All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Micah Richards was left blown away by the performance of one Sunderland star in the Tyne-Wear derby victory against Newcastle United this afternoon.

Sunderland win first Premier League game vs Newcastle since 2016

The Black Cats managed to get one over on their biggest rivals in the first Premier League meeting with Newcastle since 2016, courtesy of a bizarre own goal from Nick Woltemade in the second half.

Regis Le Bris’ side have made a dream start to life back in the top flight, but today’s victory is undoubtedly the sweetest yet, moving four points clear of the Magpies after managing to hold out for a well-earned 1-0 win.

A lot of credit has to go to the defence, with the visitors being limited to an xG of just 0.26, never really managing to create any big opportunities throughout the match.

However, Richards was also quick to praise Granit Xhaka after the match, with the former Manchester City man saying: “This man, we talked about him before the game, was brilliant again, absolute warrior in that midfield. What a player he’s been, what a signing. I’m gonna say he’s been the signing of the season so far, that’s how big I’m going.”

“He’s been absolutely immaculate in everything he does, even the way he speaks is just brilliant. Wow.”

Xhaka deserves all the plaudits after another impressive display

The Basel-born midfielder has been absolutely indispensable for Le Bris this season, starting all 15 Premier League games, during which time he’s chipped in with five goal involvements.

Sunderland could now make £12m approach to sign "unreal" defender in January

The Black Cats are assessing their options ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

ByDominic Lund 7 days ago

However, the Swiss maestro is perhaps best known for his defensive qualities, which were on show again today, making a number of important contributions.

Granit Xhaka’s key stats vs Newcastle

Number completed

Ground duels (won)

3 (2)

Aerial duels (won)

3 (3)

Clearances

4

Tackles

2

The Black Cats managing to sign the former Bayer Leverkusen man is starting to look like a real coup, with Jamie Carragher describing him as “fantastic” and the “most influential” player for a Premier League team this season.

The sky is the limit for this Sunderland side, who are firmly in contention to qualify for Europe, but Xhaka is likely to be paramount to their success, and Le Bris will be hoping for a similar display when his side travel to Brighton for their penultimate game in 2025 next weekend.

Crystal Palace are keen on a deal to bring Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman back to the Premier League, according to reports.

What's the latest on Lookman's future?

The Eagles have Wilfried Zaha and Jordan Ayew out of contract at the end of the season so reinforcements will be needed should one or both of the pair depart, and with his versatility to play out wide on both flanks and at centre-forward, the 25-year-old has been highlighted as a potential ideal candidate.

The Nigeria international only arrived at the Gewiss Stadium last summer so is still in his debut season, but having worked his socks off to become Gian Piero Gasperini’s top-performing attacking player with a match rating of 6.95, has caught the eye of Roy Hodgson and Dougie Freedman.

The Serie A attacker will already be used to playing in England having previously had a spell at Everton before later carrying out two loans with Fulham and Leicester City, as per Transfermarkt, and if the following update is anything to go by, he could be set to stage his comeback later in the summer.

According to 90min, Lookman is “of interest” to Crystal Palace, alongside newly-promoted Burnley, who have returned to the Premier League at the first time of asking following an outstanding season under Vincent Kompany. Atalanta could be set to lose a “number of players” during the upcoming window as a result of them looking likely to miss out on securing a place in the Champions League, something that the SE25 outfit could capitalise on should a cut-price deal for their target become available.

Should Crystal Palace make an offer for Lookman?

Crystal Palace will love the fact that Lookman has already made 96 appearances in the Premier League so would easily be able to adapt to the style of play, and having been hailed “lively” during his time at Leicester by journalist Josh Bunting, the board should certainly consider tabling a bid in the summer.

The Nike-sponsored ace has posted 20 goal contributions (15 goals and five assists) in 30 Atalanta outings and has been a real standout performer in the final third. The £39k-per-week winger has recorded 47 shots since the start of the season, which is higher than any of his teammates, alongside 82 shot-creating actions, ranking him second in the squad, via FBRef.

Interestingly, Lookman shares the same agent as Nathaniel Clyne so this existing representative connection could potentially give the Eagles an advantage over their competitors in the race to secure his services ahead of the 2023/24 term.

Tottenham Hotspur could be set to revisit an old acquisition, seeking to make a questionable loan permanent.

What's the latest on Clement Lenglet to Tottenham Hotspur?

That's according to Spanish publication Sport, who suggest that Ange Postecoglou is keen to add Clement Lenglet to his squad for the foreseeable future, despite the French defender having struggled in north London.

The club have reportedly reaffirmed in recent months their satisfaction with his performances in a Spurs shirt, and therefore their willingness to strike a deal with Barcelona.

With three years left on his whopping £200k-per-week deal at the Spanish club, and the Catalan giants once again strapped for cash, they are seeking out a figure of around €12m (£10m) to recoup a portion of the €36m (£31m) they first invested.

Would Clement Lenglet be a smart signing for Tottenham Hotspur?

Whilst such a small fee would represent good value to add some depth to the squad, his performances for the Lilywhites were nothing short of abysmal in their most recent term.

Although it had been claimed so back in 2020, he really proved journalist Roy Nemer correct this season, who had branded him a "defensive liability". It could even be argued that the 27-year-old was even worse than Eric Dier, who acted as something of a lightning rod for criticism under Antonio Conte.

The England international may have been poor, but his 6.86 average rating was a far cry from the left-footed flop that Lenglet turned out to be. This figure was upheld by his 86% pass accuracy and 1.1 interceptions, 0.9 tackles and 3.3 clearances per game in the league, via Sofascore.

For comparison, the former Sevilla stopper saw his average rating plummet to 6.65, made worse due to his positional culpability and failure to dominate as expected. He would only muster 0.7 interceptions and 2.6 clearances per game in the league, also per Sofascore.

Even at the Nou Camp, his most recent year saw an average rating of 6.67 maintained too.

Despite this, it was the former Everton youth product that was most often lambasted, with talkSPORT pundit Darren Ambrose grouping him up with others who were "not good enough" for the club. He has become an easy target for ridicule in recent years.

It seems an easy excuse to rush at Dier for his failures, forgetting that the 29-year-old has been an ever-loyal servant to this club, making 361 appearances and enjoying some truly impressive spells. As recently as the 2021/22 season did he record a 7.01 average rating.

For all his shortcomings he at least deserves some credit, especially ahead of this loanee whom he actually outperformed during their most recent torrid campaign.

Lenglet could mark a bargain, but if he performs consistently like he did last term, at a level way below one of the club's most polarising figures, then it is a deal not even worth spending £10m on.

Liverpool are in the process of rebuilding their midfield after a disappointing campaign last season and now a new update has emerged on a huge transfer target that could revolutionise the centre of the pitch at Anfield.

What's the latest on Liverpool's move for Federico Valverde?

According to reports coming out of Spain, Liverpool are preparing a €90m (£77m) bid to sign Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde, an offer that Madrid will find very difficult to reject.

As per the report, Jurgen Klopp has been a huge admirer of the player for a while and there are now doubts surrounding Valverde's future at the Santiago Bernabéu due to the competition that exists in the centre of the pitch.

Will Liverpool sign Federico Valverde this summer?

There is no doubt that a refresh in midfield is needed following the departures of James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita and the club has already secured a £35m deal for World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister.

Many of the remaining midfield options available to Klopp are reaching the latter stages of their careers with Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara well into their 30s at this point, whilst Fabinho will turn 30 before the turn of the year – so there is a real opportunity to build the next generation of success at Anfield.

As a result, the ambitious move for Valverde would be warmly welcomed as the 24-year-old would not only inject high energy, youth and a strong winning mentality into the heart of the team, but could finally replace Georginio Wijnaldum's deadly press and unrivalled work rate in midfield.

Before leaving the Merseyside giants in 2020 upon the expiration of his contract, Wijnaldum played a vital role in the success that Liverpool have experienced both in domestic competition and on the European stage, providing huge game-changing moments like his semi-final brace against Barcelona to lead the team to their first Champions League trophy since 2005.

Now Klopp could land his next game-changer with Valverde also a big game player who adopts the winning mentality and work ethic that is crucial to earn multiple accolades across several competitions.

The Uruguayan star – hailed "untouchable" by Los Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti – is an extremely attacking-minded talent who ranks in the top 16% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for non-penalty goals, shots in total, pass completion and progressive carries.

Wijnaldum, by comparison, ranks in the top 8% for non-penalty goals and the best 12% for shots to outline their similar attacking threat.

In comparison to Valverde's positional peers on Merseyside, neither Jordan Henderson nor Harvey Elliott were able to complete more progressive carries (70), goal contributions (11), shot-creating actions (81) or completed passes (1427) than Valverde in the Premier League last season, as per FBref.

With that being said, it would be a no-brainer for Liverpool to acquire the services of Valverde this summer as he could have a huge impact on improving performances next season and become the much-needed game-changer that the team has been crying out for in midfield since Wijnaldum departed.

Everton’s summer business was largely quite astute given their financial woes, but there remains one failed target that Sean Dyche could live to rue given recent developments regarding Demarai Gray.

Why is Demarai Gray leaving Everton?

Gray’s proposed move to Saudi Arabia has been well-documented, with journalist Alan Myers having noted of interest even back in mid-July.

So, when Deadline Day came and went without the Toffees bringing in any wide reinforcements, it seemed like the Jamaica international was poised to be reintegrated back into the squad after days of training alone.

The winger had other ideas. A questionable Instagram story gave his feelings on the stuttering Saudi switch, as he seemingly aimed a dig at Dyche.

The former Burnley boss then responded with his views on the matter, in an interview with the club: “Demarai made it clear that he felt he was getting a move and he told us a move was done, which was interesting to hear from a player.

“We reminded him of the truth of the fact that no moves are done without this club’s say so. That’s the truth of it.”

Ashley Young (Aston Villa)

Free

Arnaut Danjuma (Villarreal)

Loan

Youssef Chermiti (Sporting CP)

£15m

Jack Harrison (Leeds United)

Loan

Beto (Udinese)

£25.8m

All fees via Sky Sports

Despite that, it now seems like Gray will get his wish and finally depart Goodison Park, leaving them incredibly light on the wings and no transfer window to hand them some respite.

If only they had succeeded in their continued pursuit of Wilfried Gnonto.

Did Everton nearly sign Wilfried Gnonto?

In an effort to clearly replace the former Leicester City wantaway, Dyche put all his eggs in Gnonto’s basket.

The Merseyside outfit saw three bids rejected, the highest of which reached £25m (via Sky Sports live transfer blog), and despite the 19-year-old even handing in a transfer request, it was a failed venture in the end. He remained in Yorkshire, with Leeds United coming out on top.

His presence would have made for a sensational piece of business now, given Gray’s imminent exit, as not only would he offer the club some much-needed depth, but it could even be argued that the Italy international marked an upgrade on the 27-year-old.

After all, both battled well for relegation-threatened sides, and offered key goal contributions that helped in their pursuit of safety.

With two goals and four assists in the Premier League, Gnonto capped off a fine first year in England by capturing the attention of many. Journalist Phil Hay sought to outline him for praise: “Massive hit on Gnonto who is just electric every time he gets the ball.”

Meanwhile, not only was Gray’s tally of four goals and one assist lower, it must also be noted that two of his strikes came from the penalty spot; also, given his age, he is unlikely to improve at the rate that the Whites’ trickster likely will do.

After all, in his 75 appearances for Everton, he has managed just 18 goal contributions since joining for just £1.7m in 2021.

Despite all that, Dyche is set to be without either, still searching for that first Premier League win of the season. The hope will be that they can get to January still afloat in time to either return to this transfer saga or look elsewhere in the market to secure safety once again.

Aston Villa signing Manchester City full-back Kyle Walker could take them to the 'next level' under Unai Emery, according to journalist Pete O'Rourke.

What's the latest transfer news involving Kyle Walker?

As per Football Insider, Aston Villa are said to be keen on signing Walker from Manchester City this summer as Unai Emery eyes further reinforcements to bolster his squad.

The report states that the Villans' hierarchy are ready to back the Spaniard in the transfer market due to the impressive job he has done since taking over at Villa Park, with Walker believed to be 'firmly on the club’s radar' with the off-season approaching.

Aston Villa are not the only club interested in signing Walker. The Times have claimed that AC Milan are also keeping an eye on his situation after he fell out of favour under Citizens' boss Pep Guardiola.

Capology understands that the 32-year-old earns £160,000 per week at Manchester City and has one more year left until his deal expires in 2024.

Walker has made 28 appearances in all competitions for Manchester City this season, registering one assist, as per Transfermarkt.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist O'Rourke thinks that Walker would be a high-profile signing for Villa and also believes that many clubs will be keen on trying to secure his services.

O'Rourke told FFC: "I think it would just show the progress the club are making under Unai Emery right now. They're in the market for types of players like Kyle Walker and he could be somebody who could maybe take Villa to that next level with his experience and his class as well.

'If he's surplus to requirements at Man City, I'm sure there'd be a number of clubs that would be willing to sign the England international."

Would Kyle Walker be a good signing for Aston Villa?

Walker has plenty of Premier League experience under his belt and would be a solid addition to the fold under Emery as the Villans continue to improve on the field.

Ashley Young is getting on in age while Matty Cash has struggled with injuries of late, indicating that Aston Villa may need to enter the market to bolster the right-back area this summer.

In the Premier League, the Sheffield-born full-back has successfully recovered the ball 86 times this term, demonstrating his ability to outpace his opponent and retrieve possession for his side regularly.

Moving forward, Aston Villa bringing Walker in from Manchester City could prove to be a savvy piece of business by the West Midlands-based outfit.

Tottenham Hotspur's director of football has intimidated Daniel Levy since arriving in north London back in 2021 with his football knowledge.

Will Paratici leave Spurs?

The Italian has recently seen his 30-month ban from Italian football extended to a worldwide ban which is open for appeal next month.

However, upon receiving the initial ban back in November, the other members involved in the alleged scandal have all resigned from their positions at Juventus.

Spurs have stuck by Paratici who was set to oversee his third managerial appointment since arriving in north London less than two years ago.

And speaking on his YouTube channel, Alasdair Gold has suggested the 50-year-old's football knowledge has slightly intimidated the Spurs chairman at Hotspur Way:

"Those I've spoken to within Spurs have actually said – it's quite interesting – that he's a bit of a rarity at Spurs, Paratici, in that Daniel Levy clearly likes him, but actually, people have said that they don't really see Levy like this very much with many people. They say with Paratici, there's a sense that he's maybe ever so slightly intimidated by him because of his experience, his football knowledge.

"And because of that, from what I'm told, Paratici really had no qualms in telling Daniel Levy when he felt he was wrong."

Is it time for Levy to get out of Spurs?

There have been reports suggesting Spurs have been listening to offers over recent years over a potential sale of the club from the grasp of ENIC.

A Qatari consortium was recently linked with the Iranian billionaire Jahm Najafi also believed to have held a potential interest in the north London club.

And the pressure on Levy and Joe Lewis is only growing from the Spurs fans who are voicing their thoughts towards the club's board as their club is being labelled a "circus" by some.

It is believed Paratici was the man who led the move to appoint Nuno Espirito Santo back in 2021 which ultimately ended in disaster as he was sacked just months later.

However, it is also said Levy was the person who then took charge of the bid to bring Antonio Conte to north London to replace the Portuguese manager.

Although it is said Paratici's knowledge of the game intimidated Levy, there are a lot of things which the Italian got wrong during the transfer window with the summer signings failing to impress.

But some Tottenham fans will take some delight in hearing the 50-year-old was not scared to tell Levy when he was wrong and when to step aside and allow him to take charge.

That being said, the club are hardly heading towards the summer in a glowing position as they look for a new permanent manager and the future of their main man, Harry Kane, hanging in the balance.

Liverpool have tabled yet another fresh bid for highly-rated young Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, having seen a £46m offer rejected, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

How much does Romeo Lavia cost?

The Reds' interest in the 19-year-old has been one of this summer's biggest transfer sagas, as they look to make further midfield signings ahead of the new Premier League season.

While Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai have come in as exciting-looking additions, no other signings have been made, despite losing Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain at the same time.

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

It is Lavia who is seemingly considered Liverpool's No.1 option to come in and replace Fabinho in the defence midfield role, however, and on Monday they saw a third offer worth £46m turned down by Southampton, as the Championship side continue to hold firm.

Saints are demanding somewhere more in the region of £50m for the Belgian's services, and it looks as though the Reds may have finally bid that amount, following a new update.

What's the latest on Romeo Lavia to Liverpool?

Writing on Twitter on Monday night, Jacobs claimed that a fourth bid for Lavia has now been made by Liverpool almost immediately after the third, as they wait to hear Southampton's latest response:

"Understand Liverpool have already made another improved offer for Romeo Lavia after Southampton rejected their last £46m bid."

This whole situation has become rather painful at this point, with Liverpool making a mountain out of a molehill, in terms of continually bidding below the asking price when it is clear that Southampton aren't going to budge. The Reds must either stump up the £50m needed to get Lavia, or walk away from the deal and look at bringing in a different option in the No.6 role.

For Liverpool to be heading into their Premier League away to Chelsea on Sunday with no recognised defensive midfielder in their squad is a fairly ludicrous situation to be in, and even if Lavia does arrive before that game, it seems highly unlikely that he will feature, considering how late the Reds have left it.

Should this latest bid be accepted, though, the Merseysiders would be acquiring the services of a hugely exciting young footballer with a very high ceiling – one who Pep Guardiola has described as "incredible" in the past, with journalist Jacob Tanswell hailing him as "ridiculous".

At 19, it would be unfair to expect too much from Lavia straight away, as he gets used to playing for such a massive club – another No.6 with a little more experience is needed, too, but it remains to be seen if that will happen – but he showed last season that he can excel in the Premier League, arguably outperforming every other Southampton player and doing his best to keep them in the top flight, prior to their relegation.

An average of 2.1 tackles per game across 29 league appearances highlights his off-the-ball quality, but he is also a class act in possession, proving to be good in tight spaces and receiving the ball on the half-turn, completing 86.4% of his passes in a struggling Saints team last term.

Liverpool are expected to retain the services of forward Diogo Jota beyond the end of the summer transfer window, according to a new update.

The Lowdown: Jota linked with exit

The Portuguese burst onto the scene at Anfield when he joined from Wolves back in 2020, immediately becoming a key attacker and scoring nine Premier League goals in his first season.

The last year or so has proven to be extremely frustrating for Jota, however, having not scored since the 2-2 draw at Manchester City last April, suffering with multiple lengthy injury problems.

At same the time, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo have both become important players and made competition for places stronger, arguably pushing the 26-year-old down the pecking order.

Jota has looked out of sorts since returning from injury, struggling in Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat to Real Madrid, and some reports have even linked with him an exit from Liverpool this summer.

A new update has now emerged, however – one that u-turns from the rumours of a pending departure.

The Latest: Expected to stay

According to Football Insider, Jota ‘remains a key part of Liverpool’s plans’ moving forward and the club do not have any intention of moving him on, despite the ‘suggestions’ otherwise.

Any attempts from other clubs to snap up the forward would be ‘flatly turned down’, according to the report, with Jurgen Klopp seemingly considering him a key figure still.

His current deal at Anfield doesn’t expire until the summer of 2027, so a big bid would likely be needed to prise him away.

The Verdict: Still an important figure

There is no question that Jota’s performance in the past 12 months have been worse than they were when he joined – no goals this season is a testament to that – but selling him would be a mistake, given the quality he possesses.

The 29-cap Portugal international has scored 34 goals and registered 15 assists in 101 Liverpool appearances, as well as being hailed as ‘exceptional’ by Klopp.

Injuries have been a massive reason for Jota’s struggles, allowing him no rhythm whatsoever and affecting his sharpness, and if he can just enjoy a run in the team from this point onwards, there is no reason why he can’t help drive the Reds to a top-four finish.

Granted, he may not be a nailed-on starter moving forward, given the competition for places in Liverpool’s attacking ranks, but he has done more than enough to prove his worth in the past three seasons, and at 26, remains a relatively young footballer.

Everton have found themselves in a Premier League relegation battle once again this season and Sean Dyche now just has ten games remaining to save the club from a spell in the Championship.

The Toffees are currently only two points clear of the bottom three following their 2-2 draw with Chelsea ahead of the international break and will need to pick up more crucial points over the coming weeks to secure survival.

Dyche took on the task of saving the Merseysiders back in January and has since picked up 11 points out of a possible 24 in his first eight fixtures so far, with many of his tweaks already improving performances.

The Everton boss has leaned on some of his former players like Michael Keane and Dwight McNeil who both found themselves out of favour under Frank Lampard, but it's not just his Burnley alumni that have seen their opportunities increase.

One player who has revived his Everton career is midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure after it was reported he was banished from the squad's training sessions and matchday squads following a fractured relationship forming with Lampard, however, has thrived under Dyche.

As it stands, the £120k-per-week Frenchman will be out of contract this summer and after playing a crucial part in the improvements seen on the blue side of Merseyside over a short time, there is no doubt that a new deal could be on the horizon.

Will Doucoure stay at Everton this summer?

The talented midfielder joined the Toffees back in 2020 in a £20m deal after impressing at Watford and has tallied up 88 appearances, seven goals and nine assists over his time at the club so far.

Dyche spoke out in February about his decision to give the 30-year-old a second chance at Goodison Park after becoming a fringe player ahead of his arrival:

"He's certainly someone that could help the club going forwards. I think he has done very well. Different managers see different things, different managers want different things.

"He has just responded very well so far – but I want him to continue in that vein. I agree, he has played very well. He keeps working in both boxes, driving with his running that's for sure. The signs are good."

Doucoure – who writer Peter Guy claimed has been "reborn" – has scored twice and assisted his teammates on two occasions in the last three games, proving to be a crucial and hard-working asset in Dyche's team and more importantly, proving that he is worthy of a spot in the starting eleven.

Despite reportedly being close to a move away in January, Everton now have an option to extend the Mali international's stay for another 12 months and if he continues to put in the performances he has displayed so far there is no reason why that won't be triggered.

With that being said, Doucoure's contributions could be absolutely crucial to Everton beyond their relegation battle this season and should the side survive he will be a valuable asset to Dyche in the future.