All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Leeds United suffered a devastating 7-0 defeat to Manchester City in the Premier League on Tuesday night, as Pep Guardiola’s side ran riot at the Etihad.

The Whites found themselves three goals down by the break, before City continued their onslaught in the second-half, and while a number of players weren’t up to scratch for Marcelo Bielsa, Junior Firpo in particular struggled more than most.

The Spaniard had the unenviable task of trying to stop the likes of Riyad Mahrez and co from wreaking havoc, and the summer signing just didn’t look at the races at all.

As per Sofascore, he won just one out of his four total duels on the night, while also making no tackles or interceptions and being dribbled past once too.

While the energy was there again, Firpo just couldn’t keep his composure at times, committing the most amount of fouls of any player on the pitch.

In possession, the former Real Betis man didn’t offer too much either, registering fewer touches even than goalkeeper Illan Meslier, and providing no crosses.

And, writing in his post-match player ratings for Leeds Live, Beren Cross gave him a four, saying: “Some clumsy challenges and predictably his fifth yellow card of the season, but was at the heart of some of the best, if few, attacking moves Leeds built.”

That sentiment was echoed by The Yorkshire Evening Post’s Graham Smyth, who gave him a three and added: “Struggled to contain Mahrez, picked up a booking and had to walk a tightrope against world class attackers.”

With that yellow card, Firpo will now be missing from action against Arsenal at the weekend, and that has given Bielsa a major headache about how he will go about replacing him, particularly with Pascal Struijk out too.

It was just a nightmare display for both player and club.

Meanwhile, Leeds United are eyeing this Uruguayan star…

Jordan Campbell has now revealed the latest on a potential Glasgow Rangers exit for Jack Simpson.

The Lowdown: Simpson rumours

There have been rumours going around that the Ibrox faithful have accepted a bid from QPR for Simpson, while both Middlesbrough and Swansea City have also been linked with a move for the former Bournemouth man.

He is not getting much game time at all for the Gers, having only played in five matches across all competitions so far this season, so an exit on Transfer Deadline Day does look likely at this stage.

The Latest: Campbell update

As per The Athletic journalist Campbell, reports linking Simpson with a move to QPR are ‘untrue’, and while both Swansea and Middlesbrough have made enquiries over a potential loan deal, Rangers would prefer to sell him on a permanent transfer. Campbell revealed:

“Understand that reports Jack Simpson is heading to QPR are untrue. “Swansea and Middlesbrough among the teams to have enquired about a loan deal but it’s believed Rangers will only consider a permanent transfer.” The Verdict: Sell

If the Gers can negotiate a permanent exit for Simpson, then they must do at all costs. He is simply not playing enough and would not be a big loss to Giovanni van Bronckhorst and his squad.

When he has played, he has often been criticised by both journalists and fans alike, and in truth, his move to Scottish football has not quite worked out.

Thus, given that he is 25 years of age, they could still get a decent transfer fee for him should they be able to sell.

In other news, find out what contract update has RFC supporters buzzing here!

After stringing together an impressive run of results against the Premier League’s big boys, Leeds suffered a chastening 2-0 defeat to Brighton on Saturday afternoon.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side came into the game against the Seagulls off the back of an unbeaten streak against Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United and would surely have fancied their chances of beating a lowly Brighton side.

Instead, goals from Pascal Gross and Danny Welbeck ensured that the Whites went home with nothing, and while Gjanni Alioski will no doubt take a lot of the blame for his role in the penalty award, it was Mateusz Klich who really let his manager down.

The Poland international came back into the side following a minor injury to Kalvin Phillips before the game, and if Bielsa was hoping that his experienced midfielder would seamlessly fit into his side again, he was sorely mistaken.

As per Sofascore, the 30-year-old was dribbled past four times over the course of the match, which was by far the most of any player on the pitch, and it was incredibly jarring to see him so easily bypassed in the midfield.

He failed to register a single interception or provide a key pass and was virtually non-existent at both ends of the pitch for Bielsa’s side. Klich was just far too lightweight to really make his presence felt, and it was no surprise that he lost five out of his seven total duels on the day, which was the most of any midfield player for the Whites.

Writing in his post-match player ratings for Leeds Live, Beren Cross gave him a measly four, saying: “Failed to provide the control the team needed in the middle of the park and found himself bullied by Yves Bissouma.”

It’s been incredibly telling that, after years of being one of Bielsa’s trusted lieutenants – he’s played the most of any player ever under the Argentine – Klich has found himself out of the team in recent weeks.

He hasn’t started for Leeds since the 2-0 defeat to West Ham back in early March, and Bielsa hasn’t even turned to him as a first-choice substitute either, coming on mostly in the closing stages of games in recent weeks.

[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!”]

With reports in recent days suggesting that Leeds are ready to reignite their interest in Udinese’s box-to-box midfielder Rodrigo de Paul, it does feel as though Klich’s time at Elland Road is coming to an end.

Bielsa showed him a lot of faith by bringing him back into the starting line-up on Saturday, but Klich massively let him down with a shocking performance.

Meanwhile, Bielsa could sign a new Raphinha for Leeds in this star…

Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville was left in awe of Liverpool star Thiago during the Premier League clash with Manchester United. 

The lowdown: Liverpool run riot

It was a night to remember for the Reds as Jurgen Klopp’s men put four past their arch-rivals, Manchester United, at Anfield.

Luis Diaz opened the scoring following a decisive move before Mohamed Salah ended a mini goal drought with a brace on either side of a Sadio Mane strike.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-29/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

However, one man outside of the goalscorers, in particular, caught the eye as Liverpool moved to the top of the Premier League…

The latest: ‘A joy to watch’

Speaking during Sky Sports’ live coverage (20:30, April 19) at Anfield, ex-Old Trafford stalwart Neville, who was co-commentating on the match, eulogised over a moment on 30 minutes as Thiago found Mohamed Salah with pinpoint precision.

“Absolutely sensational, this pass, a joy to watch,” the former Red Devil gushed.

That pass was one of 108 out of 113 (96%) accurate passes from the 46-cap Spaniard as Thiago earned an 8.20 Sofascore rating on the night – bettered only by Salah, whose two goals helped the Egyptian to an 8.40 rating.

To put those numbers into perspective, the visitors’ entire starting midfield four – Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba and Diogo Dalot – complete just just 83 passes.

The verdict: First class

Signed for £20million from Bayern Munich (BBC), Thiago arrived on Merseyside having already tasted success on the biggest stage. The 31-year-old is a four-time La Liga champion with Barcelona and has lifted the UEFA Champions League with both Bayern and the Spanish giants.

Since becoming a Red the cultured ace has gone from strength to strength and there can be no doubt that the ex-Barca man’s influence on Klopp’s side has been ever-increasing throughout this season – this was a performance right out of the top drawer, full of moments of sheer quality that clearly impressed even the most staunch Manchester United supporter.

Having had his fitness issues throughout his time on Merseyside, Liverpool’s chances of adding more trophies to the Carabao Cup won earlier this term will depend on the midfielder’s availability and potentially more displays such as this.

In other news, the race for one Liverpool target is heating up. Read more here.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Wolves legend Steve Bull has suggested that Leander Dendoncker is more suited to midfield than defence.

Since joining the Midlands club from Belgian outfit Anderlecht in the 2018 summer transfer window, Dendoncker has played at the back and in the middle of the park under Nuno Espirito Santo.

This season, the 25-year-old has mostly been deployed in midfield, making 14 starts there in the Premier League (per WhoScored), and Bull believes that is where he belongs in this Wolves side.

Discussing Dendoncker’s best position in an exclusive interview with FFC, the legendary Wolves striker said:

“I don’t think he’s a centre-back. He’s not slow, he just doesn’t read the game as quick as a defender should. In midfield, you have time to get the ball, turn left, turn right, to play, but when that ball’s coming into the box and the striker’s running across and you’re a midfielder, by time you’ve got your head [in the correct position], the striker has gone in front of you.

“So, to me, I’d rather play him in midfield rather than centre-half, but he’s a very good stand in. He’s a very good stand in if we need him.”

Aside from £28.8m-rated Dendoncker, Nuno has captain Conor Coady, Romain Saiss and Willy Boly to call upon when it comes to selecting central defenders for his back three. The latter, however, has had his problems with injury this season, making it little surprise that Nuno has continued to utilise Dendoncker’s versatility.

Next up for the Belgium international and Wolves is a home fixture against West Ham when the Premier League returns after the international break.

Newcastle United have long been the favourites to sign Kristoffer Ajer but The Atheltic are now reporting that a move for the Norweigan international appears to be unlikely as they pursue other targets.

His attitude off the pitch may not have gone down well with Steve Bruce, according to Steve Howey who urged the club to do their due diligence on the defender.

The 6 ft 6 centre back’s likely destination is now Norwich City with fresh reports emerging in the last 24 hours claiming the Canaries are well and truly underway to secure a deal for the Celtic man.

There has been previous criticism about the £12 million rated defender’s performances on the pitch for Celtic but also for how he conducts himself in the media when he’s not with the Bhoys, something Frank McAvennie has spoken about before.

If Ajer is a type of player that looks at his own personal gain and performances before how the team are doing then it may be a bullet dodged by the Magpies and hopefully, they have done thorough scouting into him, according to Howey, who spoke exclusively to Transfer Tavern:

“The club have to do their due diligence on players and the recruitment team have to be spot on about what he’s like on the pitch and with that criticism from Frank McAvennie they have to know what he’s like off the pitch.

“You don’t want him to come in and then all of a sudden he thinks it’s not the move that he had hoped for and then wants to leave. So, it’s imperative that the club look at him and look at his background to see what kind of character he is.”

Newcastle have had their fair share of players that have arrived at the club and then within a season or two have wanted to force their way out of the club – two recent examples are Yohan Cabaye and Moussa Sissoko with the former even going on strike to try and force through a move to Arsenal.

Aston Villa are now eyeing a move for Todd Cantwell, Emi Buendia’s former teammate at Norwich City, this summer.

What’s the story?

Reports from The Telegraph last summer suggested that Dean Smith’s side were weighing up a potential move for the Canaries midfielder, but a deal failed to materialise before the end of the window.

The same outlet has now claimed that Villa are continuing to monitor Cantwell ahead of a possible move, with the Midlands club having already sealed a deal for Buendia earlier this summer.

Imagine him and Buendia at Villa

Given how they both played together for a few years at Carrow Road, the prospect of seeing Cantwell line up alongside Buendia at Villa is a tantalising one, especially with the success they enjoyed – they helped Norwich to two promotions to the Premier League.

Described as someone with a “God-given” talent by his former youth team coach Gary Cockaday, the 23-year-old was one of the shining lights of a Norwich side which ultimately couldn’t avoid relegation from the Premier League in the 2019/20 campaign, scoring six goals and providing two assists in the division.

Last season saw him help lead the charge back to the top flight, bagging six goals and setting up another seven in the Championship, with the Canaries making their return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

Former Norwich striker Dean Ashton raved about him, saying: “When I first saw him I said to Darren Huckerby, ‘how is that lad not training with the first-team?’. He was incredible. The way he was drifting past players. His speed of thought and his awareness. He’s just a wonderful player.”

Just like Jack Grealish, the 1.77m (5 foot 10) Cantwell has that ability to glide past players with his close control and skill, and it’s no surprise that his average of 1.6 dribbles per game in the Championship last season ranked him joint-top for the Canaries alongside Buendia.

With the 23-year-old labelled an “exceptional” talent by Chris Sutton, Cantwell and Buendia could rekindle their partnership at Villa Park this summer.

Meanwhile, Villa are closing in on this big-money signing…

Celtic are currently without a manager but that hasn’t stopped the Bhoys from considering new recruits ahead of the summer window.

What’s the word?

One player Celtic have been linked with on a frequent basis in the past is Aaron Hickey.

The teenager left the Hoops when he was still an academy player, joining Hearts in 2018. However, the Bhoys seemingly hold regret and have been keen to bring him back.

In a recent interview, Hickey admitted there was a heavy interest from his boyhood club last summer before he joined Bologna for a fee of £1.8m.

The 18-year-old commented: “I’m a Celtic supporter and it was massive for me, but I just didn’t think it was the right time to go there,”

In light of this, Celtic pundit Frank McAvennie gave his thoughts on the left-back when speaking to Football Insider: “It sounds like a come-and-get-me plea. He’s a good left-back the young boy, I would take him.”

Ideal Tierney successor

Ever since Kieran Tierney left for Arsenal in the summer of 2019, Celtic have been trying to find a solution.

They signed Diego Laxalt on loan from AC Milan but his future at the club is in doubt with the defender only on loan in Glasgow.

With Boli Bolingoli frozen out after his pandemic-related mishap last summer, the Hoops are in desperate need of finding another full-back.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-howe-favre-edouard-desmond” title= “Read the latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

In letting the likes of Tierney and Hickey go, Celtic are obviously full of regret but they could make a huge step towards correcting their decision by bringing the latter back.

He has developed excellently in recent years and a move to Serie A is a testament to that. He sparkled on his debut for Bologna, earning rave reviews from the Italian press.

Gazzetta dello Sport wrote: “Debuted at 18 as if he’d always played here. In the first half he showed personality and quality, a player who was bought for almost nothing.”

Hickey is evidently wise beyond his age and like Tierney, possesses attacking qualities in abundance. In a scout report on the player, The Footie Analyst wrote: “One of Hickey’s key strengths is his ability to run with the ball at speed, utilising the space available to drive his team forward.”

That is near identical to Tierney, a player who is often so rampant down Arsenal’s left-hand side.

What sets him apart, however, is his versatility. The youngster is capable of playing on the right-hand side too. Having also featured centrally, Hickey has been compared to one of the finest to grace the game.

Former Hearts man Austin MacPhee once said: “He’s so young he could play a lot of positions. He could end up being like Busquets.”

With defensive solidity to his game too – he has made 1.4 interceptions per game this season – he would be an excellent addition.

Celtic should consider reviving their interest in Hickey when the time is right.

AND in other news, Celtic hero sees value soar by 257% after leaving, Rodgers called him a “big talent”…

Leeds United would be making a major transfer mistake by signing Newcastle United star Jacob Murphy this summer.

What’s the story?

With the Premier League season reaching its climax on Sunday, Marcelo Bielsa will be keen to kick-start the summer transfer window with a few early signings at Elland Road.

According to Football Insider, the Whites are set to join Scottish giants Rangers in the race to sign Murphy.

The report added that the winger has just over a year left on his contract at St James’ Park, with a number of other Premier League clubs also interested in signing him.

Underwhelming from Bielsa

While Murphy has lately been deployed by Bruce as a right wing-back, his record when used as a winger is rather underwhelming, and one which won’t have Leeds fans excited at all.

In the 19 games this season where he has played further forward out wide, the £25,000-a-week earner has managed just two goals and three assists in all competitions. By contrast, Raphinha has four goals and five assists in 22 games from the right flank for Leeds this term.

[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!”]

Murphy has effectively been a passenger for the Magpies going forward, and that’s not the kind of player the Whites need if they are to reach another level next season in the Premier League.

Bielsa needs to be targeting more proven options in the top flight, and Murphy’s below-par goalscoring record raises some major questions marks over Leeds’ reported interest in signing him this summer.

In other news, Leeds could reach a new level if they pull off a deal for this “extraordinary talent”.

Aston Villa have received a ‘massive bonus’ ahead of their trip to Chelsea with the news that the European champions will be without a number of stars.

That’s according to former Sheffield United and Leeds goalkeeper Paddy Kenny, who was speaking to Football Insider.

The lowdown

Chelsea, who have won two and drawn one of their first three Premier League games, won’t be able to call upon N’Golo Kante, Christian Pulisic (both injured) or Reece James (suspended).

Villa are dealing with absentees of their own, though. Argentine pair Emiliano Martinez and Emiliano Buendia are unavailable for the clash at Stamford Bridge because of quarantine requirements.

Dean Smith’s men picked up a point in this fixture last season after Anwar El-Ghazi cancelled out Olivier Giroud’s opener.

The latest

Kenny says Villa’s chances have now considerably improved, and he reckons Dean Smith ‘will love’ the fact that he’s not the only manager dealing with injuries.

“Any team that has got that many players missing, it’ll be a massive bonus for the opposition.

“They have got a better chance of beating Chelsea now, but it’s still going to be a very tough game.

“With that many players out though, they’ll think they’ve got a shot at getting something from the game.

“I think especially with the players that Villa have got missing themselves, Dean Smith will love to see it.”

The verdict

The issue for Villa is that Chelsea have so much strength in depth. Matteo Kovacic can come in for N’Golo Kante, Mason Mount, Kai Havertz and Callum Hudson-Odoi can slot into wide roles and Cesar Azpilicueta may move into James’ position.

And, crucially, Romelu Lukaku has been cleared to play after an injury scare. There are few more daunting opponents in the Premier League than the Belgian no. 9.

In other news, fans loved this footage.