All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Serie A outfit Lazio could attempt to bring West Ham United’s Felipe Anderson back to the Stadio Olimpico.

That’s according to the print edition of the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero (via Tutto Mercato Web).

The lowdown

West Ham signed Anderson in July 2018 for what was then a club record fee of £36million.

The Brazilian netted 10 goals and laid on five assists in an impressive debut campaign, but then tailed off during the 2019/20 season with only one goal in 27 appearances.

Anderson wound up being loaned to FC Porto last October and was restricted to just five league outings in Portugal.

West Ham even considered ending his loan spell early due to the lack of game time.

The 28-year-old’s value has now fallen to £9million (Transfermarkt) as he nears the final year of his contract at the London Stadium.

The latest

There are said to be ‘many names in the running’ as Lazio, who finished sixth in Serie A last season, target a new winger.

Alongside Anderson, the club have shortlisted Atalanta’s Josip Ilicic, Napoli’s Matteo Politano and Bologna’s Ricardo Orsolini.

Anderson previously spent five years in the Italian capital after joining from native club Santos.

The verdict

It very much looks as if time is up for Felipe Anderson at West Ham. He seemed a very good signing in his first season, but since then his decline has been a little alarming.

Lazio know that they could sign Anderson for free next summer, potentially leaving the Hammers in a fairly weak negotiating position.

You suspect they will recoup only a fraction of their initial investment, a huge disappointment.

A return to Italy may well appear to the player himself too as a means of revitalising his career.

He’d also have the opportunity to work under a great manager in former Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri, recently appointed at Lazio.

This looks like a deal that could be good for all parties.

In other news, West Ham have entered talks to sign this 25-year-old forward. 

Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah is likely to remain at Anfield, partly because other clubs can’t afford him, according to transfer expert Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Salah’s future still unknown

The Egyptian’s future is a major talking point at the moment, with the Reds desperately hoping that their most prized asset extends his stay at the club.

It appears as though Salah and Liverpool can’t quite agree on certain aspects of a new deal and there is a stubbornness from both sides regarding the situation.

The 29-year-old’s current deal expires at the end of the season, hence the concern surrounding a new contract being signed.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-30/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Latest: Jones drops positive Salah claim

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones backed Salah to stay at Liverpool moving forward, due in part to some of Europe’s other huge clubs not being in a good moment currently. The journalist said:

“I think the circumstances have really suited Liverpool up to this point.  Salah has definitely been wavering over this deal but, ultimately, Real Madrid and Barcelona can’t get him right now. That plays into Liverpool’s hands.

“There has been talk of Juventus and stuff, but that is not really what he had in mind.”

The Verdict: Surely he stays now?

Jones makes a fair point, with Salah surely more likely to leave if the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid were the unrivalled forces that they were a decade or so ago.

That isn’t the case, however, and Liverpool are arguably the most exciting proposition in Europe and the Premier League currently, which acts as a huge positive in their quest to extend the Egyptian’s time at Anfield.

It still feels more likely that Salah will eventually sign a new deal – if that happens, it would feel absolutely massive, given his astonishing record of 155 goals in 246 appearances for the Reds, and the fact that he should still have several years left at the very top given that he is yet to reach his 30th birthday.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has dropped a key Liverpool update. Read more here.

Rangers have been linked with a move for Coventry City midfielder Gustavo Hamer recently, and if he were to join Steven Gerrard’s side this summer, he could solve a big problem for the 40-year-old at Ibrox.

What’s the word?

According to Football League World, Rangers are one of the clubs taking an interest in the Dutch midfielder, who is also being considered by Norwich City, Brighton and Brentford ahead of the summer transfer window.

Although he only joined the Sky Blues last summer following their promotion back to the Championship, Mark Robins’ side could be willing to cash in on him this summer should they receive a suitable bid for the midfield maestro.

Would he be a good signing?

The 23-year-old has made 41 appearances for Coventry in the Championship this season and has contributed an impressive five goals and two assists, averaging a solid 6.75 WhoScored rating for his performances.

This ranks him as the fourth-best performer in the Sky Blues’ squad so far this season, so it is clear that he has been an important part of their impressive season, which has seen them comfortably avoid relegation back to the third tier.

No player has averaged more key passes or dribbles per game (1.5) than Hamer in Coventry’s team this season, whilst he also scores highly when it comes to interceptions and tackles, which suggests that he can contribute from an attacking and a defensive point of view.

For comparison, only Borna Barisic, James Tavernier and Ryan Kent from the Rangers squad have averaged more key passes than Hamer this season, whilst only Joe Aribo and Kent outperform him on dribbles, which suggests that the £1.8m-rated midfielder could be a solid addition at Ibrox.

The former PC Zwolle man, who was labelled “unbelievable” by teammate Marco Marosi earlier in the season, could also amend a key issue in Gerrard’s squad ahead of next term.

The Ibrox manager has been left low on midfield options for much of this season following the long-term absence of Ryan Jack, whilst only Joe Aribo, who has also often featured on the right wing, has managed to regularly contribute goals from midfield.

Hamer’s five goals from midfield this season suggest he could add a goalscoring threat from that position in Gerrard’s squad which the likes of Steven Davis and Glen Kamara simply don’t offer, which has been one disappointment in a largely successful season for Rangers.

Should the dangerous front three of Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Kent and Ianis Hagi lose form or be broken up, Gerrard may need someone from midfield to step up next season. Hamer could prove to be that man, so Ross Wilson should try to bring him to Ibrox this summer.

In other news… Gerrard handed major boost with 23 y/o dubbed “the best”, Wilson must deliver

With the Premier League season just days away, it’s that time of year again to start gearing up and planning our Fantasy Football teams.

The routine is simple enough – the season ends, and you spend a few weeks in a bit of a lull, waiting for the best show on earth to return in the next few months. To ease the wait, you start building your fantasy team early, carefully constructing the perfect squad to win that illustrious prize of gloat between you and your friends.

However, what if it were possible for you to play for more than just a few hundred quid between yourself and your mates? What if it were possible to secure a lifechanging amount of money simply based on your FPL knowledge? Well, in comes FanTeam.com, who are revolutionising the landscape of fantasy football games in the UK and Europe.

With their engaging social media strategy and incredible fantasy football platform, FanTeam.com has managed to take the Fantasy Football formula and flip it on its head.

For a mere £20 stake, you can use your Premier League guile and knowhow in a prize pool of up to £1,000,000. The catch? There isn’t one. Simply enter the competition with your stake and tactically battle your way through the season, earning points for more than just goals, assists, and clean sheets like you do in other Fantasy Football games.

With FanTeam.com, you can earn points based on aspects such as shots on target and winning games, whilst also being able to lose points for giving away penalties, or freekicks that can lead to an opposing goal. As well as that, the pricing structure is almost identical to other Fantasy Football games, with £100m to spend on 15 players – it really is that simple.

Sure, you can just stick with the usual games such as FPL, Sky Fantasy, Sun Dream Team, the list goes on. However, wouldn’t it make more sense to use this year-long effort towards a potentially life-changing reward? Of course, not everyone can win the top prize of £200,000, but so long as you finish within the Top 5,000, you can guarantee to double your £20 stake. Finish in the Top 100? You can win a minimum of £1,000 come the end of the season.

So, what are you waiting for? Jump on FanTeam.com now to secure your place with just £20 and be in with the chance of winning that lifechanging sum of money!

How to join FanTeam’s Premier League 2021/22 Fantasy Football tournament:

To sign up, you need to be over 18, Gamble Aware and meet FanTeam’s terms and conditions. Otherwise, just follow these steps…

– Head to FanTeam and sign up – click here

– Join the ‘£1m Fantasy Premier League’ tournament and pay the £20 entry fee

– Create a team and click ‘Enter Tournament’

Newcastle United could now reportedly sign Boubacar Kamara before the summer transfer window ends.

The Lowdown: Successful season

Kamara enjoyed a successful 2020/21 season with Marseille, as he helped them reach fifth place in the Ligue 1 table and thus achieving qualification for the UEFA Europa League in the process.

The supremely versatile midfielder played in 35 games in total in the division, winning no fewer than 6.9 of his duels per match as well as averaging 2.5 tackles, 1.3 clearances and one interception per game (Sofascore).

The Latest: Kamara update

As per L’Equipe (via Sport Witness), Kamara would not mind changing teams before the window shuts, and Marseille have had ‘good discussions’ with the St. James’ Park faithful.

However, they have only made an offer of around €14m (£11.9m), which is a long way from the €40m (£33.9m) price being quoted.

That approach was rejected by the president of Marseille Pablo Longoria, who is also in talks with Sevilla about Kamara, and is ‘more inclined’ to accept an offer from them instead.

The Verdict: Avoid

While Kamara is clearly a very good player – he was even once dubbed a ‘phenomenon’ by his former teammate Rolando back in May 2020 – £33.9m is simply way too much money for the North East club to spend on one player at this moment in time, with the Magpies in limbo waiting for takeover developments.

They already have quite a lot of cover in the centre of midfield with the likes of Isaac Hayden, Jonjo Shelvey, Jeff Hendrick, Sean and Matty Longstaff and what looks to be the likely arrival of Joe Willock from Arsenal.

Thus, with any money they have free in the bank, they should be using it to strengthen in other areas of the pitch, such as finding an out-and-out centre-back.

In other news, find out which NUFC star has now been backed to be sold to a Premier League rival here!

Serge Aurier has been at Tottenham Hotspur since Mauricio Pochettino signed him in 2017 from PSG but Paul Stewart, who scored in Spurs’s 1991 FA Cup final victory, spoke exclusively to Football FanCast about how now is the time for the full-back to leave.

In a somewhat surprising move, Pochettino has been linked with a move for Aurier in what would be a surprising reunion with the full-back, considering how his last 12 months were like in Paris.

Spurs have struggled with the right-back position this season as neither Aurier, Matt Doherty or Japhet Tanganga have managed to cement a regular starting spot under either Jose Mourinho or Ryan Mason.

Aurier, who just two months ago was handed a 3/10 rating by Football London journalist Alasdair Gold following his display against Dinamo Zagreb, has worked under three different managers at Tottenham having made 110 appearances but his time could be up this summer, Stewart spoke exclusively to FFC:

“He’s been poor but I did hear that he’s been linked with PSG so I think it would be good business to let him go. Would PSG want him with Pochettino there? I can’t see it, but he does need to leave Tottenham.

“That is why I keep talking about the defence and how that’s where we’ve got to improve before we even think about moving forward.”

Spurs have been linked with Janik Vestergaard at Southampton as they look to improve an outstanding weakness that has been in their team for several seasons.

For years, Tottenham had a solid centre back pairing of Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld but since the former departed for Benfica last summer they appear to have struggled all the way across the backline.

Leeds United have been handed a major boost over England’s EURO 2020 star Kalvin Phillips amid speculation over a move away.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks have claimed that Serie A giants Juventus are interested in signing the midfielder this summer, but his agent, Kevin Sharp, has moved to dismiss that, instead insisting he is “happy at Leeds”.

He said: “Before Kalvin signed his last contract, we had good interest so we sat down and explored all the pros and cons. His desire was never to leave, it was to be rewarded and stay and play for the team he supported as a kid. Within the contract he signed in September 2019, we included provisions within it for if Leeds reached the Premier League, so it’s all set up for the top flight.

“We knew it was a bit of a gamble, but we knew Leeds would get there under Bielsa and obviously they did. There may be clubs who are actually looking at Kalvin now because the more successful you are – playing for England in big tournaments – naturally breeds interest. But Kalvin is happy at Leeds and has no desire to move whatsoever. It’s more a case of ‘carry on what you’re doing for club and country’.”

Fans will be buzzing

Make no mistake about it, news that Phillips has “no desire to move whatsoever” is music to the ears of Leeds fans.

The 25-year-old has come through the academy system at Elland Road to play 212 times for the club, and under Marcelo Bielsa’s guidance, has grown into an England international starting in the semi-finals of a European Championship.

And, speaking exclusively to FFC, former Leeds man David Norris said he could become a one-club man: “We’ve seen it with (Harry) Kane, he’s stayed with Spurs, it’s his club and he’s a legend with the fans. But his is coming to the end now, if he wants to win something he must move on.

“With Kalvin, it’s still early days, Leeds are progressing, he’s still progressing, so it doesn’t feel like anything needs to be done drastically soon.  Potentially, depending on how Leeds progress, he could stay there and become a one-club man, with the relationship he’s got. But for now, he doesn’t want to leave, they don’t need to sell.”

The Yorkshire Pirlo’s importance to this Leeds side is unquestionable, with the Whites having won only two of the nine Premier League games that he missed last season – not only would it be a gut-wrenching loss to lose him in terms of what he means to the club as a whole, but also the impact it would have on the pitch too.

So, the fact Sharp was so unequivocal in his statement that Phillips is happy at Leeds, and that he’s got no interest of moving on, will delight fans.

The midfielder is very much Leeds United through and through, and so this latest transfer update will have them buzzing no end.

Meanwhile, Leeds could sign a dream De Paul alternative in this star…

Southampton currently have a significant number of players in their squad that have worked their way through the youth system at the club such as Theo Walcott and James Ward-Prowse, who have a total of 648 Premier League appearances between them.

One other player currently in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad that has made his way through Southampton’s youth academy is centre-back Jack Stephens, who currently has 114 league appearances under his belt.

Looking at him, in particular, the 27-year-old defender made his senior debut for the Saints back in January 2012 in an FA Cup victory over Coventry City before making his Premier League bow for the club in their 3-0 defeat against Everton in January 2017 under former Southampton manager Claude Puel.

Overall, Stephens has made 139 appearances for Southampton across all competitions, chipping in with six goals and five assists along the way after working his way through the club’s youth system after signing from Plymouth Argyle in a deal worth a reported fee of £150k back in 2011.

So far this season, Stephens had played 90 minutes in all of Southampton’s Premier League games before picking up a serious knee injury during their 0-0 draw against Manchester City, ultimately ruling him out for 12 weeks according to Hasenhuttl, which is not only very unfortunate for the player, but for the team as a whole given how prominent he was for them beforehand.

In terms of his market value, in February 2017, shortly after making his Premier League debut for the Saints, Transfermarkt had his value listed as £675k, whereas it now stands at £7.2m, highlighting a significant rise over recent years.

This also shows just how much of a good purchase he was all those years ago for such a low price and how much the club have developed Stephens, who has previously been described as “excellent” by former Saints captain Steven Davis, to become a regular first-team figure for them.

Looking ahead to the future, if Stephens can fully recover from this unfortunate knee injury and get back to playing regularly for the Saints, we see no reason why his market value can’t go on and rise even further than it has done recently.

In other news: Southampton may be set for big blow after Saints news emerges, Ralph surely gutted – opinion

An update has emerged on Rangers left-back Borna Barisic, with the defender suffering an injury setback.

What’s the latest?

The Croatia international was absent for the draw with Aberdeen earlier this week and Steven Gerrard has now confirmed that he will be out against Motherwell on Sunday.

There is hope that the 28-year-old will be available to face Brondby in the Europa League next week, with the Gers head coach telling the Glasgow Times: “Borna has a small issue at the moment and I think he will be out for the weekend, also. Hopefully we will have him around for the Brondby game.”

Fans will be gutted

This is a big blow for Rangers and has come at a frustrating time for Barisic. We published an article ahead of the Aberdeen match urging Gerrard to drop him from the XI in order to give him time to get back to his best after a difficult display against St Mirren, but he ended up missing the game through injury instead.

With him now set to watch on from the stands as Rangers face Motherwell, Barisic could take more time to find his feet again and start producing the performances that we know he can. Supporters will surely be gutted that he has suffered this knock, as he can be a game-changing player for the team on his day.

Former Gers player Alex Rae once hailed the ‘terrific quality’ the defender has on the ball, saying: “He performs at good level week-in, week-out and has terrific quality in the final third of the park.”

Mark Wilson added: “He’s the best left-back in country. He’s improved his defending and supplies assists and is a threat at set pieces.”

The 28-year-old’s statistics for Rangers last season were outstanding. He averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.40 as he scored one goal, provided six assists and created 2.2 chances per game, showing off the ‘terrific quality’ he has in possession from left-back. The Croatian also won 59% of his duels and made 2.1 tackles and interceptions per match, highlighting the defensive side of his game.

This illustrates the level of player Rangers are potentially missing and why fans will be gutted by his absence against Motherwell and potentially Brondby. Not only does it mean that he could be ruled out of two competitive matches, it could also take him longer to get back to his best form as he has to contend with recovering from an injury along with putting in the hard work in training to improve his sharpness.

AND in other news, Rangers beast let Gerrard down badly against Aberdeen earlier this week…

Wolverhampton Wanderers have entered into talks regarding a deal to bring Rafael Leao to Molineux this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report from Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), with it being claimed that Bruno Lage’s side have started discussing a deal for the AC Milan centre-forward with Jorge Mendes, the 22-year-old’s agent.

The report goes on to state that the Serie A side could be tempted into the sale of the Portugal U21 international this summer, while it is also believed that Wolves could lodge a concrete bid for the youngster over the weekend.

Finally, it is claimed that the Premier League side’s interest in a move for Leao appears to be becoming more serious, with the report mentioning that, due to the West Midlands club’s relationship with Mendes, Lage and his side look to have an advantage on the competition for the youngster’s signature.

Imagine him & Neto

Considering the raw amount of potential Leao appears to possess, it is easy to see why Lage appears so keen to get a deal over the line for the centre-forward – who can also play on the wing – ahead of next season.

Indeed, over his 30 Serie A appearances for AC Milan last season – 22 of which came as starts – the £22.5m-rated man scored six goals, registered six assists and created eight big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.4 shots and making 0.9 key passes per game.

These returns saw the man Tiago Fernandes dubbed a “champion” earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.95, ranking him as Stefano Pioli’s joint 10th-best performer in the top flight of Italian football.

Aside from his impressive displays, the 23-year-old’s versatility would also be a major boost for Lage, with the potential of a front three consisting of the proven Premier League goalscorer Raul Jimenez, the equally exciting Pedro Neto and Leao being something of a tantalising prospect for both the Portuguese coach and fans of the club alike.

As such, it would be difficult to argue that the signing of the £35k-per-week forward would be anything other than a huge coup for Wolves ahead of next season, with Lage undoubtedly hoping to improve on the club’s rather disappointing 13th place finish in the Premier League under Nuno Espirito Santo last time out in their upcoming campaign.

In other news: Lage must amend Wolves’ £63k-p/w Nuno disaster this summer, he’s “gone into oblivion”