuable member of the Everton squad.

If you’re only going to receive seven figures in a sale, then it probably makes sense to keep him around as a versatile rotation option for one more year.

Finishing in the European places would boost the Blues’ spending power regardless. They shouldn’t necessarily be in a sell-to-buy position.

In other news, could this midfielder become an Everton player in the next transfer window?

Leeds United look set to miss out on the signing of goalkeeper Angus Gunn, with the Southampton man on the verge of joining Norwich City.

The Lowdown: Leeds linked with late hijack

The Whites have been linked with making a late swoop for the 25-year-old, with Marcelo Bielsa targeting the Saints shot-stopper as he eyes up a replacement for Kiko Casilla.

Gunn has largely been tipped to join Norwich, however, and it looks as though that will be the case, ahead of their return to the Premier League next season.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359346″]

The Latest: Norwich set to sign Gunn

According to Football Insider, the Englishman will have a medical with the Canaries at some point on Monday, sealing a move to the club where his father, Bryan, is considered a legend.

Leeds’ late interest is mentioned in the report, but Gunn appears to have made up his mind over his next destination.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-copy-2/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Verdict: No huge issue for Whites

While it is a blow to miss out on Gunn as it would have been nice to have sorted Casilla’s replacement in a swift fashion, missing out him isn’t the most critical transfer miss of all time.

Illan Meslier is the undisputed first-choice ‘keeper at the club and Marcelo Bielsa still has plenty of time to find a suitable back-up to the Frenchman this summer, Gunn would have been a very good option, but there should be other targets who’d be keen to join a club like Leeds United.

Such is Meslier’s importance to the team, the hope is that whoever his deputy is next season ends up featuring as little as possible.

In other news, a European club have reportedly made a bid for one Leeds United player – find out who it is here.

According to Football Insider, Glasgow Rangers could sign Santiago Moreno for £2m less than his original valuation this summer.

The Lowdown: Gers eye Moreno

The Gers have been linked with a move for 21-year-old Moreno, who currently plays for America de Cali in his home country of Colombia.

There have also been other clubs credited with an interest, such as Premier League outfit Leeds United (The Telegraph).

The Latest: Gers set for discount

Now, though, as per a recruitment source, Football Insider have revealed Moreno could be signed for £3m instead of £5m – that represents a 40% discount.

Moreno is one of two Colombians targetted by Ross Wilson, with Santos Borre also on the club’s radar (El Deportivo).

The Verdict: Bonus

This is a bonus for the Gers. Moreno, who has been compared to Liverpool winger Sadio Mane (TEAMtalk), has a big future ahead of him, but £5m would have represented a big fee for the Gers.

At £3m, however, a deal is far more accessible for Wilson and co.

So far, Moreno has managed 10 goals and seven assists in 51 games for Cali (Transfermarkt). The Gers know exactly how influential Colombian players can be – Alfredo Morelos has been a prolific scorer for Rangers since signing in 2017. If Moreno were to have even half the impact of the 25-year-old, he would prove to be a top signing at this price.

In other news, Rangers fans were livid at this 21/22 reveal.

A number of Liverpool fans have been reacting to the news that Jack Grealish will miss this weekend’s Premier League clash with Aston Villa.

The Reds face a must-win game in the top-four battle on Saturday afternoon, with Dean Smith’s men making the trip to Merseyside.

Jurgen Klopp’s side currently sit just three points adrift of fourth-place West Ham, with the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham and Everton also in the mix.

Villa are another team who have a chance of qualifying for the Champions League, though, having enjoyed a strong 2020/21 campaign to date.

Much of that has been down to the brilliance of the influential £54million-rated Grealish, with the England international scoring six goals and registering ten assists.

The 25-year-old been ruled out of Saturday’s match as Dean Smith revealed he has suffered a setback in his recovery from injury, acting as a huge boost for Liverpool.

Liverpool fans react to Grealish update

These Reds supporters been reacted to the news on Twitter.

“Let off that for us. Immense footballer”

Credit: @Romevoice

“Good. Need all the help we can get”

Credit: @poggiolino

“Trent will be buzzing”

Credit: @DavidElliott720

“Massive news if 100% true and not a bit of kidology”

Credit: @dannyhl26

“Huge W”

Credit: @lfcjonesiesta

“Thank God”

Credit: @hugonayme288

In other news, some Liverpool fans have launched into a rival player after his latest antics. Find out who it is here.

According to The Sunday Mirror (via Shields Gazette), Mike Ashley has lined up Sean Dyche to replace Steve Bruce if the latter is sacked as Newcastle manager.

The Lowdown: Bruce future uncertain

The Magpies have lost just one game in their last seven (Sky Sports) and have beaten the likes of Arsenal, Leicester and West Ham, but that still leaves them 16th in the Premier League table.

Bruce is not the most popular man on Tyneside (Chronicle Live), and his future at St James’ Park remains uncertain.

The Latest: Dyche in the frame

As such, if Ashley does decide to relieve Bruce of his duties, the Newcastle owner will reportedly target Dyche as his replacement.

The Burnley boss has just over 12 months left on his contract at Turf Moor, although he is in talks with Clarets over a potential extension to that deal. Crystal Palace, Everton and Aston Villa are also said to be keen on the 49-year-old.

The Verdict: Much change?

Dyche has done a magnificent job with Burnley. Despite having one of the lowest wage bills in the Premier League (Spotrac), he has been able to keep them in the top flight since 2016, having twice led them to promotion.

He is actually the longest-serving boss in the top tier, having taken over the role at Turf Moor in 2012 (sportskeeda.com), and fellow Premier League manager Graham Potter has acclaimed the “amazing job” the Kettering native has done at Burnley (Lancashire Telegraph).

However, whether he is the right man for Newcastle is uncertain – the biggest criticism directed at Bruce has been the stale football his side has played (The Mirror). Burnley only average 43.3% possession compared to the Magpies’ 41.3%, while Dyche’s men have averaged even fewer shots per game (WhoScored).

Granted, Burnley’s squad is perhaps not as good on paper as what Bruce has, but the statistics do not indicate that Dyche would be able to given Newcastle fans the entertaining football they crave.

In other news, Newcastle are interested in signing this Premier League forward.

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans have been left fuming over an official announcement regarding star striker Michail Antonio.

The 31-year-old, who has enjoyed a blistering start to the season already under manager David Moyes, will be a crucial talking point for West Ham over 2021/2022.

Antonio’s sensational four goals and three assists in just a trio of Premier League starts highlights just how crucial he will be for the Hammers as they aim to build upon their European qualification last campaign.

His attacking threat and overall importance to West Ham cannot be overstated, with the striker averaging a phenomenal 5.3 shots at goal per 90 so far – more than any other player in England’s top flight (WhoScored).

Now, as an announcement drops, Irons supporters have been left fuming over news that he has been called up by Jamaica for their FIFA World Cup qualifier against Panama this Sunday (whufc.com).

Given his extensive injury record over the last few seasons (Transfermarkt), and the fact West Ham failed to sign a back up striker during the summer window, you can understand why there is a real degree of concern for his fitness.

One supporter also lamented the fact he is no longer an option for England.

Find all of their verdicts on Antonio’s call up for the Reggae Boyz, in response to West Ham’s official Twitter account, down below.

West Ham fans fume over Antonio news…

“Absolute joke. How we’ve not selected our man for England is a joke!!!!”

Credit: @RoyalDocks8

“cancel cancel cancel cancel cancel”

Credit: @aidxn_10

“Incoming hamstrings injury”

Credit: @billy_wesson

“Injury crisis this”

Credit: @JackRising3

“Bad news”

Credit: @irons80

“Disaster”

Credit: @DavidPlatt87

“There goes his hamstring”

Credit: @akelly1988

“Injury incoming!”

Credit: @vicsinghb

In other news: ‘Really stupid’, ‘Terrible from us’…Some West Ham fans rage at ‘ridiculous’ club decision, find out more here.