All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

West Bromwich Albion have been handed a boost to their chances of keeping Karlan Grant at The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Athletic, who claim that the 23-year-old centre-forward has no intention of leaving the Baggies in the upcoming transfer window, despite their relegation from the Premier League.

Fans will be buzzing

While it is undeniable that Grant has not quite lived up to the £15m fee West Brom had to pay Huddersfield Town to secure his services last October, the news that the former England U18 international is happy to remain at The Hawthorns beyond the summer should have fans of the club buzzing.

Indeed, while the £8.1m-rated man’s performances in the Premier League left a lot to be desired, with the forward scoring just one goal over 21 appearances in the top flight last term, his form for the Terriers in the campaign prior would seem to bode extremely well for the Baggies ahead of next season.

In the 2019/20 Championship campaign, Grant bagged 19 goals, provided four assists and created six big chances over his 43 league appearances, as well as taking an average of 2.6 shots and making 1.2 key passes per game, with these returns seeing the £30k-per-week striker earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.87.

As such, if the man Danny Cowley dubbed a “ruthless” finisher can refind this form for West Brom next season, it would appear to massively increase the Baggies’ chances of securing an immediate return to the Premier League.

So, while Grant may have taken a little while to get used to life in the top flight of English football, the 23-year-old could be finally set to flourish in a West Brom shirt next season – an outcome that would undoubtedly delight West Brom fans, as well as the club themselves.

If West Brom want to secure an immediate promotion back to the top flight, they will need somebody to step up and score plenty of goals in the Championship. In Grant, they have a player with a track record of doing exactly that, it’ll be a huge boost if he stays at the club.

In other news: West Brom dealt transfer blow over “tenacious” £31k-p/w gem that’ll leave fans gutted

The Yorkshire Evening Post’s Graham Smyth has revealed that Leeds United defender Diego Llorente has been forced to leave the Spain squad ahead of the upcoming EUROs.

What’s the story?

The centre-back was named by Luis Enrique as part of his Spain contingent for the EUROs, giving Marcelo Bielsa’s side another player to feature in the tournament this summer.

But, writing via his official Twitter account, Smyth revealed the “desperately disappointing” news about Llorente, and the fact he has had to leave the Spain squad due to returning a positive test.

Fans will be gutted

After seeing him establish himself as a cornerstone of Bielsa’s side towards the closing stages of the Premier League season – he started 13 of the last 14 games they played – Leeds fans would surely have loved to have seen Llorente in action this summer.

The centre-back arrived only last summer, and after a tough early period at Elland Road which saw his first-half of the season blighted by injury, returned to nail down a place at the heart of the defence.

With only eight caps to his name, the EUROs would have been Llorente’s first taste of international tournament action, and a real chance for him to show Enrique and the rest of Europe the kind of quality he possesses.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/leeds-united-marcelo-bielsa-transfer-gossip-rumours-news-elland-road-rodrigo-de-paul” title=”Read the latest Leeds transfer rumours and news!”]

Leeds fans will equally be gutted at seeing him miss out, and will also be wary of the kind of physical consequences a positive test can have – you only have to look at the likes of Allan Saint-Maximin at Newcastle to see how much impact it can have on a player.

They’ll be hoping everything pans out well very quickly.

Meanwhile, Marcelo Bielsa’s side have opened talks with this Premier League star…

At long last, Celtic have the pleasure of a new permanent manager.

The Hoops can forget all about Eddie Howe and bask in the glory of Ange Postecoglou, a 55-year-old from Australia with lofty ambitions.

He wasn’t the hierarchy’s first choice at Parkhead but he arrives with a brand of football that fits perfectly into the Celtic philosophy.

After signing on the dotted line, Postecoglou was keen to stress the importance of the transfer market. “We have already begun work on our plans for adding to the squad – we aim to bring players of quality to Celtic to enhance the existing core of great talent,” he revealed.

Indeed, with the Bhoys set to lose Kristoffer Ajer and Odsonne Edouard this summer, cracking on with recruitment is of utmost importance.

Strengthening their backline should be the biggest priority for the Australian. After all, they conceded 16 more goals than Rangers in the Premiership this season.

One of the biggest factors in their dismal defensive record was their goalkeeping department.

Vasilis Barkas signed for £4.5m last summer but made repeated errors and was then named in the starting XI on just two occasions after the New Year period.

Scott Bain has hardly been a pillar of solidity either. He was at fault for numerous goals away at Slavia Prague in the Europa League and should have done better for Alfredo Morelos’ strike in the Old Firm drubbing last month.

With that in mind, Celtic and Postecoglou should consider signing another stopper.

One player they were linked with last summer was Roma’s Robin Olsen. The Sweden number one eventually signed for Everton on loan but has now headed back to Italy after playing just 11 times for the Toffees.

Jose Mourinho doesn’t want to keep him in the Italian capital and with a £4m fee being touted, Olsen is hoping to use the European Championships as a shop window.

“Clearly it is a good showcase. I hope to have a good Euros, first of all for Sweden, then obviously if the tournament can help me showcase myself then so be it. With the work done in England I returned to the levels I was at before moving to Roma. I grew and improved, even if I clearly hoped to play more at Everton. In any case it was a good season,” Olsen commented recently.

Standing at 6 foot 5, the Swede has an enormous advantage in terms of his height. Celtic saw firsthand the positives of having a tall goalkeeper between the sticks when they had Fraser Forster at Parkhead.

The Englishman was a man-mountain at 6 foot 7 and was an imperious figure inside the penalty area. Forster was so impressive that he saved four penalties during the 2019/20 campaign and then made an awe-inspiring 11 saves in the League Cup final against Rangers.

In the words of SB Nation Roma blogger Chiesa Di Totti, Olsen has “massive limbs”, an outstanding quality that Celtic missed this term.

An experienced international at the age of 31, Postecoglou should certainly consider reviving the club’s interest. He has all of the tools that Forster had.

AND in other news, Celtic eye move for 31 y/o that Strachan dubbed “fantastic”, McKay is wasting his time…

West Bromwich Albion have been linked with a move for Blackpool striker Jerry Yates, as reported by The72.

Enjoying a fantastic 2020/21 season, the 24-year-old played a major role in the Seasiders’ successful Sky Bet League One promotion bid as he registered 32 goal contributions from 54 games in all competitions; 23 goals and nine assists [Transfermarkt].

Bristol City, Blackburn Rovers and Nottingham Forest are all also said to be keen on the striker, who could be available for around £5million to potential suitors [The Sun].

Yates has averaged around 1.9 shots per every 90 minutes across the last year, demonstrating his willingness to regularly propel himself to the forefront of attacking play [WhoScored].

Still manager-less after the departure of Sam Allardyce from the Hawthorns last month and lacking direction as a club [BBC], there is little surprise loads of Baggies fans took to Twitter to share their concern at these latest developments.

West Brom fans react:

Replying to popular West Bromwich Albion outlet WBA Report, here is what some of the fans had to say about the news:

“Can’t see any signings being made until we have a new head coach in the dugout”

Credit: @DanPerk28324820″I think we need to run that past the new head coach ,”Credit: @PaulDoh88239513″How we have no manager or sporting director”Credit: @AdKido44″Nice to know our manager will be able to bring in his targets, oh wait”Credit: @DavidBriscoe9″Would have him though”Credit: @BradSmith_24″It’s the sun”Credit: @ftblchazIn other news, West Bromwich Albion have made a shock off-field decision.

Former Leeds United goalkeeper Paddy Kenny has tipped the Whites to pip Everton to the signing of Real Madrid legend Marcelo this summer.

The Lowdown: Leeds linked with Marcelo move

Marcelo Bielsa has reportedly eyed up an audacious swoop for the Brazilian left-back, as he looks to sign a new player in that position.

With Ezgjan Alioski widely expected to leave, Marcelo has emerged as a shock target for Leeds, having won four Champions League titles with Madrid.

The Latest: Kenny tips Whites to make signing

While nothing too concrete has arrived with regards to the move, someone who is confident about it happening is ex-Whites man Kenny.

Speaking to Football Insider, he claimed Leeds have more chance of acquiring Marcelo’s signature than Everton, who are also believed to in the race:

“I rate this. What a player he has been and what a career he’s had.  With Bielsa, they’ve got a chance at pulling that one off. He’d be an unbelievable signing, for me.

“Everton have stalled a bit at the moment. But Leeds are up-and-coming. So as it stands, it would have to be Leeds because they’re a club on the up compared to where Everton are at the moment.

“They play with a lot of freedom as well which Marcelo will like.”

[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: Potential special signing

If Leeds did manage to sign Marcelo, it would be an unbelievable coup, considering he is arguably the greatest left-back of the last 10 years.

At 33, he may not at his peak anymore, but he could still bring an invaluable winning mentality to the team, not to mention enduring top-class ability – his control on the ball is something very few defenders will ever get near.

With a lot of clubs expected to be interested – his Madrid contract expires next summer – Bielsa will do very well to entice Marcelo to Elland Road, but there would be understandable excitement if it happened.

In other news, Leeds have been linked with another move for a player this summer – find out who it is here. 

The decision to decrease ticket prices was a good move by Dejphon Chansiri, former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Carlton Palmer has told The Transfer Tavern.

Per The Star, season tickets for adults have dropped by around 20% as Chansiri looks to rebuild his relationship with supporters after a difficult campaign.

Wednesday were relegated from the Championship to League One after finishing bottom in English football’s second division and had very little stability during that season.

It is something the Wednesday owner has to take responsibility for having sacked two managers, Garry Monk and Tony Pulis, in the same term.

For Palmer, though, this latest move is a step in the right direction. He told TT:

“It’s a good move. At least it’s showing some good faith to the supporters in very difficult times because money is tight with people being furloughed and you want to get the crowds out. Obviously, it’s a fantastic gesture.”

Given how shambolic the 2020/21 season was, there is probably still a long way to go until all is forgiven.

There are also other matters that certainly need addressing, like the fiasco surrounding unpaid wages, though that does seem as if it is being sorted. But the decision regarding ticket prices should bring some positivity to supporters.

Graham Roberts insists Rangers will want to win either the double or the treble in 2021/22 after lifting the Scottish Premiership trophy last season.

Steven Gerrard’s side were in unbelievable form throughout the campaign and won the title at a canter, ending the season a staggering 25 points clear of second-placed Celtic.

However, Rangers somewhat struggled in the cup competitions.

Indeed, they were knocked out of the Scottish League Cup by St Mirren, while they also lost in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals by St Johnstone on penalties.

In the Europa League, Rangers were beaten 3-1 on aggregate by Slavia Prague in the Round of 16.

They were irrepressible in the league, however, but Roberts believes that Gerrard will be targeting cup glory along with winning the league next season, to prove last season was no flash in the pan.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he made the claim that the club will do everything they can to strengthen Gerrard’s squad, and he said: “A big target. You win one, you want to go and win the second one now, and I would think the next thing will be to do the double or the treble so you’ve got to get a big enough squad, and I’m sure they will.”

Celtic have made a €4m (£3.4m) bid for left-back Aaron Hickey, according to Il Resto del Carlino, as relayed by Video Celts.

The Lowdown: Links gathering pace

Hickey was set to sign for the Hoops last summer, but as we know, he made the move to Bologna in Italy instead.

Celtic have been credited with an interest in the defender again in recent months, though, with reports back in May claiming a move could be made.

The 19-year-old has recently admitted he is ‘fully aware’ of the fresh links, and it seems as if the Hoops have now made an official bid for his services.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-8/” title=”Celtic updates” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Italian claim

The print newspaper of Il Resto del Carlino, as cited by Video Celts, claimed that Celtic have offered Bologna €4m for Hickey’s services. That converts to £3.4m, which is just over £1m off his £4.5m Transfermarkt valuation.

Hickey has three years remaining on his contract with the Serie A club and it remains to be seen if the bid will be accepted or rejected.

The offer for the 19-year-old, who Gazetta dello Sport described as ‘quality’ following his debut, comes days after Celtic announced a deal for defender Osaze Urhoghide.

The Verdict: Sign

Celtic have Greg Taylor and Boli Bolingoli as senior left-back options at this moment in time, although the latter has recently been linked with a permanent move to Turkish side Altay SK.

Should Bolingoli depart, Hickey could be the perfect addition under Ange Postecoglou. He’s still just a teenager, already has experience of playing in two top leagues and can also cover at centre-back and at right-back.

If Celtic’s £3.4m bid is accepted, it could prove to be a steal in the long run.

In other news: ‘Yaaaaassss’, ‘This is outstanding’ – Many Celtic fans erupt at ‘quality’ club post, find out more here.

Marseille-bound William Saliba turned down an approach from Newcastle United, according to French newspaper L’Equipe (via Get French Football News).

The lowdown

As noted by the report, Marseille are hopeful of confirming their loan agreement with Arsenal for the 20-year-old centre-back this week.

Arsenal signed Saliba for £27million in 2019 but have twice loaned him out, first to Saint-Etienne and more recently to OGC Nice.

France youth coach Jean-Luc Vannuchi has described Saliba as a ‘monster’ who combines the ‘speed and power’ of Raphael Varane with the ‘positioning’ of Virgil van Dijk.

Newcastle appear to be in the market for a centre-back in the summer transfer window. The Magpies have been heavily linked with Celtic’s Kristoffer Ajer and also been mentioned as a possible destination for former Liverpool loanee Ozan Kabak.

The latest

Newcastle made an effort to sign Saliba on loan, as did Nice and Ligue 1 champions Lille, but all three were rebuffed.

The player apparently believes that moving to the Stade Velodrome will give him the most ‘visibility’.

Manager Jorge Sampaoli helped to convince him, while the chance to link up with former Arsenal team-mate Matteo Guendouzi and remain in the south of France were added incentives.

It’s thought the loan agreement won’t include an option to buy.

The verdict

If Saliba’s concern is being as visible as possible to Arsenal as he looks to force his way into the first-team picture, then you’d think a Premier League loan to a club like Newcastle would have been the smartest move.

But perhaps he’s looking beyond North London, where he can’t seem to get a look-in, and knows that top European clubs are more likely to take notice of him at a Europa League outfit than they are a mid-table side.

Newcastle could now turn their attention back to Kabak, who was impressive for Liverpool and may be a more realistic target given Schalke’s relegation.

In other news, Ben Jacobs dropped this takeover claim.  

It seems as if Celtic have extended Olivier Ntcham’s Parkhead deal by a further 12 months, The Scottish Sun report.

The Lowdown: Recent reports on Ntcham

Reports back in May went as far as saying the Hoops were planning to terminate the midfielder’s contract.

Celtic were reportedly set to exploit a loophole in Ntcham’s deal that would’ve seen him become a free agent.

A move to AEK Athens appeared to be on the cards after personal terms were reached, however, the Greek side pulled out of a move at the end of June.

Ntcham’s future seemed to be up in the air still, however, The Scottish Sun think Celtic may have completed some under-the-radar business when it comes to the 25-year-old.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-8/” title=”Celtic updates” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Ntcham travels to Wales

The Scottish Sun ran a story on Monday evening, claiming Ntcham was a shock passenger on Celtic’s pre-season tour of Wales.

The report claimed that Ntcham trained on his own at Lennoxtown last week but is now a part of Ange Postecoglou’s squad.

They even suggested that it seems Celtic have decided to take up the one-year option on Ntcham’s contract, however, the club haven’t confirmed anything on their website or social media platforms.

The Verdict: Postecoglou to make final call?

Following The Scottish Sun’s claim regarding the Hoops exercising the one-year option on Ntcham’s contract, perhaps they actually had to make a call one way or the other.

It makes sense for Postecoglou to have a look at the midfielder before the start of the new season, as he can then make a decision on whether or not to make him a part of his plans for the 2021/22 season.

Last year wasn’t the best for Ntcham, making just nine league starts combined for Celtic and Marseille, but it seems as if he has been handed a Celtic Park lifeline by Postecoglou’s arrival.

In other news: Celtic now ‘moving’ to sign ace on Top-100 prospects list alongside Sancho, Foden and Saka, find out more here.