All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

West Bromwich Albion could be set for a January transfer battle in order to retain the services of Darnell Furlong.

What’s been said?

That’s according to Express & Star journalist Luke Hatfield, who suggested in a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT that a number of Premier League clubs could be monitoring the progress of the West Brom right-back ahead of a potential swoop in the January transfer window.

Speaking about the potential interest in the 26-year-old, Hatfield said: “Premier League clubs, will they be considering him? Maybe they’ll be looking at him. There are defensive issues to think about.

“If you’re playing him in a four, defensively he maybe lets a little bit too much go. But if you’re thinking of an attacking full-back or a wing-back, then he suits that role down to the ground.”

Fans would be fuming

Furlong has become an important player for West Brom since his £1.53m move from Queens Park Rangers in 2019, and should the Baggies lose the services of the defender in January, it would undoubtedly enrage fans of the club.

Indeed, over his 15 Championship appearances so far this season, the £4.5m-rated defender has helped his side to keep six clean sheets, registered two assists and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking 1.5 shots and making 1.5 key passes per game.

The player who Glenn Murray dubbed an “exceptional” talent has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making 1.1 interceptions, 1.4 tackles and 1.7 clearances and winning 7.3 duels per match.

These returns have seen the £15k-per-week right-back average a SofaScore match rating of 7.11, ranking him as Valerien Ismael’s joint third-best performer in the Championship.

As such, considering his overall level of performance this season, and that the 26-year-old is the Frenchman’s only senior option on the right-hand side of defence, selling Furlong this winter would be a big mistake on West Brom’s part – and could well see the Baggies’ push for promotion fall short.

In other news: West Brom’s £21k-p/w ace who lost 66% duels had a “howler” against Fulham

Celtic have seen many players come through their youth academy and go on to become important first-team figures for the Hoops such as Calum McGregor, James Forrest and Anthony Ralston among others.

However, it seems as though the Parkhead club could be in danger of letting one future star slip through their hands in the coming months.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist and transfer insider Pete O’Rourke had this to say about the possibility of Hoops youngster Ben Doak leaving the club in the near future after being linked with a move to Premier League club Liverpool in recent weeks.

He said: “To see him possibly leave for a move down to Liverpool would come as a blow because I think Celtic did have high hopes for him in the future that he could become a regular in the first team.

“That’s why they were offering some minutes this season as well.”

Not good news for the Hoops

As O’Rourke mentioned, the teenager has played in two SPFL games for Ange Postecoglou’s side in this campaign, the first of which came back in January where he played 22 minutes against Dundee United which was then followed by a brief three-minute cameo in the Hoops’ 3-0 win over Rangers.

According to Bhoys Analytics on Twitter, Doak is a name that “Celtic fans should get familiar with” before naming him a “generational talent”, highlighting the buzz and excitement around the teenager.

Taking all of this into account, it seems as though the Parkhead club are very much in danger of seeing their young prospect follow in the footsteps of previous Celtic players to make the move to the Premier League. For instance, the likes of Victor Wanyama, Virgil van Dijk, Stuart Armstrong, Fraser Forster, Kieran Tierney, Kristoffer Ajer and Odsonne Edouard have all departed.

Although Ange Postecolgou’s side are doing pretty well in the SPFL at the moment sitting at the top of the league table with 76 points on the board from 31 games played, losing Doak will definitely be a blow for them in the long term.

Should the youngster end up moving and making a name for himself on the big stage at Liverpool, it would not only dishearten a lot of Hoops supporters but would surely leave them gutted at the same time.

In other news: Daily Record drop big 11-word Celtic claim, unforgivable error could be inbound

Wolves transfer’ deadline day has taken the club’s supporters through a whole range of emotions.

They began the day looking as though they’d bring one of the most talented young midfielders in Europe to the club in Renato Sanches but he now won’t be heading to Molineux.

What’s the word?

After several hours of negativity in the market, it looks like Bruno Lage could finally bring some positive news to Wolves fans before the window slams shut in the next few hours.

That’s because the Old Gold are in talks to conclude two deals before the market closes.

One player is Marseille defender Boubacar Kamara but they’re also chasing a striker in the shape of Kieffer Moore.

Tim Spiers revealed yesterday that it was unlikely that the Cardiff forward would move but Wolves are attempting to complete a deal anyway.

That’s according to Sky Sports reporter Anton Toloui who took to Twitter to say the following: “WWFC are in talks with Marseille for Boubacar Kamara (as per David Ornstein) & Cardiff for Kieffer Moore (@JPercyTelegraph). No fees agreed for either as yet. Moore is currently isolating after being deemed a close contact of Adam Davies, who tested positive for Covid-19.”

Get excited

After such a day of turmoil for supporters, there is finally some news for the fans to get excited about.

Moore might only arrive as a back-up to Raul Jimenez but it’s been abundantly clear throughout the whole summer that Wolves need a bigger squad.

They only had 15 senior players training with them a few weeks ago so the Wales international will bolster their ranks significantly.

It’s also vital for the Molineux outfit to find some cover for Jimenez.

The Mexican spent several months out injured last season when he sustained a horrific fractured skull in a match with Arsenal back in November.

He’s only just returned now and is yet to find the back of the net as Wolves’ troubles in front of goal mount.

They haven’t scored all season and have zero points on the board so signing another striker certainly makes sense.

Moore doesn’t have any Premier League experience under his belt but he is one of the fiercest strikers in the Championship.

The forward beat the goalkeeper on 20 occasions last season which only serves as a positive when you consider Wolves’ troubles in 2021/22 so far.

AND in other news, “I am told” – Sky Sports reporter drops Wolves transfer update, fans will be buzzing…

Celtic returned to winning ways on Thursday evening and it was probably just as well.

The atmosphere surrounding Parkhead was starting to become toxic again after back-to-back defeats over the last seven days, but the Hoops now look in a better place after reaching the semi-finals of the League Cup.

Ange Postecoglou’s men beat Raith Rovers 3-0 in a display which was significantly better from an offensive and defensive point of view.

Sadly, Celtic are struggling to escape the negatives at the moment. They had already come into the match without the services of Kyogo Furuhashi, Greg Taylor and Callum McGregor through injury.

Summer signing Giorgos Giakoumakis was initially named in the matchday squad for the first time since his arrival from VVV-Venlo.

Unfortunately, the Greek forward never took to the field after sustaining a calf injury in the warm-up which now requires a scan.

Giakoumakis hadn’t been named in a single squad yet while he built up his fitness in training at Lennoxtown. The news that he could now be set for an increased spell on the sidelines, therefore, has hardly come at an ideal time.

Lamenting the club’s unbelievable misfortune when it comes to injury problems, the manager groaned at full-time: “I don’t know what it is mate, I’ve definitely walked under a ladder.”

With Kyogo currently out too, it would have been the ideal time for Giakoumakis to gain some important minutes under his belt and start finding the net regularly.

It’s a seismic blow that the 26-year-old is not available because he scored as many as 29 goals in all competitions last term. Clearly, that kind of record would have improved Celtic enormously.

Frustratingly, Albian Ajeti is also starting to look more rugged in front of goal.

He returned to the team with a bang in the 3-0 win over Ross County by netting twice. He beat the goalkeeper against Betis in the Europa League as well but his performances have dwindled since.

The Swiss was extremely isolated against Livingston and once again failed to find the net against Raith Rovers before being dragged off just after the hour mark.

With Giakoumakis now sweating over his fitness even more, Ajeti will need to step up to the plate.

This news won’t just upset the manager but it will also leave supporters asking questions of the club’s recruitment this summer. A plethora of their new signings have picked up injury problems or haven’t been ready from a fitness perspective.

Giakoumakis ticks both of those boxes.

AND in other news, Celtic may discover their new Ralston in rarely-seen 21 y/o with “excellent pedigree”…

West Ham United return to Europa League action as they welcome Genk to the London Stadium this evening.

David Moyes and his side will be looking to keep up their 100% win record in Group H and they will be buoyed with confidence from the weekend’s narrow but convincing 1-0 victory over Everton.

The Scotsman will surely be tempted to rotate his starting XI, as he often has done in this competition, especially with the small matter of Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

One player who is surely in line to start is Craig Dawson, who has a pretty remarkable record when playing for the club, notching a 63.5% win rate. He played from the off in the 2-0 win over Rapid Wien but not against Dinamo Zagreb.

His involvement could hand a rest to either Angelo Ogbonna or Kurt Zouma ahead of this weekend’s London derby, and as evident above, he can definitely be relied upon.

In fact, the Hammers’ only two losses this season have come when he has not played any involvement whatsoever.

The 6 foot 2 colossus has been described as a “leader” by former Hammer defender Anton Ferdinand, so the presence of the Italian beast will not be completely missed and whoever partners him, likely to be Issa Diop, will be in safe hands too.

Furthermore, Genk’s major weakness is from set-pieces, where they have already leaked a whopping ten goals, so the presence of Dawson could terrify them in east London tonight.

“In Belgium, they dominated the games that they lost. But they missed too many chances and conceded too many easy goals. Already ten from set pieces, especially against West Ham that can become a big problem,” explained journalist Marnik Geukens to football.london.

Dawson is a massive threat from set-pieces, so it would be wise for Moyes to start him tonight.

“I enjoyed working with Dawson and he’s the best attacker of set pieces that I’ve ever come across in my managerial career,” once claimed former Irons boss Alan Pardew.

The £42.5k-per-week star must be unleashed at the London Stadium this evening.

AND in other news, Get rid: Moyes must now axe shocking West Ham disaster, he has cost GSB £3.9m per goal…

Crystal Palace have been offered the chance to sign Paris Saint-Germain left-back Layvin Kurzawa, according to Foot Mercato, cited by Sports Witness.

And, as to be expected, a number of Eagles fans have been giving their thoughts to the links on social media.

Patrick Vieira has just one senior left-back at Selhurst Park on the books at this moment in time in Tyrick Mitchell.

Foot Mercato, cited by Sports Witness, claim that Kurzawa could end up at Palace, with Vieira validating the French full-back’s profile.

The 28-year-old has been with PSG since 2015 and is under contract for a further three years, however, it seems as if a move to London could be on the cards.

Kurzawa is after a new challenge and a late transfer to Palace has been labelled as one to keep an eye on.

Palace fans react

@CPFCtransfersHQ shared the links to Kurzawa on Twitter. This is what these Palace supporters had to say in reply, with one describing a possible transfer as ‘class’.

“ON MY KNEES”

Credit: @BMCPFC

“Get this done and a rb and I’ll be able to sleep again”

Credit: @alexjserre

“yes please”

Credit: @FPLWILSON

“This would be class for the odd moment of brilliance and a general feeling of do better/stop getting booked”

Credit: @CPFC_GH

“PLEASE”

Credit: @ScottyStacks

“Yes please?”

Credit: @hazvaughan

In other news: Palace may have made cash offer for ‘intelligent’ 5’8″ ace at the peak of his powers.

A major update has emerged on a Rangers transfer target, with a decision set to be made on a potential move to Ibrox under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

What’s the talk?

According to STV journalist Raman Bhardwaj, Hearts defender John Souttar is on the verge of deciding his future, with his contact at the Premiership side up at the end of the season.

He Tweeted: “John Souttar has narrowed down his choice to Rangers and two English Championship clubs as to who he’ll sign a pre-contract with. He’s set to make a decision this week. A host of clubs are interested in the Hearts defender.”

Excitement

This news will surely leave Rangers fans feeling excited as it appears as though they will know sooner rather than later whether or not he will be playing for the club next season. A decision is not far away and the Gers are in the final three-team shortlist, which gives them a great chance of landing him.

Supporters will be particularly excited by this as Souttar could be a fantastic signing for Van Bronckhorst and solve a major issue in the summer. Connor Goldson’s contract expires this year and he could depart for nothing ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, leaving a huge hole in the middle of the club’s defence.

This is where Souttar could come in and plug that gap as he has proven that he has the quality to be a top performer at Premiership level.

Former Hearts boss Craig Levein was previously effusive in his praise of the enforcer, saying:

“I’ve known him since he was 12 years old and he’s just got better and better. When he came here from Dundee Utd, we just needed to give him time. He’s grown into the player that I hoped he would be and for me he’s the best centre back in Scotland.

“Just for the fact that he can do wonderful things. His passing of the ball Saturday was fantastic, but he is also now capable physically of competing with any centre forward. His pace is very, very good and he’s strong, focused and aggressive.”

In the Premiership this season, he has averaged a phenomenal SofaScore rating of 7.43. Souttar has won 71% of his duels and made 4.4 clearances per game, in comparison to Goldson’s 7.18 rating and 66% duels won.

This suggests that he could come in and prove to be an upgrade on the Englishman, which is why this latest update will excite supporters.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Morelos: Rangers can seal ideal replacement in gem who scores every 1.7 games…

Leeds United correspondent Beren Cross labelled Leo Hjelde’s return to action as a ‘disaster’ following a big mistake for the under-23s.

The Lowdown: Hjelde back on the bench

Hjelde had been missing since February after suffering a knee injury in a 3-0 defeat to Everton. The 18-year-old required surgery on the issue, with Jesse Marsch unsure at the time if the youngster would definitely make a return before the end of the season.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-41/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-04-02T155252Z_391313781_UP1EI421841M9_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-SOU-REPORT.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

However, the versatile defender has made brilliant progress and returned to the bench under Marsch in the 3-0 win over Watford on Saturday.

The Latest: Cross’ post on Hjelde

Cross reported on the Leeds under-23s’ clash with West Ham on Monday, with Hjelde getting the nod from the off. January signing Mateo Joseph marked his first Whites start with a goal, but West Ham were level shortly after, with Cross describing it as a ‘disaster’ by Hjelde.

The defender made a big mistake playing out from the back which was punished and made way for Kris Moore at half-time, with Leeds eventually falling to a 5-1 defeat.

The Verdict: Minutes needed

Hjelde is clearly rated highly by Whites officials following his move from Celtic in the summer. Marcelo Bielsa handed him a senior debut back in January and Marsch was quick to have him back on the bench at the first possible opportunity.

His return to action for the under-23s didn’t go to plan, but he’ll need more minutes to build up his fitness and match sharpness over the coming weeks, with a view to breaking through to the first team more prominently in Marsch’s first full season in charge.

In other news: Phil Hay has his say on ‘horrible’ Leeds ace who Marsch and Orta now want to offload.

Eddie Howe is reportedly lining up Tyrese Campbell as his first signing for Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Up and running again

After a serious knee injury which kept him out at the start of the season, the 21-year-old is now up and running again for Stoke City, with his latest goal in their 2-0 win at QPR in midweek adding to his other strike against Peterborough United last month (Transfermarkt).

After his cameo against the Posh, his manager Michael O’Neill praised the youngster’s ‘brilliant’ work in the build-up and claimed that it was the first time that the Potters saw the ‘Tyrese of old’ (VAVEL).

Indeed, O’Neill cited how Campbell was ‘flying, scoring and assisting goals and terrorising defences’ last season before his injury, as he netted seven goals and provided a further eight assists in 19 games across all competitions (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, it looks as if the Stoke centre-forward is now a player in demand as the January transfer window draws nearer.

The Latest: Campbell lined up

As per The Sun, Howe is now lining up Campbell to be his and Newcastle’s first signing of the new Saudi era.

The former Burnley and Bournemouth manager is ‘ready’ to offer a fee of £20m to secure his signature in January, and has tracked him ever since his time with the Cherries.

Campbell, who is the son of former Everton and Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell, caught the eye of Howe because of his ‘pace and eye for goal’, and it looks as if the 44-year-old can finally get his man if the price is right.

The Verdict: Worth the risk?

Of course, with very little lengthy injury, it would certainly be a risk bringing Campbell to St. James’ Park. However, he has already shown that he can frighten defenders, and at just 21 years of age, he should only get better.

Given Howe’s long-term admiration for him, the Newcastle boss would also enjoy working with the striker and trying to get the best out of him, and Campbell have the added benefit of learning from Callum Wilson, the Magpies’ top scorer so far this season with six goals.

Nonetheless, given that they are in a relegation battle, they need to take risks, and Campbell is a calculated one which could well pay off.

In other news, NUFC have been dealt a ‘massive blow’ off the pitch

As per Turkish source Fanatik (via Sport Witness), there is a belief that West Ham could sell another player in Andriy Yarmolenko for a cheap fee – coming after their infamous loss on Felipe Anderson in the summer.

The Lowdown: West Ham sell Anderson for just £4m…

Back in July, West Ham and GSB made an incredible loss on the sale of their former winger to Lazio.

Signed by ex-boss Manuel Pellegrini for £36 million in 2018, the Brazilian’s down turn in form at the latter stage of his West Ham career saw him loaned out to FC Porto where he endured an equally torrid time – making just a handful of appearances for the Primeira Liga giants (WhoScored).

As such, manager David Moyes and the club saw fit to rid themselves of Anderson but winded up doing so for a controversially cheap fee.

Indeed, the reliably reported £4m they recuperated his services meant West Ham made a loss of around £30m (Evening Standard).

Despite a 50% sell-on clause inserted into the deal, it’s safe to say this business from GSB will win no awards, and now there is belief in Turkey that the Irons could sell another player on the cheap.

The Latest: Yarmolenko price ‘will not be high’…

As per Fanatik, as also shared by Sport Witness, there is belief from the continent and Turkish Super Lig giants Trabzonspor that Yarmolenko’s price ‘will not be high’ as they add him to a list of January targets.

To get the true price, it is claimed that they will launch ‘cost investigations’ into the 32-year-old who has even already been offered to them by his ‘managers’ – presumably meaning representatives.

However, they are not the only club interest, with the report also claiming that West Ham’s man has ‘serious market’ in Europe.

The Verdict: Another loss incoming?

One of the main reasons Trabzonspor believe West Ham will accept a cheap fee for Yarmolenko is down to his contract situation, which is currently set to expire in 2022.

As things stand, he is free to negotiate a pre-contract in January ahead of a possible free agent departure next summer, meaning West Ham could have to sell for a lower fee mid-season rather than lose him for nothing six months later.

It’s also unlikely that Yarmolenko would agree a short-term extension given he reportedly made up his mind on leaving in the last window (calciomercatoweb), so it appears West Ham may be resigned to making another loss.

One silver lining for the Irons may be finally getting the Ukraine international’s sky high £115,000-per-week wages off the books and saving money long term.

As Moyes looks to maintain West Ham’s current run and guide them further into an exciting era, selling Yarmolenko may be a question of when rather than if, even despite club favourite Declan Rice once calling him ‘really special’.

In other news: West Ham ready offer to sign 33-cap World Cup ace as Newman sets sights on brand new target, find out more here.