All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Leeds United are now showing interest in potentially signing the Angers midfielder Azzedine Ounahi this month following his impressive World Cup showing. 

What’s the latest?

Jesse Marsch has already seen Victor Orta hand him a new signing this month in the form of the defender Maximilian Wober from Marsch’s former side, RB Salzburg.

Meanwhile, a move for Hoffenheim’s Georginio Rutter looks to be in the works, with the French forward left out of his side’s recent friendly amid the uncertainty over his short-term future.

And according to Fabrizio Romano, the West Yorkshire club are one of the sides who are targeting Moroccan midfielder Ounahi over a potential January swoop.

However, the Italian journalist made it clear the Premier League side are not the only team looking at the 22-year-old this month with Marseille and Napoli also eyeing the midfielder:

“So now they are focusing on Ounahi the midfielder of Morocco. He had a very good World Cup together with [Sofyan] Amrabat in the midfield he did fantastic.

“There are Leeds interested, Olympique Marseille and also Napoli. The Napoli plan is to sign the player now and bring him in in the summer. So they offered €15m (£13m) to Angers to sign Ounahi. Let’s see if Angers will accept. I think they want a bit more than this but the negotiation is ongoing. “

A big coup

Ounahi was one of the names to emerge as a potential star from the Qatar World Cup following his impressive run in the tournament with Morocco.

The 22-year-old played a big role for Morocco in Qatar with six starts from their seven games in the competition and played every minute of the last 16, quarter-final and semi-final (via Transfermarkt).

Following Morocco’s semi-final defeat against France, the 22-year-old had the best take-on success rate (83.3%) of any player in the tournament to have attempted over 10 take-ons (via Squawka).

And he has played a big role for his Ligue 1 side, Angers, this season with 14 appearances in the French top flight to his name but he has not featured in the games following the World Cup break.

In comparison to other midfielders, Ounahi has an impressive return of being inside the top one percentile for dribbles completed and top five percentile for progressive passes received (via Fbref).

And with some concerns over Brenden Aaronson’s form at Elland Road, it could be seen that Ounahi could be a player to boost Leed’s output in the final third of the pitch.

The Moroccan has averaged more passes per 90 minutes than Aaronson, however, the American has averaged slightly more shot-creating actions per game and has scored more goals and provided more assists than Ounahi (via Fbref).

Ounahi certainly impressed during the World Cup and Romano believes Angers could be open to selling, but it seems as if there will be some fierce competition in the race to sign him this month.

Manchester United have recently been beaten to the loan signing of Joao Felix after weeks of intense speculation regarding his next move, with Premier League rivals Chelsea securing his services until the end of the season.

A multitude of sources, including Fabrizio Romano, had touted Old Trafford as one of the likely destinations for the Portuguese international, but it was not to be, with Graham Potter’s Blues the victors in the race for his signature, largely due to the willingness to pay the £9.7m loan fee.

However, the Red Devils can swiftly forget about the recently missed target by intensifying speculation concerning their interest in Tottenham Hotspur’s star striker Harry Kane, who is yet again subject to rumours regarding his future in north London.

According to ESPN, United manager Erik ten Hag’s January acquisition of Wout Weghorst – nearing completion – is merely a temporary fix to the chasm left in the central striking position following the acrimonious departure of Cristiano Ronaldo in November.

And Kane could be the glistening gem to catapult the club to success next summer; a wealth of Premier League experience, an incredible goal record, innate leadership, and a creative spark that few world-class centre-forwards can come close to rivalling.

Forget Felix

Last year, Kane was at the centre of attention stemming from Old Trafford for his name, according to The Athletic, while in the summer of 2021, Manchester City nearly clinched a deal for the Premier League icon with a £100m bid, which was ultimately unsuccessful despite the player’s burning desire to seal the deal.

And should Ten Hag succeed in a move this year, United would finally cement the talismanic role at the club with a supreme striking option.

Kane has scored 265 goals for Spurs across 412 appearances, is England’s joint-record goalscorer with 53 international strikes – alongside Wayne Rooney – and is second in the all-time Premier League goal tally with 208 strikes, behind Alan Shearer with 260.

And as per FBref, over the past year, the £62m-rated forward ranks within the top 14% of forwards in Europe’s top five leagues for goals, the top 16% for assists, the top 7% for shot-creating actions and the top 5% for progressive passes – supreme statistics and an affirmation of the all-encompassing brilliance of his refined game.

Missing out on Felix will sting, but with mounting speculation over Kane’s future, and United seemingly at the forefront of the rumours, it might prove to be the eventual diamond acquisition for the Theatre of Dreams.

With United on a fantastic eight-match winning streak, and Marcus Rashford enjoying a prolific purple patch in front of goal, the often turbulent waters have been calmed, and with the club still fighting across every possible front this season, there is plenty of optimism and belief that Ten Hag can finally bring silverware back to the red side of Manchester after a five-year drought.

Injecting the “monster” – as described by Heung-min Son – that is the 80-cap Kane into the fold would be a terrifying prospect for the rest of the division, and beyond. His cutting edge, ingenuity and sporting charisma are all elements that will ignite impactful change at Old Trafford, and maintain it over the coming years.

Journalist Dean Jones has shared an update on Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of Sporting CP defender Pedro Porro.

The Lowdown: Spurs prioritise Porro move…

The Lilywhites have been prioritising a move for Porro almost all transfer window with reliable reporter Fabrizio Romano claiming he is top of the list for Spurs and manager Antonio Conte.

However, the difficulty of this deal lies in Sporting’s firm stance in negotiations, with the Liga Portugal giants holding out for his €45 million (£39.4m) release clause or nothing.

Spurs recently made an opening bid for Porro which included a player and ‘guaranteed money’, but Sporting have rejected this formula with talks over a move set to continue.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, reporter Dean Jones has shared his own update on both the player’s stance and how Tottenham hope to get around the release clause roadblock.

The Latest: Porro ‘sold’ on joining…

The journalist has backed other reports surrounding the 23-year-old’s eagerness, claiming Porro is indeed desperate to join Tottenham and is ‘sold’ on the idea of a move.

In terms of the exit clause, Jones believes Spurs could be trying to set up this deal in a way that they won’t have to pay the entire £39.4m fee up front.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-updates-2/” title=”Tottenham latest updates!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/cropped-tottenham-fans.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

He stated:

“From everything I know about this one, it sounds very much like Porro is sold on the idea. I think he’s keen to make the move to Tottenham, but Spurs want to avoid this release clause.

“I think they’re trying to work out if they can set up this deal in a different way without paying up all of that release clause.”

The Verdict: Perfect player?

Sporting appear the only roadblock to get a deal done for Porro.

If Spurs can arrange a way to pay his clause through instalments or make a breakthrough with an alternative structure, there is little denying the former Man City defender would be a real coup.

As per WhoScored, Porro tops Sporting’s charts for assists in the Portuguese top flight this season and also ranks in their top two for key passes made and attempts at goal per 90.

By comparison to Spurs’ current squad, Conte’s most regularly-selected option at right-wing-back, Emerson Royal, ranks nowhere near their best in both the latter regards.

Emerson has also just one assist to his name all season in the Premier League – backing Spurs’ obvious need for a wing-back alternative going forward.

Porro’s brilliant attacking stats back football analyst Marcus Bring’s verdict that the Spaniard is ‘creative’ and could be exactly what Spurs need at wing-back.

Pep Guardiola has been handed a significant injury boost at Manchester City, which might just serve to reignite the Premier League title race.

Defeat against Manchester United in the derby last weekend, combined with Arsenal’s north London derby win over Tottenham Hotspur, means that the Citizens are currently eight points behind the Gunners in the title race.

Poor recent displays against United, Southampton and Everton have cost City significantly, with Guardiola’s side struggling at both ends.

Erling Haaland has not looked nearly as prolific since the World Cup ended, with the Norweigian failing to score in each of his last three appearances, while a once-strong defence now looks susceptible, with clean sheets only coming in consecutive games against Chelsea.

This could be down to the absence of both Ruben Dias and John Stones, with the former picking up an injury at the World Cup which has ruled him out of all subsequent action, while the latter out of action since his superb display at Stamford Bridge earlier this month.

Fortunately for Guardiola, it seems as if both players are now pushing to start against Spurs on Thursday evening, as the club confirmed on Tuesday that they were back in training.

Although Spurs have been something of a bogey side for Guardiola in recent seasons, three points must be considered a must at the Etihad this week, especially as Arsenal face an in-form Man United side at the weekend.

The return of two arguably world-class defenders in Stones and Dias is likely to give the Citizens a significant boost and hopefully get them back to their best after some questionable recent defensive displays.

If their return can inspire City to three points against Spurs this week then suddenly the gap closes to just five points, with two fixtures against Mikel Arteta’s side still to come, which emphasises that the title race is far from over.

Considering WhoScored ranks Dias and Stones as the top-performing centre-backs in Guardiola’s side so far this campaign, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them resume a partnership in the defence in upcoming fixtures, which could subsequently see the Citizens rediscover the sort of form needed to win the title this term.

An update has emerged on Everton and who they would like to take over from Frank Lampard at Goodison Park…

What’s the talk?

Sky Sports journalist Kaveh Solhekol has revealed that the Toffees do have an interest, from some members of the club, in bringing a current Premier League head coach to Merseyside.

Speaking on Sky Sports News, the reporter said: “Another name that has been mentioned to me is Thomas Frank, the Brentford manager. I’ve been told that there are people at Everton who are big admirers of Thomas Frank.

“Again, I’m being told that people at the club are not sure whether he would leave Brentford (or) whether he would be happy to go and work at Everton.”

Dream Lampard replacement

The Toffees could land a dream replacement for Lampard if they are able to convince Frank to part ways with Brentford to join the club in the coming days.

He put pen to paper on a new contract with the Bees at the end of December 2022 and this suggests that the 49-year-old is committed to his current team, which means that it could be a difficult task for Farhad Moshiri to bring him to Merseyside.

However, if the Everton chief can pull it off then Frank has the potential to be a superb appointment, as the Danish tactician has proven his quality as a manager at Premier League level.

The former assistant manager to Dean Smith at Brentford led his team to 13th in the English top-flight in their first season in the division, after taking them up via the play-offs in the previous campaign.

This season, the Bees are currently sitting eighth in the table – a whopping 15 points clear of Everton – and have scored 32 goals in the Premier League – 17 more than the Toffees.

His achievements with Brentford show that the 49-year-old knows how to manage a team in the English top-flight and that he could play a big role in getting the club out of the relegation zone, given that the coach has prevented Brentford from being near the drop over the last 18 months.

Frank is also an engaging character who could galvanise the fanbase and the players. Jurgen Klopp previously hailed his “entertaining” press conferences and claimed that the football he deploys is “incredible”, which suggests that the Dane could get Goodison rocking with his personality and his style of play.

Therefore, the Brentford tactician could be a dream replacement for Frank and Everton must do everything in their power to convince him to make the switch, however unlikely it may seem at the moment.

Wolverhampton Wanderers look to be in the market for a new right-back this month and while Ethan Ingram is unlikely to be a first-team signing, it seems as if Julen Lopetegui is keen on recruiting the West Bromwich Albion defender.

In a recent interview with Football FanCast, journalist Pete O’Rourke shared the lowdown on a potential Wolves move for the 19-year-old gem.

He said: “Wolves are in the market for a new right-back and are keeping tabs on Ethan Ingram’s situation at the Hawthorns.”

His contract at the Hawthorns is also set to expire in 2024, with a report from Football Insider suggesting that an exit could be on the cards, with a new deal currently not on the cards.

The England U20 international has made just two senior appearances for the Baggies in his career, featuring in two League Cup ties across the past two seasons, but he is yet to make his Championship debut.

This suggests that he probably wouldn’t oust the senior options at Molineux at first, but he could solve two big problems in the long term.

Firstly, is the lack of defensively competent options at right-back in Lopetegui’s squad, with both Nelson Semedo and Jonny having struggled for form so far this campaign, with WhoScored ranking them as the 10th and 14th-best performers after some disappointing displays.

This has led Lopetegui to promote Dexter Lembikisa to the first-team squad in recent weeks, and Ingram could find himself competing with the academy talent for a spot in the starting side in the future.

Secondly, is the lack of homegrown, English players at Wolves. Since his arrival at Molineux, Lopetegui has made steps in the right direction to increase the Old Gold’s homegrown quota, with Craig Dawson and Daniel Bentley joining the squad, while Lembikisa and Joe Hodge have both been promoted from the academy setup.

Before this, there was arguably only Max Kilman who qualified as a homegrown English player in the squad, compared to nine players of Portuguese descent.

Therefore, it can only be a good thing that Wolves are looking to sign promising young English talents on the cheap, especially in a market where the price of English players is undoubtedly inflated.

Should the Old Gold complete a move for Ingram, either this month or another time, it feels like a low-risk, high-reward by Lopetegui.

Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Joe Hodge could’ve headed out the Molineux exit door before the transfer deadline – but Julen Lopetegui opted to keep him, according to reporter Liam Keen.

The Lowdown: Hodge’s season

The 20-year-old has experienced his first season in the senior plans at Wolves, with him playing 10 times so far this campaign.

He made his Premier League debut back in October but has only managed to come off the bench once in the previous seven league outings, starting Lopetegui’s first league game in charge against Everton.

He’s since started both FA Cup clashes against Liverpool, making himself a useful option in the middle of the park at Molineux.

The Latest: Keen’s comments

It seems as though he will now be able to continue his development in and around the senior side, with Keen revealing on the Express & Star YouTube channel that Lopetegui opted against letting the Irishman leave this month, saying:

“Joe Hodge was potentially going to go out [on loan] – small bit of news on that is Julen Lopetegui made the decision himself that he wants to keep him, which is a big call because Wolves are going to have seven central midfielders.

“So you’d have thought maybe they’d have liked to see him go and get game time, but the manager likes him, it’s a big decision to keep him, and hopefully he gets opportunities.”

The Verdict: Part of the plans

Lopetegui made his belief in Hodge crystal clear when the 20-year-old penned a new long-term deal at Wolves earlier this month (via Wolves).

But with Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho and Matheus Nunes being the Spaniard’s preferred midfield three, with the Portuguese gems all playing the most amount of minutes amongst centre-midfielders at Wolves (via WhoScored), Hodge may have been tempted by a temporary departure.

He was an unused substitute against West Ham United in his latest league matchday appearance alongside new signing Mario Lemina.

Wolves boast incredible experience between the four central midfielders at their disposal, potentially giving the youngster – dubbed a “very exciting talent” by reporter Mark McCadden – the ideal place to learn and develop.

Chelsea have sent officials to watch Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa ahead of a potential summer move to the Premier League, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Options being assessed

The Stamford Bridge outfit’s current shot-stopping options, Edouard Mendy and Kepa Arrizabalaga, both have contracts that aren’t set to expire until 2025, but Graham Potter and Todd Boehly are reportedly already considering their long-term goalkeeping situation.

The Portuguese international was given the nod to represent his country at the World Cup late last year and now appears to have caught the eye of the Blues thanks to the standard of his performances in Qatar.

The Latest: Chelsea scouting Costa

According to 90min, Chelsea have been ‘scouting’ Costa, with representatives from the capital having been ‘in the stands’ to watch him in action in ‘recent weeks’.

Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United have also been following the 23-year-old, and the Blues’ recruitment team have simultaneously been identifying options already in the top flight should a move fail to materialise.

Everton’s Jordan Pickford, Brentford’s David Raya and Brighton’s Robert Sanchez are the three names to be mentioned, with the latter holding an existing connection to Potter from his time on the south coast.

The Verdict: No-brainer

Costa has been described as ‘superman’ by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and Chelsea pursuing a deal for him this summer is a no-brainer of a decision to make.

The 6 foot 1 star has kept a mightily impressive ten clean sheets in 19 Liga Portugal appearances so far this season and knows what it takes to be successful having won five senior titles during his time at the Estadio do Dragao.

Costa also shares the same agent as Joao Felix which could potentially give the SW6 outfit the advantage in the race for his signature come the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery and co-owner Nassef Sawiris’s relationship is strong currently.

The Lowdown: Emery impressing in charge

The Spaniard replaced Steven Gerrard in the Villa Park hot seat back in October and he has arguably made his impact felt in a positive manner.

Villa, since Emery took over from Gerrard, have enjoyed an uptick in league form overall and look far better off in general than they did under the former Liverpool star.

It was Sawiris and his co-owner Wes Edens who brought the 51-year-old in and a positive update has emerged regarding the current situation at the club.

The Latest: Encouraging update

Taking to Twitter on Friday, Preece said that Emery has an excellent relationship with Sawiris, especially compared to past managers:

“Asked Unai Emery about his relationship with the man that went all-out to bring him to #avfc, Nassef Sawiris. It’s crystal-clear that Sawiris is a lot closer with Emery than previous managers.”

The Verdict: Ideal situation for Villa

It is always essential for managers and owners to have a healthy relationship – if they don’t, it is extremely hard to build a football team and club with everyone pulling in the same direction.

[freshpress-quiz id=“418895″]

For that reason, this update is an encouraging one, suggesting that everything at Villa is running smoothly and that Emery will be backed in the transfer market.

Positive results are clearly crucial in ensuring that this feel-good factor remains at Villa Park and being given the funds to strengthen the squad can only help, in that respect.

During the end of Gerrard’s tenure, it felt like Villa were on a downward trajectory but Emery has changed that and NSWE no doubt see the progress being made.

Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min was dubbed “sloppy” by Dan Kilpatrick in yet another poor performance for Spurs this weekend.

The Lowdown: Spurs hammered

Antonio Conte’s side were pulled apart by a struggling Leicester City side who put Spurs to the sword in a 4-1 battering to end a run of three straight wins, including two in the Premier League.

It looked as though Tottenham were set to close the gap on the top four when Rodrigo Bentancur put them ahead to temporarily move them into the Champions League places at Newcastle United’s expense, but the Magpies no longer have that worry imminently.

The Foxes hit back with two goals in two minutes to flip the game on its head before adding a third and fourth at the end of the first and second halves.

The Latest: “Sloppy” Son display

After bouncing back to show his best in the 3-0 FA Cup win against Championship side Preston North End, Son was unable to kick on and lost on a dire afternoon for the Lilywhites as he sunk again, with Evening Standard Spurs reporter Kilpatrick calling his performance “sloppy” on Twitter.

Meanwhile, Tottenham correspondent for football.london Alasdair Gold give the South Korean a 4/10 match rating.

He wrote: “After two good displays this was back to a more hesitant Son with nothing coming off for him.”

The Verdict: Virtually anonymous

Despite sharing the possession and only having four fewer shots than the hosts (via BBC), Tottenham and Son endured an afternoon to forget.

It would’ve been a game the 30-year-old had looked forward to following his goals against Preston and previously bagging a hat-trick in the return fixture, but this time around, he failed to get a shot on target, while an expected goals total of just 0.04 from one shot of target (via Sofascore) proved how little by way of openings he had.

From a creative aspect, he had just 33 touches, with only Harry Kane and goalkeeper Fraser Forster having fewer, as well as zero key passes, successful crosses or long balls, showing the lack of impact he had for Spurs.

He only made 11 successful passes amid losing possession 14 times and registered a messily 36% duel-win record, highlighting just how ineffective and anonymous he was for Conte.