All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Former Sheffield Wednesday player Carlton Palmer believes that Josh Sims would be a good signing for the club. 

Yorkshire Live reported that Sheffield Wednesday were in talks with Sims, who is a free agent after leaving Southampton this summer.

If the winger does complete a move to Hillsborough, he would be reunited with manager Darren Moore, who he previously played under at Doncaster Rovers.

The 24-year-old winger was on loan at the Keepmoat Stadium last season and featured 30 times for the Reds, scoring three goals and providing eight assists.

Carlton Palmer believes that Sims would be a good signing for Sheffield Wednesday, exclusively telling Transfer Tavern: “If they manage to get it over the line, I think it’s a good signing. He worked with Darren at Doncaster, so the fact he’s worked with Darren, understands the way Darren works and wants to play and enjoyed it, I think it would be another good acquisition by the football club if they can get that one over the line.”

Moore has been very active so far in the summer transfer window, with no fewer than eight new faces arriving at Hillsborough. That number could soon increase, though, as football writer Ian Mitchelmore reported that George Byers is close to securing a move to the Owls.

After a busy summer, Darren Moore will be hoping that his Sheffield Wednesday side hit the ground running early in League One, with the Owls beginning their campaign on the road away to Charlton Athletic this weekend.

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has given the Hoops the green light over a deal for Hadjuk Split defender Mario Vuskovic, according to The Scottish Sun.

The Lowdown: Postecoglou needs signings

Postecoglou admitted in his first press conference that there is some urgency regarding additions to a couple of positions, and you’d think one of those would be at centre-back.

Kristoffer Ajer has made it clear that he wants to leave the club and Christopher Jullien is currently out injured, possibly leaving Postecoglou with just Stephen Welsh as the club’s only available natural centre-back.

Celtic have less than a month before their Champions League qualifier against FC Midtjylland, and it appears as if a move for Vuskovic is starting to gather pace.

The Latest: Vuskovic latest

The Scottish Sun believe that Celtic have been handed a huge boost in their pursuit of the 19-year-old. They claimed that the Hoops have blown Serie A club Torino out of the water when to comes to contract proposals.

Celtic are ready to offer Vuskovic a four-year deal worth £12,000 per week, wages which would see him pocket £2.5m through to 2025.

Postecoglou has given Dominic McKay the green light to proceed with a deal for the youngster, so it seems as if the centre-back could be the 55-year-old’s first major signing as Hoops manager.

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

The Verdict: A significant first addition

Should Vuskovic end up becoming Postecoglou’s first Parkhead addition, it could well turn out to be a brilliant one in the long run. He is highly regarded after being included in The Guardian’s 60 next-generation talents three years ago.

Vuskovic’s market value has also rocketed by £5m in the space of 12 months, and it appears as if Celtic are desperate to get him in as soon as possible with the lure of a bigger pay packet than both David Turnbull and Ryan Christie.

Postecoglou could well end up solving Celtic’s centre-back issues with Vuskovic, who you’d expect will only get better during the duration of his potential four-year deal with the Hoops.

In other news: Report claims ‘unbelievable’ Celtic ace ‘will not return’ under Postecoglou as news emerges, find out more here. 

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Southampton vice-chairman Les Reed has said signing Graziano Pelle in the 2014 summer transfer window was a “no-brainer”.

Pelle was brought to the club by Ronald Koeman, reunited with his manager at Feyenoord. And looking at his goalscoring record at the Dutch outfit, it was no surprise that Koeman was so keen on a reunion.

In 66 appearances, Pelle scored 55 goals. And given his height and stature, something Koeman spoke about upon his arrival, the Italian looked like the perfect Premier League striker.

Ultimately, for Reed, Southampton had no choice but to sign him as they looked to replace Rickie Lambert, who had left for Liverpool the same summer.

“We wanted to replace Rickie Lambert,” Reed exclusively told FFC. “Ronald had worked with Graziano at Feyenoord. Graziano had a similar style, you know, scoring record etc.

“So it was a no-brainer out of three choices of strikers to go with Graziano because the the manager knew him, trusted him, knew how to handle him and so on.”

Pelle went on to make 80 appearances for Southampton, scoring 30 goals during his two-year stint at St. Mary’s.

During that time, he also had a key role in the Italy national team, a member of the squad highly appreciated by Premier League title winner Antonio Conte.

Watford’s hopes of signing Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah this summer have taken a blow after Fabrizio Romano confirmed that he has been offered a new deal at the Emirates, news which will surely frustrate Hornets boss Xisco Munoz.

The Italian journalist shared the news on Twitter that Nketiah has received a new contract proposal from the Gunners, although Watford, West Ham, Crystal Palace and Bayer Leverkusen are still pushing to sign him.

The Hornets have regularly been linked with a move for the young Englishman following their promotion back to the top-flight, although any potential summer deal for him now may have to be a loan one, should he accept a new contract with the North London outfit.

Nketiah’s current deal at Arsenal is set to expire at the end of next season and after a lack of first-team opportunities in Mikel Arteta’s side last season, the 22-year-old may well be keen for a permanent move away from the Emirates.

The England U21 international was limited to just four starts in the Premier League last season, with the majority of his appearances coming from the bench, but he would still manage six goals in all competitions.

He showed his class in a loan spell at Leeds United in the first half of the 2019/20 campaign as he hit five goals in 19 appearances but is still yet to establish himself as a regular at Arsenal, despite a superb record for England U21s, with whom he has hit 16 goals in just 17 appearances.

Despite promotion last season, Ismaila Sarr was Watford’s top scorer in the Championship with just 13 goals and the Hornets could do with an instinctive finisher such as Nketiah up front if they are to avoid relegation next season, as Andre Gray has struggled in the top-flight in the past, whilst Troy Deeney is arguably past his best as his career enters it’s twilight.

Therefore, it undoubtedly comes as a blow to Watford that the “incredible” Nketiah has been offered a new deal at Arsenal, as if he accepts it, then it seriously limits the chances of him making a permanent switch to Vicarage Road this summer.

And, in other news… Watford keen on experienced PL beast, he won’t cost a penny

Former Leeds United midfielder David Norris has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that he has no concerns over his old side’s ability to attract players.

The Yorkshire club have missed out on long-term target Rodrigo De Paul, with journalist Fabrizio Romano reporting that the 27-year-old will join Atletico Madrid this summer after the La Liga champions agreed a €35m (£30m) deal with Udinese.

Brighton’s Ben White, who spent the 2019/20 season on loan at Elland Road and was the subject of three bids from Leeds last summer, is also another player who looks to have got away.

The Whites are said to be interested in White, but The Athletic claims that the central defender is close to signing for Arsenal.

Such developments are not a concern for Norris, though, who has confidence in his former club to attract players.

“I think it’s a massive club,” the ex-Leeds star exclusively told FFC. “Outside that top five or six, will definitely be in that next group of clubs for attracting the top players, so I don’t think that’ll be a problem now.”

Wolves’ Adama Traore is another player Leeds are thought to be targeting, though that does not look like it will be an easy deal to complete either, with Eurosport hinting at his price tag potentially being a problem.

According to a report by the Daily Express, West Ham United and, by extension, manager David Moyes have been watching yet another Slavia Prague gem in striker Jan Kuchta.

The Lowdown: The Hammers and Slavia, a match made in heaven…

Both clubs have seemingly enjoyed a fruitful relationship since last summer as reports continue to emerge of West Ham’s interest in their star players.

The Irons secured first team regulars Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal from the Czech Republic giants last summer and both players went on to shine in the Premier League.

Other Slavia players have duly been heavily linked with the Hammers and could be targeted by Moyes, with rising talent Abdallah Sima and goalkeeper Ondrej Kolar among those mentioned.

The Latest: Yet another Slavia gem on West Ham’s radar…

In detailing West Ham’s extensive talks to sign midfielder Alex Kral this summer, who played for Slavia before joining Spartak Moscow, the Daily Express also lifted the lid on Moyes’ interest in Kuchta. Indeed, as explained in the report, the 24-year-old has been ‘watched closely’ by West Ham as they plot to bolster their squad.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-updates-copy/” title=”West Ham updates (Copy)” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Hammers have secured their place in the 2021/22 Europa League group stage without the need for qualifiers but arguably lack sufficient back up in key positions.

Going forward, their sole centre-forward Michail Antonio was consistently plagued by injury issues during the season, and Moyes may need to shore up his options. As a result, Kuchta is now another Slavia gem on the radar at West Ham.

The Verdict: The right one?

With the Hammers seemingly plotting to raid the Czech Republic for more bargains, we believe the 24-year-old is certainly a credible candidate for a move to the Premier League.

Sima has arguably grabbed most of the attention for his stunning Slavia performances but Kuchta has done just as well when it comes to finding the net. The forward bagged a commendable 19 goals in all competitions under Jindřich Trpišovský over 2020/21, whilst Sima notched just one more in that time (Transfermarkt).

Kuchta is also a team player, having managed an impressive nine assists for Slavia to accompany those goals. Therefore, he could be a great option for West Ham as their search for a new striker continues.

In other news: Sky Sports ‘absolutely huge’ update has many West Ham fans buzzing, find out more here.

Many Rangers fans have been left to buzz as the Glasgow club confirmed that they have signed Fashion Sakala.

As per the official website of the Ibrox faithful, the Zambia international has signed a pre-contract agreement, and so he will join from KV Oostende in the summer, subject to international clearance and a work permit being received.

Sakala has signed a four-year deal with the Light Blues, and will certainly add another dimension to Steven Gerrard’s attacking options.

The 24-year-old has scored no fewer than 13 goals and made a further four assists in 30 games in total over all competitions so far in the 2020/21 term (Transfermarkt), and his pending arrival has certainly brought some excitement among several Gers supporters.

Rangers fans on Sakala transfer

These Rangers fans buzzed as the transfer update was shared on Twitter, with one fan claiming that they were ‘excited’ while another even went as far as to brand the early piece of business as ‘superb’:

“Great to see the club are gearing up for 56 already”

Credit: @glasgowsportsfa

“Getting business done early superb”

Credit: @5G_Rfc

“Here we go ten in a row”

Credit: @CxllumRFC

“You love to see it”

Credit: @SteviePearson26

“Very excited for this signing.”

Credit: @Sneddon0472

“Looks like an absolute baller.”

Credit: @1872Curt

In other news, find out which Gers star is attracting transfer interest here!

With the Premier League season winding down, Leeds United appear to be hitting a golden patch in form, sealing a 2-0 win over Southampton on Tuesday night.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side ran out as 4-0 winners against Burnley last time out in the Premier League, and made it a third win on the trot thanks to goals from Patrick Bamford and Tyler Roberts.

And while Bamford produced a superb display up top, scoring the opener and trying to press from the front, it was Diego Llorente’s first-half performance that really caught the eye.

The Spaniard was taken off at the break by Bielsa, but his display in the opening period really set the tone for Leeds in terms of dealing with the now unfamiliar experience of playing in front of fans again.

The Saints supporters were naturally up for it, and it was Llorente who was leading the charge from the back in trying to making his presence felt and ensure the Whites just didn’t fall apart.

As per Sofascore, Llorente won a mammoth ten duels on the night, which was by far the highest of any Leeds player, while he also chipped in with three tackles, one interception and one clearance.

The summer signing also looked to be the one to kick-start things going forward and building out from the back, trying to step out and break the lines with his passing.

Writing in his player ratings for Leeds Live, Beren Cross gave him a seven, saying: “One of the few to come away from the first half with a bit of credit in the bank. Was assertive and combative. Rose to the challenge of the energetic hosts and their supporters when the pressure really came on Leeds.”

Those sentiments were echoed by The Yorkshire Evening Post’s Graham Smyth, who also gave him a seven, adding: “Showed good aggression and reading of the game in the first half. Tried to get Leeds going with his passing. Replaced at the break by Bielsa.”

With reports in recent weeks claiming that Leeds are eyeing up a move for a new centre-back in the summer transfer window, with Sampdoria’s Omar Colley one of those names to be linked, Llorente just sent Bielsa a huge message.

With the likes of Liam Cooper, Robin Koch, Pascal Struijk and Luke Ayling all capable of playing at the back, it’s Llorente who should be the first name on the team-sheet next season even if a new defender comes in.

The Spaniard’s recent form has even raised arguments he should be partnering Sergio Ramos at international level for the EUROs this summer, and that’s a real testament to how much he has grown at Elland Road over the season.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read the latest Leeds transfer rumours and news!”]

His latest performance at Southampton once again reminded Bielsa that he should be helping to form the spine of any Leeds team going forward.

So while Bamford may steal the headlines for finding the net once again, it was Llorente who laid down the biggest marker on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, a journalist has dropped a major Leeds United update…

Dean Windass believes that David Moyes would be Everton’s number one managerial target should they have it their own way.

Moyes spent 11 years at Goodison Park between 2002 and 2013, taking the club from relegation candidates to top six regulars.

He even managed to get Everton into the Champions League for the first time in their history, although their play-off defeat to Villarreal meant they failed to reach the group stages.

But Moyes did a tremendous job during his time on Merseyside, and only left his role as manager to become the new Manchester United boss.

His time at Old Trafford was a brief one, and after spells with Real Sociedad and Sunderland, the Scotsman has made his way to West Ham – and took them into Europe in his first full campaign in his second spell.

Moyes, who’s approaching 1,000 games in management, hasn’t yet signed a new deal at the London Stadium, and Windass thinks he would jump at the chance to return.

He told Football FanCast:

“I think David Moyes would love to go back. He had a wonderful 11 years and was very successful after Preston. If it were Everton’s choice, they would go for David Moyes.

“He would be their number one choice with Big Dunc as his assistant.”

Leeds could take a big step towards building for the future by signing Sheffield United starlet Kyron Gordon.

What’s the story?

The 18-year-old is yet to make his senior debut at Bramall Lane but is already plying his trade for the club’s under-23s, and it now appears that clubs across the Premier League have taken notice.

According to the Daily Mail, both Marcelo Bielsa’s side and Manchester United have joined the race to sign Gordon this summer, with Merseyside duo Everton and Liverpool also said to be in the running.

The report claimed that “all four of the Premier League admirers are constantly assessing talented prospects such as Gordon with the aim to add depth to their youth ranks and may consider a move in the summer amid an expected re-shaping of the Blades.”

Securing Leeds’ future

In the 18-year-old, Leeds would be making yet another exciting addition to their academy following the likes of Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood, who have also made the switch in recent seasons.

Given his age, there will be no expectation that the Blades youngster will be in the first team at Elland Road any time soon, but it could ensure that the Whites’ future at the back remains bright.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Latest Leeds transfer rumours and news”]

Bielsa already has one young starlet in Charlie Cresswell progressing through the ranks, and signing Gordon to partner him in the youth teams could help form a potential duo to eventually shine at Premier League level.

That partnership could be developed early and would see them gain an understanding of each others’ strengths and weaknesses ahead of the real test of senior football in the top flight, if all goes to plan.

Meanwhile, Leeds could finally wave goodbye to this liability…