All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Paul Stewart is puzzled as to why Liverpool are struggling to tie Jordan Henderson down to a new deal.

The England midfielder has been on the Reds’ books since joining from Sunderland in a deal worth a reported £20million a decade ago.

He has gone on to captain the Merseyside club to their first ever Premier League title and also held the Champions League, Super Cup, Club World Cup and League Cup trophies aloft during his time at Anfield.

The 31-year-old has entered the final two years of his £140,000-per-week deal and his long-term future at the club now appears to be in doubt.

Liverpool have opened discussions with a host of players this summer but contract talks with Henderson have stalled.

It has resulted in the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid monitoring the situation, with them ready to open negotiations if Henderson fails to agree terms.

Former Liverpool man Stewart feels Henderson, who is currently training with La Liga club RCD Mallorca ahead of returning for the latter stages of pre-season at Liverpool, may have failed to have penned a new deal for a number of reasons.

He exclusively told Football FanCast: “It doesn’t seem right to me and I think there’s something underlying that we don’t know, which is why he is stalling on a contract.

“That could be for a few reasons. They may have offered him less money because of his age. He might want to go to China, where he could triple his wages. He might not be first choice in midfield, but only time will tell why he’s stalling on his contract.”

Leeds United have suffered a possible blow in their quest to sign Nahitan Nandez this summer, with the midfielder reportedly unconvinced about joining the Whites.

The Lowdown: Leeds keen on signing Nandez

Marcelo Bielsa may be keen on signing another central midfielder ahead of next season in order to ease the burden on Kalvin Phillips.

Leeds have been linked with Calgliari star Nandez, with the 25-year-old making 31 starts in Serie A last season. He has won 37 caps for Uruguay, further outlining his pedigree as a footballer with ample experience at a high level.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359346″]

The Latest: Midfielder has doubts over move

According to Calciomercato [via Sport Witness], however, Nandez ‘does not seem convinced’ about heading to Elland Road this summer.

It is claimed that he will make a decision over his future after his participation at the Copa America.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-copy-2/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Verdict: Setback for Bielsa

This development is a blow for Bielsa, who has seemingly eyed up Nandez as a strong option to come in and bolster Leeds’ midfield next season.

The Uruguauayn’s tenacity off the ball – he averaged 1.8 tackles per game in Serie A in 2020/21 – is complemented with technical ability, which is highlighted by an average of 1.2 dribbles per match last season.

The hope is that Leeds still manage to entice the £19.8m-rated Nandez to the club in what could be a significant signing in their push for European football, although this latest reports suggest that it could be a tall order to bring him in.

In other news, one Leeds youngster has been backed to be a long-term success story at Elland Road. Find out who it is here.

In what could be a huge statement of intent going into next season, Manchester United are set to prioritise a move for Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho over Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane this summer.

What’s the story?

According to The Mirror, United are planning to sacrifice any chance they had of securing Kane’s signature over the coming months as they concentrate on a deal for Sancho instead.

The report claims that Ole Gunnar Solksjaer’s side can only afford one marquee signing in the upcoming transfer window due to the financial impact of the ongoing pandemic, meaning big decisions have had to be made by the club’s hierarchy.

Fans will be buzzing

Although in an ideal world, United fans would surely have loved to see both stars arrive at Old Trafford this summer, in reality, the vast majority will accept the fact that the funds simply aren’t available for that to happen.

Sancho has been a long-term target for the Red Devils, with a lengthy pursuit 12 months ago ending in disappointment as Ed Woodward baulked at the Bundesliga outfit’s £108 million asking price.

However, it is widely believed that the 21-year-old is available for a significantly reduced fee of just £75m this time around after Dortmund’s sporting director Michael Zorc came to an agreement with the England international.

“We already had a gentlemen’s agreement with Jadon last year that he can switch under certain conditions,’ Zorc told German publication ARD (via Goal).

“He’s been with us for a couple of years. However, this agreement does not exist with Erling [Haaland].”

After a slow start to the 2020/21 campaign, Sancho rediscovered his best form at the Signal Iduna Park, bagging 16 goals and providing an incredible 20 assists in 38 appearances for BVB.

Therefore, news that he is United’s priority in the transfer window will surely have United fans buzzing, even if his potential arrive comes at the expense of Kane.

The Spurs hitman had another sensational season in north London, picking up the Premier League’s Golden Boot and Playmaker awards after topping the charts for both goals and assists.

After another trophyless campaign with Tottenham, though, rumours of an imminent exit have gathered pace in recent weeks, but a £150m price tag means his proposed departure is far from certain.

At double the price of Sancho and six years his senior, it’s easy to see why Kane is a less attractive option for United despite his world-class quality, and it seems as though the 20-time English champions are making the sensible, logical decision on this occasion, and that’s reason for United fans to get excited.

And, in other news…Romano update could signal mass change at Man Utd, £19.8m-rated ace needs to watch out 

Football Insider pundit Kevin Campbell has shared his shock at Celtic’s reported promise to new manager Ange Postecoglou.

The Lowdown: Postecoglou announced

Celtic fans had to wait 106 days for the club to bring in Neil Lennon’s long-term successor.

Postecoglou was confirmed by the club as their new man in charge on Thursday morning, signing a 12-month rolling contract.

The 55-year-old will meet up with the Hoops squad at Lennoxtown before leading the team’s pre-season training camp.

The Latest: Celtic’s transfer promise; Campbell reacts

According to The Scottish Sun, Postecoglou will have the final say on all incomings and outgoings at the club.

Campbell, when asked by Football Insider on the news, was rather shocked, saying:

“It sounds like he’s got full control which is a very strange one for me.

“They had Eddie Howe in waiting but they could not agree on a deal over one member of staff or something and now they are handing ultimate power over incomings and outgoings Postecoglou, a relatively unknown manager. It baffles me.

“It will either be a masterstroke or one of the biggest mess-ups ever. I do not think there will be any middle ground because they are leaving themselves to be shot at straight away.

“The way Rangers have been recently the pressure is mounting on Celtic, they need to respond next season.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-5/” title=”Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: A gamble by Celtic

There’s no denying Postecoglou’s appointment is a gamble by the Hoops board. His only experience of managing in Europe came in 2008 with Greek side Panachaiki.

It seems as if the club have gone all-in on Postecoglou though and are willing to give him full control when it comes to transfers, so we agree with Campbell believing it will either be a masterstroke or one colossal disaster.

Postecoglou will have to serve a 10-day quarantine when he gets to Scotland, so you’d expect he’ll spend that time analysing the Celtic squad and identifying possible targets.

One way or the other, things are going to be entertaining at Parkhead this season.

In other news: Source claims Postecoglou has already made Celtic U-turn on one decision, find out more here. 

Leeds United’s pursuit of Cagliari midfielder Nahitan Nandez has reportedly stalled, but there is still confidence that the move will go through eventually.

The Lowdown: Leeds push for Nandez move

The Whites have been linked with a host of new signings ahead of the summer transfer window, as Marcelo Bielsa looks to improve his squad further.

One player who has been endlessly tipped to join Leeds is Nandez, who is currently on international duty with Uruguay at Copa America.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359346″]

The Latest: Midfielder could join on loan

There has been an on-off nature to the saga, however, and a fresh update has now been provided.

According to La Nuova Sardegna [via Sport Witness], talks have stalled over a move, which is proving to be frustrating for Leeds.

The Whites still believe a deal can be completed, though, with the report suggesting the delay could simply be down to Victor Orta and co focusing their attentions on wrapping up a deal for Junior Firpo.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-6/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Verdict: Not ideal

If Leeds do manage to acquire Nandez’s signature, it could be a fantastic piece of business.

The Uruguayan could bring Kalvin Phillips-like qualities to the Whites’ midfield, biting into tackles – he averaged 1.8 per game in Serie A last season – but also using the ball intelligently (one key pass per match in the league in 2020/21).

For context, Phillips boasted 2.6 tackles and 1.2 key passes per game in the league this season, so perhaps Nandez arrives as the perfect understudy.

The £19.8million-rated South American is also approaching what should be his peak years, so Leeds would be snapping him up at just the right time.

That said, it is hardly ideal if the transfer drags on long into pre-season – Bielsa will surely want time to bed any new arrivals into his extremely intense and specific system.

In other news, Leeds have reportedly made contact with one of their many rumoured left-back targets. Find out who it is here.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Barcelona forward Antoine Griezmann ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to reports in Spain (via the Liverpool Echo), the 30-year-old World Cup winner will be allowed to leave the Camp Nou this summer due to the financial situation of the Catalan giants.

The report states that Jurgen Klopp’s charges are monitoring Griezmann’s situation at Barca, with a cut-price deal being lined up by the club’s hierarchy.

Michael Edwards must avoid

Griezmann has endured a difficult couple of campaigns since moving to the five-time European champions, scoring 35 times and providing just 16 assists in 99 appearances.

Although the World Cup winner finally got his hands on some major silverware in Spanish football, winning the Copa del Rey, he’s had to watch his former side Atletico Madrid go from strength to strength in his absence, winning their second La Liga title in seven years.

While Liverpool have themselves just experienced their worst season in some time, signing an ageing talent on a reported £795,000-per-week wage packet in the hope of a quick fix is not the answer to their problems.

The Reds have climbed up the Premier League table under Klopp’s tutelage via – amongst other things – a pragmatic and effective strategy in the transfer market.

Philippe Coutinho was sold for an extraordinarily high profit, and the funds from his departure were smartly reinvested into the first-team squad, propelling Liverpool from top-four contenders to Champions League and Premier League winners almost overnight.

Bringing in Griezmann would be a considerable change of approach from the tried and tested model so successfully carried out by Michael Edwards, the Anfield outfit’s director of football.

Despite the France international undoubtedly being a world-class talent on his day, the potential short-term gain in acquiring his signature would not outweigh the negative repercussions which would be felt for years to come.

With young, world-class prodigies such as Erling Haaland, Jadon Sancho and Kylian Mbappe, all potentially available this summer, prioritising their arrivals over Griezmann is the only way to ensure the Reds can get back to the summit of English football rather than witnessing the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City move further away from them in the top-flight table.

In the past, Mbappe has been quick to compliment his compatriot, even comparing the Barca man to Brazilian star Neymar.

“Neymar is more creative, and Griezmann is more clinical in front of goal. So, they are two different players, and I can learn from both of them every day,” revealed the Paris Saint-Germain man.

But Liverpool need to go in a different direction. Their famed front-three of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane will all be 29 when the 2021/22 campaign kicks off, meaning it’s now time for new blood and fresh legs on Merseyside, not someone even older than their existing options.

And, in other news…“Out of this world” Liverpool star set for massive blow, fans will be gutted 

Pep Guardiola has been handed a big boost at Manchester City this week, as despite concerns over Ilkay Gundogan’s wellbeing in midweek after he was on the end of a horror tackle, the German midfielder has confirmed on social media that he will be able for upcoming fixtures.

The former Borussia Dortmund man was one of City’s best performers in the 2-1 win against Paris Saint-Germain but there were serious fears that he would have to come off in the second half after Idrissa Gueye was shown a straight red card for his high challenge on Gundogan, which left him requiring treatment.

Whilst the 30-year-old finished the game, it would not have been surprising if he had carried on due to the adrenaline of the game only to realise afterwards that the injury was more serious than first thought.

However, after being asked by a concerned Man City fan on Twitter, Gundogan was quick to respond, reassuring fans that he is absolutely fine as he said: “All good. Thanks for all your messages”.

Therefore, it would not be a surprise to see him keep his place in Guardiola’s side for City’s important game against Crystal Palace at the weekend, where three points could seal the Premier League title depending on Manchester United’s result against Liverpool the following day.

The £36m-rated ace has been one of City’s top performers so far this season, averaging a 7.29 WhoScored rating for his performances in the Premier League, which is the fourth-best of any player in Guardiola’s squad.

His 12 top-flight goals also rank him as City’s top scorer in the league this season, so Guardiola will undoubtedly be relieved that the tackle from Gueye didn’t result in an injury and that the Germany midfielder should be available for the final few games of the season.

Hopefully he will be able to continue his impressive performances for City and help them potentially win the treble this season.

In other news… Forget Mahrez and KDB: “Exceptional” Man City beast ran the show against PSG

Plenty of Crystal Palace fans have shared their delight on social media at another documentary series based on the Eagles.

Palace confirmed last week that a docuseries, When Eagles Dare, will launch on Amazon Prime Video on June 4th, but it seems as if another show is in the works.

According to a report from the Daily Mail, Channel 4 have begun filming a new fly-on-the-wall series, looking at the club’s academy.

The report suggests that cameras will be around for the next year or so for the behind-the-scenes show, focusing on the Eagles’ Under-18 and Under-23 sides.

The current working title for the series is thought to be simply The Academy.

Palace fans react

@cpfc_xtra shared the Daily Mail’s report on Tuesday lunchtime, and it didn’t take long for a number of Palace supporters to interact with the post.

This is what some fans had to say on plans for another series on the club, with one describing the club as ‘massive’ following the news.

“This is madness”Credit: @CPFCMax03″This & When Eagles Dare. Absolute scenes.”Credit: @GladAllOver_”We are massive”Credit: @WillR1991″We are a humongous football club”Credit: @osian_davis”Actually sounds good tbf”Credit: @danofthesouth_”Steve Parish has been doing wonders off the field on the publicity side of things. Hope we reap the rewards financially. We’re massive!!!!”Credit: @cjbearcpfc

In other news: Many Palace fans fume at update on managerial target, find out more here. 

Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph has pinpointed three factors as to why Celtic’s talks with Eddie Howe dramatically collapsed on Friday afternoon.

The Lowdown: Howe deal collapses

As mentioned, the Hoops’ talks with Howe came to an end on Friday, with the club confirming in a statement that the 43-year-old will not become Neil Lennon’s permanent successor.

Stephen McGowan of the Daily Mail was the first to share the news regarding the development, revealing that there was a breakdown in talks between the two parties.

The Latest: Joseph’s post

Joseph took to Twitter less than an hour after the news broke, sharing three factors as to why Howe’s proposed move to Celtic failed to materialise.

According to the Sky Sports journalist, budget, backroom staff and personal reasons all contributed to talks ending between the Hoops and the former Bournemouth manager. He explained:

“Talks between Eddie Howe and Celtic have broken down. Budget, backroom staff & personal reasons all factors behind the collapse of this deal. Celtic are now looking at other options.”

As we now know, the Hoops are looking at Ange Postecoglou. The 55-year-old is currently with Japanese club Yokohama F. Marinos, but John Percy of The Telegraph believes that, as of Friday evening, the Hoops are close to appointing the Australian.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-4/” title=”Celtic updates” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Hoops’ horrific week with Howe

Bournemouth’s Championship play-off defeat to Brentford last weekend appeared to open the door for Celtic to push through a deal for Howe, but it seems as if the Hoops have had the week from hell in their managerial pursuit.

The Cherries’ play-off heartache gave Celtic the chance to bring his wanted members of staff from the south coast to Scotland, but it appears as if the Hoops met a dead end in that department.

However, Howe’s personal preference and apparent dispute over budget could have been dealt with much earlier, so you’d expect the Parkhead hierarchy to be fuming at the recent development.

It seems that they are now on for Postecoglou, though, so it appears Celtic officials have moved on very quickly from their failed pursuit of Howe.

In other news: Celtic still hold interest in Premiership ace, find out more here. 

Phil Hay has explained why Rodrigo missed Leeds United’s 2-1 win at Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday.

As per a tweet from The Athletic journalist, the former Valencia ace ‘had an issue in training’, with Marcelo Bielsa not saying how serious it was in his post-game press conference after the match.

It turns out that Leeds did not need him at the Etihad Stadium as the Whites grabbed all three points thanks to two goals from Stuart Dallas, with a red card for captain Liam Cooper and a Ferran Torres equaliser for Pep Guardiola’s men sandwiched in between the 29-year-old’s brace.

Leeds still miss Rodrigo

Even though the win was very impressive without Rodrigo, Leeds still miss the Spain international and are a better team with him in it.

Despite the result against Man City, Bielsa’s side have actually lost more games in the top flight this season without the Spaniard in the side (six) than with him (four) in total (Transfermarkt), illustrating the influence that he can exert.

Nonetheless, the 30-year-old is a great squad player to have given that he can play both in midfield and up top for Leeds, and Bielsa must be hoping that he can return as soon as possible.

In other news, find out which Leeds player Paddy Kenny has tipped to play Champions League football!