All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Chelsea's long search for a new holding midfielder may be coming to a conclusion after opening talks with one of their Premier League rivals.

After being linked with a number of players in the January window, Chelsea were unable to bring in Moises Caicedo from Brighton and Hove Albion, nor Amadou Onana from Everton.

The need to strengthen in that position is even more paramount now following strong reports that N'Golo Kante is on his way to Saudi Arabia this summer.

According to Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri, Chelsea are now back in for one of their former targets, having held talks with Everton over a potential £55m deal for Onana.

Is Amadou Onana a good option for Chelsea?

Onana arrived at Everton from Lille in a £33m deal last summer and featured in 33 of their 38 Premier League matches, starting 29 of those.

In what was a hugely disappointing campaign for the Toffees as they narrowly dodged relegation, Onana came in for praise for his midfield displays.

Indeed, Daily Mail reporter Dominic King described the Belgium international as a "colossus" for his performance in February's 1-0 win over Arsenal.

Onana had a team-high 47 touches that day, intercepted the ball a game-high two times and passed the ball 30 times – the most of any outfield Everton player.

That was not even necessarily Onana's best display of the season, either. With a 94% pass accuracy, six ball recoveries, five tackles won and even a key pass, Onana's first-half display against Newcastle United in April was described as "wonderful" by football analyst Statman Dave.

With a reported valuation of £55m, Onana is considerably cheaper than Caicedo, who is also aged 20 but is said to cost in the region of £70m. That is due to the Brighton ace signing a new deal earlier this year, shortly after handing in a public transfer request.

Both men are very similar in terms of their defensive numbers last season, with Onana tackling 2.61 players per game, as per FBref, compared to 2.87 for Caicedo. Interestingly, the latter fared better in terms of his success rate when it came to challenging players – 71.4% v 58.8%.

However, Caicedo did edge things in terms of blocks per 90 minutes (1.23 v 0.91) and interceptions (1.60 v 1.34). Unlike Caicedo, though, Onana made zero mistakes leading to an opponent's shot, whereas his positional peer was guilty of doing so three times in the Premier League last season.

Onana also won more aerial duels per 90 minutes (2.17 compared to 1.06), while it was Caicedo who came out on top for passing accuracy – 88.5 v 83.3.

Ultimately, the two men have strengths in different departments, but they are both solid holding midfielders that have proved themselves in the Premier League, albeit with contrasting fortunes for their respective teams.

Chelsea may yet have the funds to sneer Caicedo from Brighton. Otherwise, bringing in Onana from Everton is far from a bad alternative.

West Bromwich Albion have already added an attacking and creative spark to their squad after securing a deal for John Swift on a free transfer from Reading last month.

Having found the net 11 times and delivered 13 assists in 38 league appearances last season, the 26-year-old could be a great addition to Steve Bruce’s squad.

Another player already in the Albion squad who could well feel like a new signing once the new season kicks off is Daryl Dike.

Despite moving to The Hawthorns from Orlando City in January in a deal worth over £7m, the striker only made two appearances for the Baggies before suffering a season-ending hamstring injury.

With that in mind, it’s safe to say that the winter recruit will be looking to properly get his Baggies career off to a flyer once the upcoming campaign gets underway.

In terms of what the West Brom team could look like once the season starts, one man with whom the Baggies have been linked recently and who could give Bruce the opportunity to form a deadly attacking duo alongside Dike is Cameron Archer.

A product of Aston Villa’s youth system, the 20-year-old has made 59 appearances for the club across their youth and senior teams, scoring 23 goals in the process.

During his loan spell with Preston North End last term, the striker found the net seven times in 20 Championship appearances, highlighting how capable he is of being a goal threat in the second tier.

In fact, the youngster delivered what was described by Tom Barclay as a “clinical” finish for England’s under-21s in their win over Kosovo earlier this month. The journalist also described Archer, who is currently valued at £5.4m by Transfermarkt, as an “impressive” player as a result of this goal in the 5-0 victory.

Taking all this into account, if Bruce can convince his old club to let their young talent make a move to The Hawthorns this summer, the possibility of him playing alongside Dike and in front of Swift could be a mouth-watering prospect for the Baggies and boost their hopes of potentially securing promotion back to the Premier League.

In other news: Bruce can finally axe “overhyped” West Brom dud by signing “classy” £2.3k-p/w starlet

Reliable journalist Rob Dawson of ESPN has now shared a big Manchester City transfer update involving Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong.

The Lowdown: Sky Blues eye more signings…

City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, having watched the Blues retain their Premier League crown in such dramatic fashion, later confirmed that there will be even mores summer signings after Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez.

Fernandinho’s glittering nine-year stay at Eastlands has now come to an end with the fan favourite set to leave, prompting manager Pep Guardiola to set his sights on a midfield heir to the Brazilian.

Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips and West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice have both been linked with moves to Eastlands as well as Barcelona sensation de Jong.

Sharing news on the latter man, Dawson has a big update.

The Latest: Dawson shares big de Jong update…

According to the ESPN reporter, a Man City correspondent, the marquee Catalans star has been ‘offered’ to Guardiola and co with Barcelona desperately trying to raise £70million for new arrivals.

However, despite Barca handing City a chance to sign de Jong, the La Liga giants have only received positive responses from Man United and Paris-Saint Germain.

The Verdict: Reconsider?

As the Netherlands international gets placed on the table, we believe City sporting director Txiki Begiristain and Guardiola should, at the very least, consider a move carefully.

De Jong has been a mainstay under Barca boss Xavi, playing the fourth-most league minutes over 2021/2022 behind veteran stars Sergio Busquets, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Jordi Alba (WhoScored).

His impressive pass accuracy of 91.3% is also on par with crucial City stars like Rodri, Aymeric Laporte and Ruben Dias – backing how seamlessly de Jong would fit into Guardiola’s starting eleven (WhoScored).

Called a ‘phenomenal’ player by Spanish football expert and ex-Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell, the only red herring to this potential deal would be the 25-year-old’s lofty €85 million (£73m) price tag.

In other news: Journalist: Man City ‘offer’ on the cards to sign ‘unplayable’ star, Pep called him ‘incredible’…find out more here.

Reliable journalist Alasdair Gold has shared an update on the circumstances of Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni amid interest from Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Spurs in pursuit of Bastoni

The Italy international has become one of Fabio Paratici’s main transfer targets in recent weeks, with Lilywhites manager Antonio Conte having formed a good relationship with the defender during their time together at Inter.

According to Football Italia, although there isn’t a deal currently in place for the 23-year-old, Bastoni’s agent has encouraged his player to ‘adjust’ to the ongoing developments in the transfer market, with the centre-back reportedly happy to remain at the San Siro.

The Latest: Gold’s update on Bastoni

In a Q&A for football.london, Gold shared an update on Tottenham’s ongoing situation with Inter and Bastoni.

He claimed: “This is purely my opinion and we’re very early in the transfer window so things can change quickly, but I get the feeling that circumstances at Inter are working in Spurs’ favour at the moment.

“They need money to address their attack, with Dybala a target and a Lukaku return considered, while at the back they also want to sign Bremer, a player Spurs also have on their centre-back list.

“They need funds because they’re in a tough financial position and Bastoni is one of their best chances of raising those funds and he has just two years left on his contract so, unless he signs a new deal, this is the peak value they can get for him. The 23-year-old is happy at Inter at this point in his career, but I just wonder whether what’s going on at the club ends up pushing him towards the door.

“His agent’s comments this week seemed to suggest that could be a possibility. It’s still very early days though and Spurs have other options, although both Conte and Paratici really like the big Inter defender. I think we need to get through the international period first, which makes it difficult to tie up deals and players can’t fully focus on their decisions right now.”

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

The Verdict: Looking more positive

Prior to these comments from Gold, Dan Kilpatrick reported that Bastoni is ‘reluctant’ to leave the Serie A club. Although the deal is ‘not dead in the water’, the Evening Standard journalist claimed that Tottenham will have to do a lot of convincing to bring the centre-back to Hotspur Way this summer.

However, Gold’s update appears to be a lot more positive, with circumstances seemingly falling into place for Spurs.

Paratici will surely be doing all he can to secure Bastoni’s signature, given that he is seemingly a massive admirer of the 23-year-old, who was dubbed ‘incredibly aggressive’ by former Lilywhites employee Roberto Kusabbi.

Hopefully Tottenham can pounce upon the seemingly advantageous circumstances and reunite the Italy defender with his former Nerazzurri manager in north London over the coming weeks or months.

In other news: Spurs confident they can strike agreement for Romelu Lukaku

Alasdair Gold has dropped an update on the future Tottenham Hotspur centre-forward Harry Kane.

What’s the latest?

In a recent Q&A on football.london, the Tottenham Hotspur correspondent revealed that, should Daniel Levy and ENIC continue to back Antonio Conte in the summer transfer market, the 28-year-old will be open to talks with the club concerning a contract extension – with the England captain’s current deal set to expire in June of 2024.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/tottenham-hotspur-latest-news-updates-transfer-rumours-gossip-spurs-thfc-conte-paratici” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours and more!”]

In response to a question concerning the Spurs striker’s future, Gold said: “If Spurs continue to show ambition and back Conte this summer then, as I reported last week, I understand Kane is open to talks over a new deal after he returns to pre-season.

“All he wants is to win major trophies with Tottenham and if he believes that can happen, which clearly he didn’t last summer, then he’s happy to help make it happen.”

Supporters will love Gold’s update

Tottenham supporters will not need it explaining just how important a part of the Tottenham side Kane is, something that means Gold’s update revealing the academy graduate is open to extending his stay at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer is sure to be news the Spurs faithful will love.

Indeed, the £90m-rated forward has developed into one of the world’s leading number nines during his time with Tottenham, scoring a simply sensational 248 goals and registering 59 assists over his 386 appearances for the club – averaging a direct goal involvement every 99 minutes of football played for Spurs.

Furthermore, the £200k-per-week talent seems to have found a new lease of life under Conte’s management, with the 28-year-old bagging 20 goals and providing nine assists over his 36 appearances since the Italian’s arrival in north London last November.

As such, Gold’s claim that Kane looks happy to extend his stay at Spurs is undoubtedly fantastic for Conte and Levy alike, as, with the England international leading the Tottenham line and the 52-year-old in the Spurs dugout, the Lilywhites will almost certainly be a challenger in every competition they participate in next season.

AND in other news: Fabrizio Romano drops “serious” Spurs transfer update, supporters will be buzzing

Celtic have seen many players move in and out of the squad over the past decade either on permanent or loan deals.

In terms of the players that joined the Hoops, while some may not have made an impact, one that definitely made the most of his time at Parkhead is Patrick Roberts.

During two loan spells from Premier League club Manchester City, the winger ended up making 78 appearances across all competitions.

In those appearances, the Englishman scored 18 goals, provided 26 assists and won seven trophies in the process.

Predominantly playing on the right-wing, the 25-year-old played in numerous positions across the attack and midfield, making himself a useful and versatile squad option.

Now that the former Celtic loan star has brought an end to his time with the Premier League champions and joined Sunderland, it doesn’t seem likely that he’ll be returning to Parkhead anytime soon.

However, the Hoops could sign what may well be a new version of Roberts this summer by securing a move for Bodo/Glimt winger Ola Solbakken, who was linked with a move to Celtic Park last month.

With 53 appearances under his belt on the right wing and 41 on the left, his versatility could also make him a useful option for Postecoglou as Roberts was for Celtic during his period with the club.

In 115 senior club appearances, the £1.8m-rated attacker has found the net 23 times and delivered 27 assists, showing that, once again, just like Roberts, Solbakken has a knack for not only scoring but creating goals as well from the wings.

To compare Roberts’ 2017/18 season at Celtic with Solbakken’s current campaign with his current club, the Norwegian attacker currently has a higher average of assists per 90 minutes than the Englishman racked up.

Labelled as being “[Jose] Mourinho’s nightmare” by journalist Pablo Giralt after the 23-year-old scored two goals in the 6-1 victory over AS Roma back in October, Solbakken could be a solid addition to Celtic’s ranks as they aim to not only regain the SPFL title but also get their hands on other domestic trophies and do their best in Europe.

Moving forward, should Postecoglou feel the need to strengthen what already is a rather attacking team this summer, securing a deal for the Bodo/Glimt star could be a great bit of business for the Parkhead club and give the fans a new version of Roberts to enjoy watching.

In other news: Better than Edouard: Celtic eyeing “feisty” 51-goal dynamo, supporters surely buzzing

Everton are still unclear whether they will be playing Premier League football or not next season, however, it hasn’t stopped them from working on potential transfer moves this summer as a new update emerges.

What’s the latest?

According to Football League World sources, Everton remain keen on signing Sheffield United youngster Daniel Jebbison.

The report suggests they have been told that the Toffees see the Championship striker as their next Dominic Calvert-Lewin but will likely loan him out to make sure he is playing regular football.

Everton reportedly believe that Jebbison has bags of potential and that is why they are so keen to sign him this summer.

Calvert-Lewin successor

There is no doubt that Jebbison is offering glimpses of star quality and has obviously caught the eye of the powers at Goodison Park after scoring against the Toffees during his spell in the Premier League with Sheffield United last season.

However, the centre-forward is only 18 years old and will unlikely be able to break straight into the first team but he could potentially become Calvert-Lewin’s successor in the future if he signs for the club and continues to impress.

This season Jebbison who was hailed a “shining light” by Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards, spent the first half of the season on loan to Burton Albion scoring nine goals in 23 appearances which prompted Sheffield United to recall the striker from his loan deal following Rhian Brewster’s season-ending hamstring injury. In total, he has an impressive 16 strikes across the various levels.

Since returning to Bramall Lane, the youngster has been fighting for a place in the team making just eight appearances and not able to find the back of the net in the second half of the season. With so many attacking options Paul Heckingbottom briefly explained why Jebbison wasn’t getting favoured for game time.

The Sheffield United manager claimed (via Yorkshire Live):

“If you look who is in form, Bill’s been doing great and scoring goals, Morgan has and we have spoken about Iliman and Oli Mac and Jebbo is in amongst that.

“He’s got to get past them, simple as that.”

With that being said, a move to Everton could be a great step up for the young goal-scorer and a golden opportunity for him to develop and improve under the watchful eye of Lampard who was renowned for his goal-scoring abilities with 177 Premier League goals to his name.

AND in other news: Get rid: £28k-pw EFC dud who lost the ball every 1.5 touches must never start again

A big update has emerged on Rangers and Ross Wilson’s plans for the summer transfer window at Ibrox…

What’s the talk?

Alan Nixon has claimed, on his Patreon page, that the Gers are plotting a bid to sign winger Dapo Afolayan as a potential replacement for Ryan Kent.

The report claims that Bolton may not be able to turn down a good offer as the player has one year left on his contract. He is currently said to be valued at a fee in the region of £1.5m, although it remains to be seen how much the Glasgow giants are willing to pay for his services.

Gio van Bronckhorst needs him badly

Wilson must ensure that he can get a deal over the line for the Englishman as the Rangers head coach is in dire need of reinforcements out wide.

Bolton commentator Derek Clark dubbed him a “master” of the dark arts and claimed that his “mentality is top-notch”. This suggests that he will be able to adapt to playing for a club the size of Rangers as he has the right mindset and attitude to make it at the top level.

He has also shown that he has quality on the pitch with the ball at his feet. In League One this season, the 24-year-old racked up 12 goals and four assists from out wide, showing that he was able to find the back of the net on a regular basis.

Whilst four assists does not make it look like he was a creative force for Bolton, his underlying statistics show that his teammates let him down. Afolayan averaged 1.6 key passes per game and created eight ‘big chances’ in total as his fellow forwards failed to make the most of the opportunities he created.

Meanwhile, Rangers’ top-scoring midfielder in the Premiership with Joe Aribo with eight goals and no player managed more than 12 in the entire squad. This shows that van Bronckhorst is in need of players who can score consistently and Afolayan has shown that he can do it in League One.

If he can carry over that form into the Scottish top-flight then he will be exactly what the head coach needs, whilst also adding creativity with his chance creation from out wide on the left. This is why Wilson must now work hard to bring the English attacker to Ibrox ahead of next season, whether Kent leaves or not.

AND in other news, GVB can unearth Rangers’ dream Steven Davis heir in “desperate” 20yo who’s “terrific”…

Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst has been dealt a big blow as early SFA Cup injury news has emerged on the Glasgow giants’ opponents…

What’s the talk?

Robbie Neilson has revealed that soon-to-be Gers defender John Souttar and Craig Halkett will both be available for selection on Saturday.

Van Bronckhorst’s men come up against Hearts in the final of the Scottish Cup this weekend and both players are poised to be involved.

When asked if they will be in contention to play, he told STV: “Yeah, 100 per cent. We’ve got a bounce game here on Tuesday.

“They’ll get some game time in that and then we’ll make a decision after that.”

Supporters will be frustrated

The Ibrox faithful will be frustrated by this news as Halkett and Souttar being fit comes as a blow to van Bronckhorst’s side, as both of them being out would have increased the Gers’ chances of winning the trophy.

Rangers know all about Souttar as he is a player who has agreed to move to the club at the end of the campaign on a free transfer. Ironically, his last match for Hearts will be against the team he is moving to, which will make for an interesting subplot on the day if he turns in a less-than-impressive display.

The Scotland international seems unlikely to do that, though, as he has been in terrific form throughout the season for the Jambos. In the Premiership, he has averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.30 across 27 appearances, winning a whopping 71% of his duels.

Halkett is also a defender who will be familiar to Gers supporters as he came up through the youth ranks at Ibrox. He has made a name for himself at Hearts and performed well alongside Souttar – averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.14 across 28 matches in the division.

These statistics prove that both players have been in fine form for the club in the league this season. They have both consistently put in quality displays at the back and have proven that they are able to compete at the top end of the table in the Scottish top-flight, with Souttar doing enough to earn a switch to the Glasgow giants, and that is why their involvement is a big blow for the Gers.

Rangers supporters will be frustrated that both of them appear set to play in the game and will be hoping that the players with connections to the club do not end up costing them a trophy on Saturday.

AND in other news, Wilson plotting Rangers bid for “top notch” 16 G/A “master”, GVB needs him badly…

Liverpool have bought out their sell-on clause from Kaide Gordon’s transfer from Derby County, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Gordon impressing at Liverpool

The 17-year-old made the move from Pride Park to the Reds in February 2021, with the striker considered one of the most exciting prospects in the country.

Gordon’s first-team playing time at Liverpool has been understandably limited but he has still managed four appearances – including one in the Premier League –  scoring once in that time.

A fresh update has now emerged regarding the youngster’s move to Anfield.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-31/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Liverpool buy out Gordon sell-on clause

Taking to Twitter on Monday, Romano confirmed that Liverpool have paid £500,000 to get rid of the 20% sell-on clause which originally existed in the deal. The journalist revealed:

“Excl. Liverpool have bought out the sell on clause from Kaide Gordon’s transfer from Derby County. #LFC Been told Liverpool & Derby County have agreed £500,000 for the removal of the 20% sell on clause which appeared in the original deal.”

The Verdict: Massive future ahead for Gordon

This is yet more shrewd work from Liverpool in the transfer market, ensuring that they don’t have to pay Derby a substantial amount should they eventually sell Gordon in the future.

However, the hope is that the teenager becomes a superstar at Anfield and that the Reds will never actively want to sell him, with Virgil van Dijk hailing him as a ‘great talent’.

The 17-year-old has looked the part whenever he has been given a chance, possessing a great left foot and an eye for goal, while a tally of seven goals and three assists in 10 appearances for Liverpool’s under-18s further outlines his potential.

In other news, one Liverpool player is likely to leave permanently this summer. Find out who it is here.