All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Sunderland are enjoying life towards the summit of League One at the moment.

Promotion is well and truly in their destiny, and if they win both of their games in hand, they will go top and be within touching distance of a place in the Championship.

What’s the word?

Earning promotion would come with a necessity to spend money in the transfer market and improve the playing squad. However, their first arrival could well be a free transfer as, according to Football Insider, Sunderland are targeting Gwion Edwards.

The Ipswich winger has had an excellent campaign at Portman Road but is out of contract at the end of the season and no discussions have taken place over his future.

As a result, the Mackems are now monitoring his situation with a view to making a move if and when he becomes a free agent.

The Black Cats are set to face competition from Preston in a bid to lure the 28-year-old away from the Tractor Boys.

Imagine him and Jones

With Rangers loanee Jordan Jones keen on a return to the Stadium of Light on a permanent basis in the summer, Lee Johnson could create a fearsome duo here.

Of course, they still have Aiden McGeady but, at the age of 35, a step to a higher division could be above his station. The Irishman has been captivating this term, registering 12 assists since being brought back into the side by Johnson in December.

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He and Jones have been major reasons behind Sunderland’s incredible run in recent months but the addition of Edwards this summer has the potential to add even more pizzazz to a flourishing forward line.

The Ipswich forward has the ability to play on either flank and also through the middle as an attacking midfielder.

He has been creative this term but he’s also beaten the goalkeeper regularly, registering nine goal involvements in 28 League One outings. Edwards’ goal tally for Ipswich is just 13 in 101 but he is improving all the time and is now in the peak of his career.

Speaking about the attacker last year, his team-mate Emyr Huws commented: “He’s showing everyone what he can do so all credit to Gwi. He’s been great. He’s been clinical in front of goal and is looking sharp.”

With 1.3 shots per match to his name this season, Edwards is certainly getting in the right areas to score, but one of the most promising aspects of his game is the ability to beat a man, something which also sets both him and Jones apart from other wide players in League One.

The latter has been breathtaking himself on occasion this term, scoring two goals and providing four assists in six starts.

Speaking a few years ago, former Ipswich manager Paul Hurst waxed lyrical about Edwards, providing words which ring true with Jones as well: “The first time he picks up the ball he goes past his man. The fans had a little gasp,” he said.

Some supporters have been left dazzled by his abilities down the years, even comparing him to a certain Lionel Messi.

That is a far-fetched comparison but he has been exhilarating at times this season. Just imagine him and Jones on the wings; it’s a mouth-watering prospect for Sunderland.

AND in other news, SAFC flop sees his value fall by 90% after leaving, he’s spent 1004 days out injured…

Carlo Ancelotti could discover Everton’s next Tim Howard by unleashing Harry Tyrer after the academy goalkeeper earned vivid praise from West Ham United striker Mipo Odubeko.

The Toffees lost 2-1 away to the Irons on Monday afternoon after a second-half brace from Odubeko, but the 18-year-old found himself denied the treble by Tyrer.

Everton’s young up-and-comer clearly left an impression on the Hammers hopeful, who kept David Unsworth’s side in the game with a string of solid stops.

Tyrer started on the front foot by palming a Manuel Lanzini delivery out for a corner and stood firm to save a thumping header from Fabian Balbuena inside the opening twenty minutes.

Lanzini tried his luck with a free-kick approaching the break but Tyrer did well to get a hand on the 28-year-old’s swerving strike, and got down to stop a fierce hit from Odubeko inside the box early in the second period.

Odubeko unleashed another emphatic shot just after the hour mark that Tyrer had to do wonders to keep out, stretching well to keep the ball out from the bottom corner of his net. But he was eventually beaten when Odubeko rose highest at the back post to head home and soon had a brace from the penalty spot.

Tyrer’s string of saves may not have allowed Unsworth’s side to claim only their ninth win in 21 Premier League 2 fixtures this term, but offered plenty of promise for his future and praise from West Ham’s star U23s striker.

“I thought the Everton keeper was class. He got down to make a good couple of saves – shots that I thought would’ve gone in – but, obviously, I had to keep at it,” Odubeko said, via quotes by the Liverpool Echo (21/4, 07:43).

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Ancelotti has clearly been impressed with Tyrer’s progress as well, with the Everton boss naming him on the bench for five Premier League fixtures plus two FA Cup ties this season.

Tyrer is yet to make his senior debut but has kept three clean sheets in 27 U23s games across all competitions over the past two campaigns, including shutting out League One side Burton Albion in an EFL Trophy clash at Pirelli Stadium last term.

Ancelotti now unleashing the academy stopper could see the Italian discover his side’s next Howard, who similarly earned lavish praise from rivals during his days at Goodison Park.

“He is a really experienced goalkeeper who has played many, many games in the Premier League,” David de Gea told ManUtd.com last year. “He is brave, quick around his goal and a great shot-stopper. He is a great keeper.”

Howard enjoyed a 10-year career with the Toffees after an initial loan spell from Manchester United for the 2006/07 campaign, in which he kept 134 clean sheets in 414 games across all competitions and even scored once.

Tyrer could one day occupy the same position between the sticks at Goodison Park with Ancelotti said to be searching for a potential Jordan Pickford replacement, and should look to see what the Crosby-born prospect has in his locker.

If not over the remainder of the current Premier League campaign, Tyrer has to be given his chance to impress in Everton’s pre-season plans or seal a loan switch in the summer market and gain valuable first-team experience that could see him become Ancelotti’s future number one.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti could have Everton’s next Idrissa Gueye on his hands in a “terrific” academy talent…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Rob Lee, who scored 34 Premier League goals, claims Newcastle United fans being in attendance for their final home game against Sheffield United could prove to be either very good or very bad for the team.

Newcastle have been labelled as “wild” by former manager Graeme Souness and Lee claims every team knows if you can silence the crowd for the first 10-15 minutes then the Newcastle fans can turn on their team.

There have not been any fans inside St James’ Park for over 12 months now as they’ve had to sit and watch their team freefall closer to the relegation zone on their TV screens every week, but the Premier League are hoping they will be back for the clash against the Blades in May.

Speaking on how having fans back could impact the Newcastle players and the one bit of advice Kevin Keegan used to give his players, Lee told FFC exclusively:

“I think it could go either way but the fans will 100% be behind the team from kick-off. However, Sheffield United will know if they go there and can quieten the crowd then it could be detrimental to the Newcastle players.

“Kevin Keegan used to say to us in the first 10-15 minutes go out and entertain the crowd and get them on your side and then they’ll be behind you for the entire match.

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“That’s what Newcastle fans want to see right from the off their team flying into players, pressing the opposition and creating chances and then they’ll get behind you.”

Newcastle fans will be looking at their final two games of the season and will be hoping they are safe before that as they face the Blades and Fulham.

The relegation battle appears to be between Fulham, Newcastle, Brighton and Burnley, with the latter two starting to put positive results together when it matters.

Manchester United are looking to build on their win over Newcastle United this afternoon when they travel to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea.

The Red Devils return to Premier League action after securing their place in the last 16 of the Europa League thanks to a goalless draw with Real Sociedad at Old Trafford on Thursday night.

However, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer faces a selection dilemma ahead of United’s trip to west London, with the likes of Edinson Cavani, Scott McTominay and Paul Pogba all ruled out due to injury.

Here is Football FanCast’s prediction for how Solskjaer’s starting XI will line up when they face-off against Thomas Tuchel’s side, which sees the manager make four changes from the draw with Real Sociedad.

While Dean Henderson put in a solid, albeit unspectacular performance on Thursday night, David de Gea is likely to be given the nod between the sticks. The Spaniard is Solskjaer’s undisputed first-choice and should start once again this afternoon.

United’s back-line have been far too inconsistent for their own liking but showed some much-needed character in a much better performance at home to Newcastle and despite a few changes were solid again against Real Sociedad.

Both Aaron-Wan Bissaka and Luke Shaw have silenced the critics since the start of this season, while Harry Maguire should also make his return to action, and will start alongside Eric Bailly to form the rest of the back four.

With both McTominay and Pogba still missing due to injury, Nemanja Matic and Fred have performed admirably in their absence, and are expected to take to the field against Chelsea.

While Daniel James has played a fairly decent role in replacing Mason Greenwood on the right-wing, the Welshman is carrying a knock, and as such it is unlikely he will be risked in the midst of a busy schedule.

Unfortunately for Solskjaer, it will also come too soon for Cavani, which means Anthony Martial is expected to lead the line for the visitors, despite the fact that he has failed to score in any of his past four appearances across all competitions.

Thankfully, the in-form Marcus Rashford has been on a hot streak since the start of this season, having made 25 Premier League appearances with nine goals and eight assists and he will look to add to his numbers when the two sides collide later today.

AND in other news, Man Utd should prioritise summer swoop for Villarreal star Pau Torres…

Many Aston Villa fans are reacting to the performance of attacker Trezeguet in the match against Wolves on Saturday night.

The winger has now played 17 times this season, and has grabbed one assist, but he is yet to score this term and this will definitely be a worry for a side struggling to find goals without Jack Grealish.

The Egypt star has not shown enough attacking intent in recent months as he has only managed 1.5 shots, 0.6 key passes and 0.8 successful dribbles per game (WhoScored, pre-Wolves).

Trezeguet came in for the Midlands derby as a replacement for Anwar El-Ghazi, who was also unavailable for the match due to a toe injury he picked up against Sheffield United. Clearly El-Ghazi was missed, with one fan calling Trezeguet ‘wasteful’, whilst another said they doubt the winger has a brain.

Valued at £9 million, he is contracted until June 2023 (Transfermarkt), but if he doesn’t start improving, then it would be quite likely that the club will see him as surplus to requirements and look to sell him on sooner rather than later.

Here is how Villa fans reacted to his performance:

“Trez is having a mare. How many times has he given the ball away already?”

Credit: @AvfcSims

“Elmo and Trez shouldn’t be anywhere near this first team”

Credit: @villarichie

“Trezeguet mentally kills me, so wasteful”

Credit: @TommmBrownnn

“If we want to progress next season, definitely going to have to upgrade on Trezeguet & El Ghazi. Both far too inconsistent”

Credit: @GreggMac11

“Not sure trezeguet has a brain”

Credit: @CurtHaycock

“Moronic from Trezeguet there”

Credit: @Paul_725

In other Villa news, fans have been piling praise on one star at the club following his latest comments. Have a read who it is here!

Juan Mata’s time at Manchester United could soon be coming to an end.

The Spaniard, signed by David Moyes from Chelsea in 2014, is out of contract the end of the season. Despite there reportedly being an option in his deal for the Red Devils to extend his stay at Old Trafford, that is something that they should avoid and thus, they should bring his seven-year stint at the club to an end.

Mata, a reliable servant for the Red Devils in that time, is now not the player he once was.

Now at the age of 32, he has fallen down the pecking order considerably for a midfield berth. The likes of Bruno Fernandes, Donny van de Beek and Paul Pogba are all likely to be picked ahead of the former Valencia man – and this is indicated in Mata’s opportunities this season, with him having only made eight starts in 2020/21, just four of those coming in the Premier League.

As a matter of fact, the midfielder has only completed 90 minutes on three occasions, highlighting how somewhat obsolete in the squad he has become.

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In his time on the pitch, Mata’s numbers are actually the lowest that they have ever been. He only has two goals and three assists in all competitions this season, making 2020/21 the least productive season of his career.

The 41-cap Spanish international is now only averaging 0.8 shots and just over one key pass per game according to WhoScored which again are amongst some of the lowest numbers of his career.

Despite being previously hailed as “class” by fellow United midfielder Scott McTominay, the fact that Mata is no longer contributing is certainly a problem considering that he is earning £160k per week at Old Trafford.

With there no longer appearing to be a space in the squad for him, it is now time to bring Mata’s chapter at Manchester United to a close.

AND in more news, take a look at which United star has picked up a gutting injury whilst on international duty…

Speaking exclusively with Football FanCast, former England international Rob Lee has claimed that AS Roma striker Edin Dzeko would be a great signing for West Ham United.

The Hammers have reportedly been offered the chance to acquire Dzeko in the closing stages of the January transfer window, with Tancredi Palmeri suggesting they made an offer, after the Bosnia and Herzegovina star was stripped of the Giallorossi captaincy following a falling out with head coach Paulo Fonseca.

Fonseca’s actions are said to have led to a rift emerging in the Stadio Olimpico dressing room, while there is little chance of Dzeko repairing his relationship with the Roma boss.

West Ham are in the market for late forward reinforcements following Sebastien Haller’s £20m move to AFC Ajax, with the deal leaving Michail Antonio as David Moyes’ sole recognised senior centre-forward.

Though the Irons are not alone in tracking Dzeko’s situation ahead of the February 1st deadline, with Gazzetta dello Sport citing interest in the prolific 6 ft 4 striker from Everton and his former side Manchester City, plus timid appraisals from Juventus, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.

But when asked if Dzeko would be a good signing for West Ham, Lee told FFC:

“I think he’d be a great, great signing for anybody. I read the other day that West Ham have wasted 200 million euros on strikers in the last 10 years, and you look and they probably have and Haller was another massive loss for them. [He] couldn’t adapt to this country for whatever reason.

“I think when you’re buying strikers, this is just my opinion, regardless of how well they do on the continent, the Premier League is totally different. It’s totally different. And I would always go for somebody who’s played in the Premier League, and has scored in the Premier League.

“We’ve had some great players come over and fail miserably. They’ll be brilliant in the Spanish league or the Italian league. Edin Dzeko has proven he can score goals in the Premier League. He can score goals anywhere. So, even with his age, you’re still guaranteeing goals.

“And that’s what you want from your centre-forward, you want goals. I don’t care how old he is if he’s scoring goals. Would you turn down [Cristiano] Ronaldo, he’s 35. So, I don’t care if you keep scoring goals as that’s his job. And he’s been proven doing it in the Premier League. So yeah, if you could get him, it’d be a great signing.”

Dzeko has scored eight goals in 20 appearances across all competitions for Roma this term, including striking four in five Serie A fixtures over the festive period.

The 34-year-old enjoyed solid success in front of the net during his four-year stay at Man City, netting 72 times in 189 games with two 14-goal and one 16-goal seasons in the Premier League on route to titles under Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini.

Tomas Soucek is presently West Ham’s top-scorer in the Premier League after his brace at Crystal Palace on Tuesday took his tally for the term to seven, two more than Jarrod Bowen and Antonio thus far.

AND in other news, West Ham are working on a deal to sign a £13.5m-rated striker on loan…

Nick Hammond, Peter Lawwell and Neil Lennon are going to have a monumental job on their hands in January.

This Celtic side are a colossal 13 points off the pace in the SPFL and things surely won’t get any better unless there is widespread change.

For the time being, it looks as though Lennon will stay as manager but it’s evident through their league placing that they need some new playing staff.

Celtic could, of course, generate cash through selling players like Kristoffer Ajer – linked with Milan – but they must balance things cautiously. They can’t afford to lose their star men all in the same window.

One man who has been linked with an exit is Olivier Ntcham. If that happens, then Celtic will need another midfield player.

That could well be Manchester United misfit Jesse Lingard – someone interesting Celtic and Rangers. The attacking midfielder is currently valued at £9m via Transfermarkt but if the Hoops wait until next summer, they’ll be able to sign him on a free transfer when his contract expires at Old Trafford.

A player who has become somewhat of a social media scapegoat in England, he is still a tricky player and he has a whole host of qualities that resemble that of Kris Commons when he played in the famous green and white.

Speaking about Lingard previously, former midfielder Michael Carrick noted: “He moves off the ball very well. It’s something that sounds quite simple, but it’s difficult to defend against.”

Carrick continued: “How he plays, he is unique in some ways. You don’t see so much of that in the game as everyone wants to get on the ball and do something on the ball. Off the ball, he’s very effective.”

A clearer indication of the similarities between Lingard and Commons can be drawn from the stats. During the latter’s final four years at Celtic, he managed an average of 2.4 shots, 1.7 key passes and 0.5 dribbles per game.

Lingard, by comparison, produced 2.8 shots per game in 2015/16 Europa League. In last season’s continental competition, he registered 1.8 shots. There were fewer key passes – 0.8 – but his dribbling down the years is mightily similar to Commons – 0.7 per game.

Of course, the Englishman doesn’t find the net on a regular basis but when he played a level below the Premier League, he scored six times and provided three assists in just 13 matches for Birmingham.

This bodes well for a potential move to Celtic. Hammond could find an absolute bargain here, as well as regaining the qualities of one of the Bhoys’ best midfielders of the last decade.

In other news, Celtic signing £3.1m-rated target “destined for the PL” could save Neil Lennon’s bacon…

When it comes to Scott Brown, what do you think of?

Natural aggression is certainly one attribute. The Scot is a titanic midfielder, someone capable of upsetting players and throwing in the tackle. He is also a leader of men, a stalwart who has taken Celtic to ridiculous heights in recent years.

However, his best years are now arguably behind him. At the age of 35, that’s certainly not a bad thing, but in terms of the club’s aspirations for the future, they must start looking for replacements.

In Ismaila Soro, they have finally found a midfielder capable of dislodging him. A big reason for their six-game unbeaten streak in the last month was because of the Ivorian, but that hasn’t dissuaded Nick Hammond considering external options.

One such target in the transfer window is Preston North End midfielder Ben Pearson. According to Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph, the Hoops are trying to sign him on a pre-contract.

Initial contact has been made to land the 25-year-old and he could arrive on a free transfer in the summer when his contract in England expires.

A defensive midfielder by trade, there isn’t a player in world football who would be more perfect to succeed Brown at Celtic.

Like the skipper, Pearson has relentless aggression and isn’t afraid to get stuck in. Unfortunately, it’s a reputation that’s earned him the tag of “brainless” from some PNE supporters.

That may sound harsh, but when you consider his disciplinary record you have to question his mentality. He’s picked up 80 yellow cards in his career, amassing 14 cautions in three successive seasons for Preston.

It’s an absurd record, but fortunately, he is attempting to work on that tally. He’s reiterated his desire in the past, saying: “I don’t like missing games and when you miss them and the team does well it is frustrating and from my own personal point when you miss three games it takes you a while to get going again and you never get that consistent of a run of games. I have probably played 10 games in a row once and we went on a good run so I want to stay on the pitch.”

Clearly, he has been improving things. Pearson has only picked up one yellow card so far this term and if he can iron out that side of his game, he’d be an astute capture for the Bhoys.

If he can’t, then Neil Lennon’s side could be in further bother.

AND in other news, Forget Laxalt: Celtic must swoop for 21 y/o who makes defenders do “very silly things”…

Callum Wilson has revealed how long he will be out of action for as Newcastle United suffered a fresh injury blow that will impact them for most of, if not the rest of, the 2020/21 term.

Writing on his official Twitter page, the former AFC Bournemouth ace has confirmed that he will ‘miss the next few months’ due to an injury to his hamstring to which he said that he is ‘disappointed’ by.

Wilson injury a big blow to Newcastle

The latest injury setback for Wilson will come as a big blow to Steve Bruce and the St. James’ Park faithful.

The England international was the Tyneside club’s main source of goals, with 10 strikes and a further five assists from just 21 games in the Premier League so far in the 2020/21 term (Transfermarkt).

However, it looks likely that he may well miss the rest of the season, meaning that the Magpies will now have to look elsewhere for goals, which will be a worry at they have not been able to find many throughout the campaign.

The next highest goalscorer for the Toon is Miguel Almiron with five, and no other member of the squad has more than three so far (Transfermarkt), meaning that Newcastle’s players will all need to step up their game in front of goal.

The likes of Dwight Gayle and Andy Carroll may get extended runs in the team now, as the onus is now very much on the other strikers at Newcastle to try and find the back of the net as often as Wilson was able to do. If they can’t, the Magpies could well find themselves getting dragged into a relegation battle.

In other news, find out what Liam Kennedy has been told may accelerate the potential takeover here!