All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Fans of Sunderland have been reacting to a post on Twitter, in which the club confirmed that the Black Cats winger, Jack Diamond, has signed a new deal with the club. One supporter called the news ‘huge’.

So far this season, Diamond has been in decent form over his 18 League One appearances for Lee Johnson’s side, with the 21-year-old scoring one goal and registering two assists, as well as averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.75.

With the winger’s current contract expiring at the end of the season, the Black Cats confirmed in a statement on their club website on Wednesday that Diamond has penned a new deal that will keep the academy product at the Stadium of Light until the summer of 2024.

And, after the club relayed this news on Twitter, fans of Sunderland flocked to have their say on the matter, with many appearing delighted at the prospect of Diamond remaining at their club for the foreseeable future.

So, what exactly did these Sunderland fans have to say in reaction to the news regarding Jack Diamond?

“More good news.”

@SAFCGeorge6

“Love to see that. Great work.”

@Jamestweddell

“At last!!!”

@itsmarcroberts

“Brilliant news.”

@Noodle86stu

“Huge.”

@JamieSAFC_

“It just gets better.”

@Jensonnn17

“Mint move.”

@AlanBsafc

“YESSSSS.”

@leon88752755

In other news: loads of Sunderland fans were ecstatic after the club confirmed this ‘absolutely magnificent’ news – find out more here!

According to information by Czech sports website Ruik, as translated by allnigeriasoccer.com, West Ham United and manager David Moyes have yet another Slavia Prague gem on the radar alongside the usual suspects.

Links with the likes of Abdallah Sima, Ondrej Kolar and Jan Kuchta have emerged over the last few months as the Irons allegedly continue their strong transfer relationship with the Czech giants.

West Ham eyeing Olayinka

West Ham favourites Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek were both snapped up from Slavia last summer, arguably for bargain fees given their start to life in east London. 

Reports then touted West Ham interest in Sima, Kolar and Kuchta – with insider Claret & Hugh most recently claiming that Moyes had sent scouts to watch the trio in Europa League action.

Now, Ruik (via allnigeriasoccer.com) claim another Slavia gem has entered the fray in the form of striker Peter Olayinka.

The 25-year-old has apparently attracted attention for some of his performances this season as West Ham now take note.

The report mentions Moyes and co are still interested in the likes of Sima and Kolar, but Olayinka is also a new name being monitored.

Transfer Tavern take

Given Sima’s impressive 11 goals and five assists in just 18 Fortuna Liga appearances this season (Transfermarkt), we believe that the exciting 19-year-old should be the main target from Slavia despite this new interest in Olayinka.

The teenager has bagged four goals in the Europa League this season as well as impressing domestically, with Slavia Prague president Jaroslav Tvrdik calling him a ‘phenomenon’ on Twitter.

By comparison, Nigerian ace Olayinka is six years his senior and has scored 11 in all competitions – potentially highlighting that Sima should be the number one target from Slavia.

In other news: ExWHUemployee drops West Ham injury update, find out more here.

Manchester City made it four Carabao Cup wins in a row as they edged Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 at Wembley on Sunday afternoon. Here are our City player ratings from the game:

Starting XI

Zack Steffen: 6/10

Had nothing to do in the first half. Tipped a Lo Celso effort around the post early on in the second 45 and that proved to be the only real save he had to make.

Kyle Walker: 6/10

Barely touched the ball in the first half as City dominated but attacked down the left. Did well to get back and cover when Hojbjerg was found in the box after a quick Spurs counter.

Ruben Dias: 7/10

Great tackle on Kane to stop a Spurs counter-attack, although it was somehow given as a foul. Kane and Son barely had a sniff, although the Portuguese defender looked comfortable, he was dominant in everything he needed to do.

Aymeric Laporte: 7/10

Fortunate to not get an early booking after losing the ball to Lucas Moura and dragging him down when he could have countered. Eventually was shown a yellow card for scything down Moura again when he was running forward dangerously. Opened the scoring with a great header from De Bruyne’s cross, which proved to be the winner.

Joao Cancelo: 7/10

A lot of City’s play was going down the left-hand side in the first half and the Portuguese international was heavily involved. Denied by a flying save from Lloris after being found by Mahrez on the edge of the box. Did well to tackle Kane when he threatened to break into the box before picking out Foden to kick start a counter. Defended really well when he had to and looked excellent going forward.

Fernandinho: 6/10

Lovely through ball to set up Sterling but his clipped shot went wide. Picked up a Fernandinho-esque booking for stopping Hojbjerg on the counter. Headed straight at Lloris after a great ball into the box. Replaced by Rodri with 10 minutes remaining.

Ilkay Gundogan: 6/10

Helped to dictate play in the first 45 but didn’t get forward as much as we’re used to seeing him do. Couldn’t quite get enough contact on a cross from Mahrez and headed over the bar. Volleyed well wide after being found in the box by Sterling.

Kevin De Bruyne: 7/10

A superb pass was inches away from finding Sterling, the Belgian was regularly found in excellent positions in the first half and his crosses were as dangerous as ever. Surprisingly wasteful when found in the area by Mahrez early in the second half. Great ball in from a free-kick for Laporte to score the opening goal. Replaced by Bernardo Silva late on.

Phil Foden: 8/10

Turned Sterling’s cross just wide, did well to rob Alderweireld to set up an early chance. Good quick thinking to set up Sterling for a great chance, but his effort was blocked. Came very close to opening the scoring when his shot was blocked onto the post by Alderweireld. Involved in so many of the good things that City did at Wembley and the £63m-rated “superstar” was a thorn in Spurs’ side throughout.

Riyad Mahrez: 7/10

So close to opening the scoring after a delightful touch from Cancelo’s cross-field pass with his curled effort only just wide of Lloris’ goal. Hits another great effort inches over just a few minutes later. A superb run and shot saw him denied by Lloris.

Raheem Sterling: 5/10

Had a great early opportunity after a loose pass from Son but was slow to get a shot away and was tackled by Aurier. Did well to set up an early chance for Foden after turning Aurier inside the area. Had another great chance to open the scoring but saw his shot blocked by Dier. Perhaps a little too greedy late on as he regularly tried to get a goal rather than passing to his teammates. Played better than in recent weeks but once again, he lacked the finishing touch.

Subs

Rodri: 6/10

Helped to see the game out late on.

Bernardo Silva: 6/10

Had a lot of touches despite only playing the last few minutes, he helped City to secure their win.

And, in other news… Guardiola dealt huge blow as “genius” superstar edges closer to agreement 

Leeds could sign a potential upgrade on Patrick Bamford by landing Espanyol’s Raul de Tomas.

What’s the story?

According to Fichajes, the Whites are battling fellow Premier League clubs West Ham and Leicester in the race to sign De Tomas, with Bielsa keen on bringing another centre-forward to alternate with Patrick Bamford.

The report added that the departure of Spain international Rodrigo could help facilitate the arrival of De Tomas at Elland Road this summer.

Better than Bamford

Dubbed as a “pacey, competitive and technically-gifted goal-scorer”, De Tomas appears to have all the tools in his locker to be a real upgrade on Bamford at Elland Road.

In a bio written by his former club Real Madrid, it read: “A born-finisher with a great eye for goal, he is comfortable in any situation and lethal in both dead-ball situations and one-on-ones. Raúl also stands out for his mobility and the ease with which he can pass a player. His pace and technique make him a very complete striker.”

When you look at both De Tomas’ and Bamford’s figures from this season, then you can see why Leeds are so keen on fending off the competition to sign the former.

As well as scoring more league goals than the Leeds marksman this campaign (16 to 14), De Tomas’ underlying numbers in all the key attacking areas are far better than Bamford.

As per Sofascore, the Spaniard has missed far fewer big chances than Bamford despite playing the same number of league games, and also averages more key passes, more dribbles and more crosses per match.

The £9m-rated De Tomas appears to be the kind of perfect all-round striker with whom Bielsa would surely enjoy working at Elland Road, and it’s exactly why Victor Orta could sign a real upgrade on Leeds’ current number nine.

Meanwhile, Leeds could sign a perfect midfield partner for Kalvin Phillips in this star…

Carlo Ancelotti can delight James Rodriguez and look to keep the Colombian at Everton by making a summer swoop to sign Real Madrid maestro Lucas Vazquez, who produced a creative showpiece during Sunday’s La Liga derby draw with Atletico Madrid.

Rodriguez is thought to have grown unhappy at Goodison Park as he struggles with adapting to life in the Premier League, and is considering quitting the Merseyside outfit after just a year, per Defensa Central.

The Toffees hierarchy are working hard in hope of convincing Rodriguez to stay for another season as Ancelotti does not want to see his reunion called short so soon, but face a sizable hurdle in the £31.5m-rated megastar refusing to rule out a return to Spain.

Rodriguez came out of the blocks on fire with three goals and three assists in his first five games in the Premier League, but has only created one chance and found the back of the net twice in his following 13 top-flight outings.

Injuries have also kept the 29-year-old on the sidelines for eight games and counting, after missing November’s defeat to Newcastle United with a groin issue, four games in December with a calf strain and is currently out of action after sustaining a minor knock.

Yet, despite the issues with his fitness, Ancelotti is striving to retain the £90,000-per-week playmaker and is said to be lining up moves for Real Madrid duo Isco and Vazquez as part of his efforts to convince Rodriguez to continue him spell in royal blue for at least next season.

Everton were heavily linked with a potential move for Isco during the recent winter market, but Ancelotti poured cold on the speculation at the time, noting via quotes by TEAMtalk: “Isco is a fantastic player and [I have] a fantastic memory of him but now I am not, honestly, focused there.”

Vazquez has also been touted for a move to Goodison Park with his £113,000-per-week contract set to expire in the summer, and is keen to see his future resolved in March, per Cuatro, but interest will be widespread after snubbing a new deal with Los Blancos.

Reports by the COPE Network, as cited by Fichajes Futbol earlier this month, added that AC Milan, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Atletico Madrid had all shown an interest, while Leeds could present a €5m-a-season (£82.5k-p/w) deal for the 29-year-old.

Everton moving to position themselves at the front of the queue for Vazquez may see Ancelotti not also acquire a player who could keep Rodriguez happy and at Goodison Park, but also sign a nine-time Spain international who produced a creative showpiece on Sunday.

Zinedine Zidane awarded Vazquez his 17th start in 20 La Liga outings for the season during the weekend’s 1-1 draw with rivals Atletico at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium. And, while the £13.5m-rated ace could not add a sixth assist or third goal, he was highly involved in the action.

Only Galacticos conductor Toni Kroos took more touches (116) of the ball for either side than Vazquez (112), along with recording a higher number of accurate passes (96) than the on-the-day right-back (73), per WhoScored.

But Vazquez never let his defensive duties hold him back, despite offering the game’s third-most successful tackles (4), as he relentlessly pushed forward to provide three key passes – only Casemiro (4) played more – along with taking two shots.

It was the second time in his last three La Liga outings that Vazquez has struck two attempts on goal and sixth time in his last seven appearances where he’s registered two or more key passes, to take his averages to 0.9 shots and two key balls per game this season.

Vazquez is finding a rich vein of form at the perfect moment with his Real Madrid future up in the air, proving to Ancelotti that he can offer more than just emotional support to Rodriguez if he is brought to Everton in the summer.

AND in other news, Everton eye summer transfer of £4.5m-rated titan praised by Carlo Ancelotti…

Writing for football.london, reliable Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold has shared news that unseen Tottenham youngster Roshaun Mathurin was gifted an opportunity at Hotspur Way to join in with first team training for the very first time on Wednesday.

Mathurin, who has displayed electric form in Tottenham’s academy sides, scoring 14 goals in 27 games for the Under-16s last year before notching six goals and an assist for the U18s this season, was rewarded by being handed the chance to train with the Tottenham first team (football.london).

Mathurin gifted Tottenham first team training opportunity

Pictured in a session with star attacker Son Heung-min blurred out just behind him, it’s been quite the week for Mathurin according to Gold – with the left winger bagging a hat-trick against rivals Chelsea on Saturday for the U18s side in a memorable 6-1 victory.

Turning 17-years-old just a few weeks ago, manager Jose Mourinho may have been impressed by his recent showings in the youth setup – thus handing him his first chance to join in with Tottenham training on Wednesday.

Transfer Tavern take

In great form for the U18s, as highlighted by his recent display against Chelsea, Lilywhites supporters will be hoping that this is his first step on a path to the Tottenham first team indefinitely.

Time will tell whether he can fulfil his potential, but Gold has shared that Mourinho may have taken some notice – even if he is still yet to make his senior debut for the Lilywhites.

In other news: Tottenham have been gifted a potential Gareth Bale boost, find out more here.

David Sullivan should fund a move for West Ham United to sign Goncalo Guedes in the summer transfer window as Valencia reportedly look to sell the Portuguese forward.

What’s the word?

According to AS, Valencia’s dire financial outlook has seen the La Liga giants slap a for-sale sign on Guedes and teammate Maxi Gomez.

The Mestalla Stadium natives are willing to listen to offers for the pair as they look to drum up vital funds, with owner Peter Lim facing losses of €26.5m (£23m) and challenges to meet Spain’s Financial Fair Play limit.

Reports in Spain last month had touted West Ham as a potential destination for Guedes, with David Moyes said to have an eye on the 24-year-old’s uncertain outlook.

A deal to sign Valencia’s record signing, for whom they paid Paris Saint-Germain £36m in 2018, was claimed to be possible for just €15m (£13m), sparking interest from the Irons as well as Napoli and AS Monaco.

West Ham could look to couple the Portuguese’s arrival with a revived pursuit of Gomez, with AS adding that Valencia are open to selling the striker for €18m (£15.5m) just two years on from the Hammers reportedly agreeing to pay Celta Viga €50m (£44.5m).

Gomez has scored 15 goals in 67 games across all competitions since rejecting West Ham’s interest for a move to Valencia, while offering eight assists.

Guedes has 20 goals and 20 assists in 126 games for Valencia, including during his initial season on loan, but has only started 17 of a possible 28 La Liga fixtures this term.

Should West Ham sign Valencia’s Guedes?

West Ham looking to capitalise on Valencia’s dire financial outlook and raiding the Mestalla for Guedes could see Sullivan fund a move for a forward who Javi Gracia lauded as “decisive” and may only need a fresh start to rediscover the form which saw PSG demand £36m.

Guedes lit up La Liga in the 2017/18 campaign during his year on loan with five goals and 11 assists, but abductor and groin issues arose in the following season to kick off his decline and 14 games out with a sprained ankle last term ensured it continued.

This year has been a massive challenge for Valencia as a whole, with Gracia overseeing just eight wins in 28 top-flight games, to sit closer to the relegation zone than Los Murcielagos are to the European places.

Given their struggles, it is no wonder that Guedes has also lost his form, but a fresh start could see that talent return, similar to how West Ham have benefitted from Jesse Lingard since his arrival on loan from Manchester United.

Lingard had not featured in the Premier League this season before moving to the London Stadium in the winter market, but has five goals and three assists to his name from seven appearances in claret and blue.

It’s the 28-year-old’s best return in front of the goal since the 2017/18 campaign, when he registered a career-best eight goals and six assists, but it took 33 games and three times as many minutes as he has played this season for Lingard to reach that tally.

Moyes had the key to unlock Lingard’s best form of his Premier League career, and may have the ability to unlock Guedes’ maximum potential as well.

AND in other news, West Ham are adamant a deal to sign a £100k-p/w “revelation” will be reached…

Aston Villa played an absolute blinder with their deal to sign Morgan Sanson in the January transfer window.

What’s the story?

Dean Smith’s side made just the one major addition to their ranks with the capture of Marseille midfielder Morgan Sanson, and though he has played just 10 minutes of Premier League football for the club, he already seems like he could have the potential to be extremely good value for money.

That’s because a report from France Football claims that Villa actually only paid around €11m (£9.6m) up front, with another €4m (£3.5m) to come in the summer and then a further €3m (£2.6m) locked in bonuses that will only be paid if Sanson does well at the Premier League club.

The report adds that the bonuses “depend on the Frenchman’s performances and various qualifications for the English club”.

A masterstroke from Lange

Given the financial problems that football clubs all around the world are facing, pulling off shrewd deals that tie into a much more limited budget will be the ultimate test of a sporting director’s work at a club.

And for Villa’s deal to sign Sanson, it surely falls into the category of a masterclass from Johan Lange. By paying such a minimum amount now, it gives some breathing room for Villa’s finances to take that end of season boost once they know what their league finish will be – the Premier League has an incremental style system where the higher you finish, the more you receive.

Given how Smith’s side have performed thus far – they’re flying high in ninth at the moment but are just five points off fourth with two games in hand – then Villa look set for a real windfall come the summer.

Add to that Lange also negotiated part of the transfer fee to Marseille as bonuses means that Villa find themselves in a win-win situation with the 5 foot 11 Sanson. If he doesn’t turn out to be the kind of game-changing signing that Smith will be hoping for, then they won’t have to pay out that extra bit of cash. If he does, then he’ll have been worth every penny and the Midlands club will be more than happy to pay for it.

It’s the kind of smartly constructed financial deal that the likes of Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens will be absolutely delighted with. They’ve got a tightly operated ship, and Lange’s manning the sails with a sense of poise.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Tottenham Hotspur legend Gary Mabbutt has delivered his verdict to Serge Aurier walking straight down the tunnel after being substituted at the weekend.

Spurs were well-beaten by Leicester City in north London, and the Ivorian right-back endured a troublesome afternoon which resulted in him conceding a penalty for the visitors’ opener.

Right on the stroke of half-time, the 27-year-old needlessly shoved Foxes defender Wesley Fofana in the back.

Jamie Vardy converted from the spot before Toby Alderweireld’s own goal just before the hour mark doubled their advantage.

In a desperate attempt to spark a reaction, Spurs boss Jose Mourinho replaced Aurier with Harry Winks less than five minutes later, and the £23m man was seen heading straight down the tunnel in frustration.

Mabbutt believes it was more down to his own struggles rather than his manager’s decision…

He told FFC:

“To be honest, you get used to it. You know, you never want a player to be happy at being substituted, being brought off, you should be frustrated and angry. You’ve earned your place in the team, and now someone else is being brought on because the manager feels it’s not working.

“For me, a player goes off. He’s subbed. He’s not happy, most [players] will not be happy but still sit on the bench, some of them are totally cheesed off for whatever reason.

“Then, Serge, I’m sure was more frustrated with the penalty he gave away and with himself, more than anything else, so no that won’t affect any of the other players.

“It wouldn’t be an issue.”

Aurier has enjoyed a vast transformation under Mourinho this season, so much so that he’s managed to keep £15m summer arrival Matt Doherty at bay in the Premier League.

Indeed, the £120k-per-week Spurs man has started each of their last six outings in the top-flight, whilst he also scored and assisted a goal apiece during their 6-1 drubbing of Manchester United, per Transfermarkt.

Now valued at just £18m, it is thought that the former PSG star is in line for a new contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, according to Football Insider sources.

If Mabbutt is right, then Aurier’s reaction on Sunday should have no bearing on whether the club should still go ahead with those plans.

AND in other news, £30m Spurs calamity was utterly pathetic in their defeat to Leicester…

David Sullivan is barking up the wrong tree with a potential West Ham United move to sign AS Monaco flop Henry Onyekuru in the January transfer window.

What’s the word?

According to Sabah, the Irons have shown an interest in launching a move to sign Galatasaray and Fenerbahce target Onyekuru and end the Nigerian’s Ligue 1 nightmare.

The 23-year-old has not trained with Niko Kovac’s first-team squad this month after holding discussions with Galatasaray over a potential return to the Turk Telekom Stadium, but is yet to receive a formal offer from the Super Lig giants.

Galatasaray would be Onyekuru’s favoured destination after winning the Turkish top-flight title with them whilst on loan during the 2018/19 season, before joining Monaco from Everton in a £12m deal without playing a single game for the Goodison Park natives.

Fenerbahce are not yet thought to have made an official approach to sign Onyekuru, who Monaco are now willing to part company with in a €1.5m (£1.3m) loan deal that carries a €5.5m (£5m) option to buy in the summer.

Onyekuru struggled to establish himself in the Principality last season, starting only two of four Ligue 1 outings, before joining Galatasaray on loan for the second half of the campaign. He returned to Monaco last summer but has again lived life on the fringes, only opening two of four French top-flight appearances.

The 11-cap international has not featured in any of Kovac’s matchday squads since November, when left an unused substitute in a 4-0 rout of FC Girondins Bordeaux, with his last appearance coming in September as an 83rd-minute substitute at Stade Rennais.

Sullivan should walk away

While Onyekuru is still young and could prove to be a cheap pick up in the January transfer window, Sullivan would be wise to walk away from any potential deal to sign the Monaco flop.

Onyekuru failed to make a single appearance for Everton during his two years as a Toffees player, as the Merseyside outfit continually failed to obtain a work permit for the forward as he was not a regular fixture of the Nigerian national side.

That picture will not have changed since with Onyekuru only earning three of his caps for the Super Eagles in the past two years, and the 23-year-old often being left on the bench.

But beyond any issues in obtaining a work permit, Onyekuru would struggle to obtain a place in David Moyes’ squad as his efforts in France are desperately underwhelming.

He is yet to score a single goal over his eight Monaco outings across all competitions, and struggled to find any consistency once on loan with Galatasaray with one strike finding the back of the net in 12 games.

Onyekuru failing to cut it at Monaco should raise serious alarm bells in east London, as Kovac has one of Ligue 1’s best offences with only Paris Saint-Germain scoring more than the Principality side.

West Ham do not boast the same honour, with Moyes’ squad scoring 27 goals in 19 games for the 10th-best record in the Premier League – lower than Aston Villa and Everton, who have played three and two fewer fixtures respectively, and Leeds United, who are nine points behind the Hammers in the table.

Moyes may need attacking reinforcements after the sale of Sebastien Haller, but Onyekuru will not be the Scottish coach’s answer.

AND in other news, West Ham are considering a £15.5m-rated striker without a goal since October to replace Seb Haller…