All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Following last summer where they failed to sign anyone, Tottenham once again saw no new arrivals in the transfer window last month.

The north London club, however, did seem to be interested in signing a new striker with Harry Kane out injured if latest rumours are to be believed.

The Breakdown

According to TEAMtalk, Tottenham made an approach for Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic which, unsurprisingly, was rebuffed with the west London outfit uninterested in doing business, especially at the £27m fee reported.

And with the 24-year-old leading the club’s survival push, it is not hard to understand why. In 26 Premier League games, he has managed to find the back of the net on 10 occasions while his all-round centre-forward play has been top-notch, making Tottenham’s interest make some sense.

That being said, Mitrovic does not come without baggage with the Serbia international’s discipline having often come into question in the past, while a reported bust-up with former team-mate Aboubakar Kamara (Sky Sports) can be seen as another red flag.

Considering that, bringing in the Fulham man may not have been worth it in the end. Fernando Llorente has also sparked into life in recent weeks, giving Mauricio Pochettino a solid alternative to the injured Kane.

Mitrovic is certainly a good No.9 who could have added something to this Tottenham side but, given some of his history, plenty of supporters are likely to be delighted with his failed transfer and might actually see it as a bullet dodged.

TalkSPORT pundit Danny Mills has given his reaction to the injury news involving Liverpool midfielder Fabinho. 

The lowdown: Fitness scare

Reds boss Jurgen Klopp confirmed earlier this week that he had a fully fit squad to choose from ahead of the trip to face Premier League title rivals Manchester City at the Etihad.

That’s despite concern over the availability of defensive midfielder Fabinho after the Brazilian was involved in a nasty head collision with ex-City ace Nicolas Otamendi against Benfica.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-27/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

However, having returned to complete the game following treatment, it appears that the 28-year-old has avoided further complications and will be available for the crucial clash, not requiring concussion protocols.

The latest: Mills reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, former Manchester City defender Mills was asked for his thoughts after the news of Fabinho’s all-clear, predicting the ex-Monaco star will have a big impact on the outcome.

“It’s a really intriguing game.

“Man City will try and do what they always do. They’ve had to patch up their defence a bit but you expect that to be a bit better with Kyle Walker coming back in and Joao Cancelo going to left-back. They are two outstanding full-backs.

“On the other side, you’ve got Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz. Fabinho is critical for them in the holding role.

“It’s going to be toe-to-toe. It could be one of those games that is a thrilling 0-0. It’s going to be a fantastic game of football it’s just about whether the goals come. Even in great games, goalkeepers have worldies, defenders have worldies.

“There might be half-chances and nearly moments because the defenders are equally as good as the forwards.”

The verdict: Key player

Although many may point towards the attacking prowess in the Anfield ranks, or indeed the defensive solidity provided by Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho’s importance at the base of the midfield cannot be underestimated.

Dubbed the ‘lighthouse’ by coaches on Merseyside, the defensive midfielder has produced 1.5 interceptions and 1.9 tackles on average per game in 38 appearances across all competitions this season (WhoScored).

So often among the first names on the team-sheet, having started 21 Premier League outings this term, if Liverpool are going to prevail against the current table-toppers Fabinho’s presence will indeed be crucial to Klopp’s side.

In other news, ‘Huge’ update emerges involving Liverpool star. Find out who it is here.

Tottenham Hotspur could sign one of Antonio Conte’s long-term transfer targets for as little as £12.5m this summer…

What’s the word?

According to Sky Sport reporter Florian Plettenberg, Bundesliga outfit Frankfurt “would sell” Europa League hero Filip Kostic for around €15m (£12.5m) amid interest from Italy.

The German side are yet to receive a firm offer for the 29-year-old wide man, with Conte’s former club Inter Milan said to be keen. Their interest will surely stem from the Italian’s stint at the San Siro.

Back in March 2020, Tuttosport (via Goal.com) claimed the Serbian was a key target for the 52-year-old head coach.

Meanwhile, during the winter transfer window, Spurs were mooted with interest in Kostic, as per reports from Spain, who suggested that Conte had requested sporting director Fabio Paratici to sign him.

Sign him up?

For a bargain price of just £12.5m, the Lilywhites would be foolish to not reignite their interest in the Frankfurt star as he could fit in nicely at left wing-back under the Italian boss.

During his time at Inter, Kostic was described as being the “perfect profile for Conte” and it’s easy to see why.

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

Currently sat on four goals and eight assists for the current campaign, the 6-foot dynamo has now hit double figures for goal contributions in four straight Bundesliga campaigns, including a 14-assist haul in 2020/21, via WhoScored.

Across each of the last three seasons, Kostic has averaged at least 1.5 tackles per game, highlighting his effectiveness defensively as wing-backs will be asked to do a lot of work, both in their own third and in the opposition’s half too.

He has also averaged at least 2.4 key passes per outing in that time, a feat that would see him instantly top the charts in north London – clearly, he’s just as much of a creator as he is a defensive machine.

By comparison, Sergio Reguilon – the no.1 choice in the role – has managed only six assists across nearly two seasons at the club.

It’s no wonder the Serbia international has been lauded as a “mentality monster” by teammate Kevin Trapp and something of an efficient animal by Breaking The Lines analysts.

Valued at £18m by Transfermarkt, Spurs could seal quite the bargain by signing Kostic for nearly £6m less during the off-season. Evidently, Conte is a big, big admirer and he’d look the part in a Lilywhites shirt next season, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Conte can now seal “unbelievable” Spurs deal for “faultless” £41m ace, it’d be a big coup…

Crystal Palace are trying to sign Peterborough United defender Ronnie Edwards, according to The Daily Mail’s Joe Bernstein. 

The lowdown

Edwards is a 19-year-old centre-back who’s enjoyed a breakthrough season with Peterborough.

Having only made five appearances in 2020/21, he’s now a regular at London Road, with 10 starts in the last 11 league matches.

The Englishman still has more than three years to run on his contract with The Posh and is reportedly valued at £15million.

That would make him Peterborough’s record departure, ahead of the likes of Britt Assombalonga (£6.2million), Ivan Toney (£5million) and Dwight Gayle (£4.8million).

Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen have established themselves as the first-choice centre-back pairing at the club this season following their summer arrivals, playing 36 and 32 games respectively.

The latest

Vieira sees the prospective signing of Edwards as part of the next stage of the rebuild at Selhurst Park.

They envision him as a ‘big part of their future’, along with 21-year-old Guehi and 25-year-old Andersen.

Palace are to set to battle his fellow admirers Tottenham Hotspur, but their hope is that Vieira’s ‘record in giving young players a chance’ appeals to Edwards.

The verdict

Palace remain one of the older sides in the Premier League when it comes to average age. At an average age of 26.9, they rank 15th in the Premier League, some way short of Arsenal’s benchmark (24.3).

However, this is a marked improvement from last season, when they sat at the bottom of this particular table under Roy Hodgson on 28.8.

Vieira, then, looked to reenergise his team with young talent, and if this report is anything to go by, he’ll be continuing those efforts this summer.

Edwards would be another exciting addition. Peterborough chairman Barry Fry has dubbed him a ‘Rolls Royce’ and is certain he’ll enjoy an ‘outstanding’ career, while Sir Alex Ferguson has apparently urged Manchester United to sign him.

In other news, Palace have also been linked with this Brentford star. 

Wolverhampton Wanderers missed out on the opportunity to sign now Leicester City “baller” Youri Tielemans because their manager at the time, Nuno Espirito Santo, said no.

The Belgian midfielder moved to the Premier League in 2019 from Monaco joining the Foxes for £35m, but it was Wolves who had the chance to sign him first.

A report in the Telegraph reveals that Tielemans was ‘recommended’ to Nuno by the recruitment team at Molineux but that he decided to ‘veto’ any move for him.

Nuno has since left Wolves and eventually joined Spurs before being sacked earlier this season.

Better than Neves

If Tielemans had ended up at Molineux then he would be competing with Portuguese star Ruben Neves in the middle of the park.

He may also have had more of an impact. Since coming to the Premier League he has featured 145 times for Leicester and been involved in 46 goals.

Both him and Neves are 24-years old and both are highly rated. They like to get on the ball often with Tielemans completing 989 passes so far this season, which is more than any other Leicester midfielder or forward.

His expected goals rate is also much higher then Neves’ at 4.3 compared to 1.1.

While Neves is a talented player, we do wonder what Wolves would have been like if Nuno didn’t block a move for Tielemans, and just how good they could have been together?

It’s not just going forward that the Belgian excels either, he has a high percentage when it comes to defensive actions, having a 31% successful press percentage beating Neves’ 28%.

He has also blocked 13 shots so far this season compared to the Wolves midfielder’s five.

What’s Wolves’ loss is Leicester’s gain, however it won’t be long before teams in the Champions League come calling for Tielemans’ services.

There’s been reported links from Arsenal and Manchester United with the £49m-rated midfielder recently saying “I want to play Champions League football” when being quizzed on the speculation.

But for the rest of the season at least, the Foxes will have him at their disposal, and if Wolves had avoided making the huge mistake of not signing him then it could have been them saying that.

IN other news: Wolves plot swoop for “special” £33m Mendes client, he’s better than Trincao…

As an update emerges from Spain, it appears that Tottenham manager Antonio Conte may have  been dealt a blow over wing-back Sergio Reguilon.

The Lowdown: Galacticos buy-back clause…

Tottenham signed the Spanish defender in September 2020 from Real Madrid in what was seen as a real coup by chairman Daniel Levy and former transfer chief Steve Hitchen at the time.

However, the Galacticos and their president Florentino Perez insisted that a €40m (£33m) buyback clause be inserted into the deal in case they wish to re-sign their former player. Sporadic reports have since claimed that it remains an option for Real Madrid, and one that they may well consider before the re-purchase option expires in June.

In an update, news outlet ABC bring the latest development out of Spain.

The Latest: Reguilon the ‘safest bet’…

According to their information, Real Madrid are yet again pondering the buyback clause for Reguilon in the summer as the clock ticks towards its expiry.

It is believed that Los Blancos’ manager Carlo Ancelotti wants a new left-back, and the Spurs defender is the ‘safest bet’ for Real Madrid as they now earmark both him and RB Leipzig’s Angelino as possible targets.

The Verdict: Blow for Conte…

The wing-back has enjoyed a decent amount of playing time under Conte when fully available, with some critics suggesting that Reguilon was the ‘biggest winner’ during the Italian’s first month at Tottenham (90min).

Seemingly tailor-made for Conte’s three-man defence formations, the naturally attacking full-back has been tipped to become a big player for Spurs after the 52-year-old’s arrival. Speaking to Football Insider at the end of last year, Noel Whelan raved over Reguilon, calling him a ‘quality player’ whilst tipping him to become ‘absolutely pivotal’ as a left wing-back.

Still only 25, the former Sevilla defender was voted La Liga’s best left-back in 2019/20 after an impressive loan spell at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium.

As Real Madrid consider activating the buyback clause, it’s safe to say that losing Reguilon would come as a blow for Spurs and Conte.

In other news: Major boost for Conte as Sky Sports share great news for Spurs fans out of N17, find out more here.

Nathaniel Clyne is interested in signing a new deal and extending his stay at Crystal Palace this summer, according to journalist Tom Barclay.

The Lowdown: Clyne out of contract

The 31-year-old is currently in his second spell at his boyhood club, proving to be a solid squad player under Patrick Vieira this season.

Clyne has made nine Premier League starts in 2021/22 to date, acting as a solid understudy to Joel Ward and putting his experience to good use, arguably becoming first-choice in recent weeks.

The defender’s current deal expires at the end of the season, though, at which point he would be able to leave on a free transfer.

The Latest: Clyne keen on new Palace deal

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Barclay claimed that Clyne wants to extend his stay at Selhurst Park. The journalist said of the Palace defender:

“He suggested he definitely would like a new contract. And there’s a bit of talk about it at the moment; we’ll see what will happen.”

The Verdict: No-brainer for Palace

It makes complete sense for Palace to give Clyne a new contract, with the Englishman proving what a reliable figure he can be throughout this season.

Granted, his very best days may be behind him, but he remains a reliable defender who has averaged 1.5 tackles and 1.5 clearances per match in the current Premier League campaign.

Jurgen Klopp once hailed Clyne as ‘amazing’, which speaks volumes given the calibre of player with whom the Liverpool manager has worked, and at 31, there is no reason why the defender can’t stay at the top level for a few more years yet.

In other news, one player is reportedly considering moving to Palace. Find out who it is here.

This week, former England striker Jermain Defoe announced his retirement from football aged 39 after a second stint at Sunderland proved unsuccessful.

The Englishman rejoined the League One outfit on 1 February but started just a couple of League One matches this season, failing to score.

The Black Cats’ top scorer Ross Stewart was naturally going to be ahead of Defoe in the pecking order, with the Scotsman netting 22 goals so far this season; whilst the currently injured Nathan Broadhead, who is on loan from Everton, has also impressed this term by netting seven times.

However, with Alex Neil’s side still in contention for a play-off place in sixth, the Wearside outfit will need as many alternatives as possible in the attacking department to ensure that they give themselves the best possible chance of securing promotion.

Therefore, in order to fill the void left by Defoe, young striker Benji Kimpioka should be considered for more game-time.

Opportunity knocks

The 22-year-old Swede has been handed just two league appearances as a substitute in the first team this season but scored off the bench in the 5-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday in December, his last appearance for the senior side having made his debut in the 2018/19 campaign.

Since his most recent first-team outing, the Black Cats have seen a change in the dugout with Alex Neil replacing Lee Johnson as head coach, whilst Defoe also joined and left the Stadium of Light. It could be argued that the signing of the veteran striker held Neil back from including Kimpioka in his plans, with the 22-year-old last making the first-team squad on 22 January.

The Sweden under-21 international joined Sunderland’s under-18 setup in July 2016 from IK Sirius in his homeland, and in the past year he has been sent out on short-term loans to Torquay and Southend.

For the Wearsiders’ under-23s, Kimpioka has scored four goals and registered three assists in 11 Premier League 2 appearances whilst totalling 33 goals over his career to date at senior and youth level, suggesting that now could be the time for Neil to unleash the young striker.

Three years ago, Kimpioka was the subject of high praise from Sunderland youth coach Elliot Dickman, who said: “I think Benji has shown he is in and around the first-team squad and he obviously has been in some of the match-day squads, he’s trained a lot with the first team so he’s not far away from it.

“Benji is still young, he’s still got a lot to learn a lot to develop. I thought Sunday he did smashing up there by himself, leading the line and he’s making improvements all the time. As long as he continues to do that, that’s all we can ask for really.”Now could be the 22-year-old’s long-awaited opportunity to play in the first team on a regular basis, duly filling the void left by Defoe’s retirement.AND in other news, Left for £0, value soared 14,900%: Sunderland fumbled gem with a “wand of a left foot”…

Everton have had a difficult season in the Premier League this time around, having won just seven of their 27 played games, drawing four and losing 16 along the way.

One other worrying factor of their campaign is the lack of goals they’ve managed to score, with the Toffees finding the back of the net just 29 times, leaving only Norwich City, Burnley and Brighton & Hove Albion with fewer goals.

This could be down to the fact that the Merseyside club have had to go through the majority of the season with striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin on the sidelines through injury after he managed to score 16 league goals in the previous campaign.

To make things worse for Frank Lampard’s side, recent reports have claimed that the club are willing to sell their English striker in the summer, with fellow Premier League sides Arsenal and West Ham United reportedly interested in him.

With that in mind, if Everton were to cash in on the 25-year-old in the coming months, this could pave the way for the club to make a swoop for another striker that they have been recently mentioned with.

According to a recent report from Spanish media outlet AS (via TEAMtalk) Real Madrid are looking to get rid of Luka Jovic in the summer, with Everton being mentioned as a potentially interested party to sign the striker, who has been dubbed as “magical” by Lionel Messi.

Having scored just three goals in 49 appearances for the La Liga giants since his arrival back in the 2019 summer transfer window, it’s easy to see why they would be looking to move the 24-year-old on.

However, having found the back of the net 40 times in 93 appearances with Eintracht Frankfurt, the £16.2m-rated ace has shown that he is capable of being a consistent goalscorer, which is something that the Toffees have desperately needed in this campaign.

Moving forward, if Calvert-Lewin does end up making a move away from Goodison Park this summer, then Farhad Moshiri could then use the money raised for the Englishman to potentially give Jovic the chance to put an end to his nightmare in Madrid and have a go at playing in the Premier League, which could be a very tempting prospect for the Serbian.

From Lampard’s point of view, having a fairly young striker in his ranks that has experience of playing across Europe and scoring goals that can be a long-term feature at the club, this should be a dream deal for the club to complete.

Having been fairly active in the previous January transfer window, bringing in the likes of Dele Alli, Donny van de Beek, Nathan Patterson, Vitaliy Mykolenko and Anwar El Ghazi, Everton certainly have the means to back their managed once again in the summer, if they manage to avoid getting relegated.

In other news: Lampard may have found Everton’s new Rooney in “top quality” £7.2m-rated “boy wonder”

Tottenham Hotspur may have just edged closer to the signing of West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper and soon-to-be free agent Sam Johnstone, according to a Football Insider ‘source’.

The Lowdown: Spurs in pole position…

The Lilywhites, as per reliable reports, are the current favourites to snap up Johnstone on a Bosman transfer when his current deal expires at the end of 2021/2022.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-newest-updates/” title=”Tottenham newest updates…” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Times and reliable football.london correspondent Alasdair Gold both suggest that Tottenham are in pole position for the 29-year-old who has also attracted interest from the likes of West Ham and Southampton in past months.

Antonio Conte is reportedly chasing the possible signing of a reserve goalkeeper who can provide sufficient back-up to number one Hugo Lloris, with Johnstone a real target (The Telegraph).

Now, as per FI, a major update has come to light this week.

The Latest: Johnstone wants to join…

According to a ‘source’, speaking to the outlet, Johnstone has now told friends he wants to join Tottenham – informing his inner circle that he desires a north London move.

This is despite the fact he would initially be an understudy to Lloris, a fact he’s comfortable with, mainly due to the belief he could eventually succeed Tottenham’s long-standing number one.

FI go on to add that Johnstone’s availability appeals to both Conte and Paratici.

The Verdict: Conte edges closer…

It appears, going by this latest update, Tottenham’s head coach has just edged closer to sealing one of his summer transfer demands.

Able to negotiate freely with clubs upon the expiry of his West Brom contract, the player’s green-light is seemingly the only obstacle to move past to seal a move.

As the 29-year-old becomes keen to join Conte and Spurs, it appears the Lilywhites have been given an almighty boost in pursuit of a player who pundit Paddy Kenny described as a would-be ‘top signing’ for them.

In other news: ‘That’s for sure’ – Sky Sports reporter backs big  transfer news out of Tottenham, find out more here.