All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Tottenham Hotspur are "on the verge" of agreeing contract terms with Brentford goalkeeper David Raya, following "positive talks", according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Which goalkeeper are Tottenham signing?

According to a report from earlier this month, Tottenham have made contact with Everton about a summer move for Jordan Pickford, however they may be put off by his high asking price, with the Toffees set to hold out for around £40m.

With Manchester United now readying a move for the England international, Spurs may be forced to move on to other targets, with the likes of Dean Henderson, Mike Maignan and Robert Sanchez previously being identified as potential options.

The same report outlines Raya as a target for the Lilywhites, and having held talks with Brentford about a summer move for the goalkeeper, Romano has now provided a new update, which indicates that a breakthrough has been made.

Taking to Twitter, the transfer expert claimed that a significant breakthrough has been made in talks with the Spaniard, however one potential obstacle is that Tottenham are unhappy with the fee being demanded by Brentford.

The Italian said: "Tottenham are now on the verge of reaching an agreement with David Raya on personal terms. Long term contract, almost agreed after positive talks.

"Raya, open to Spurs move but club to club talks will be crucial. £40m fee asked by Brentford, considered too high."

Is David Raya signing for Tottenham?

The 27-year-old has reportedly turned down two contract offers from Brentford, but he is settled in London, which could give Tottenham a major advantage in the race for his signature, despite the previous links to Manchester United.

Brentford reporter Jay Harris hailed the Barcelona-born shot-stopper last season, describing him as "incredible", while also claiming that he is "one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League".

With 154 saves to his name in the Premier League last season, the Brentford goalkeeper was ranked at the top of the charts, making ten more saves than any other player in the top flight, and he is also impressive with the ball at his feet.

Over the past year, the two-time Spain international has averaged 45.32 touches per 90, which places him in the 94th percentile compared to his positional peers, indicating his willingness to get involved in the play.

Even at £40m, Raya could be a fantastic signing for Tottenham, and it is exciting news that contract terms have almost been agreed.

With Tottenham Hotspur now plotting to strengthen following the appointment of Ange Postecoglou, one transfer rumour that has particularly caught the eye is the links to Manchester United winger, Jadon Sancho.

According to a recent report from the Daily Star, the Lilywhites are said to be interested in making a £50m move for the England international this summer, with the 23-year-old having initially made the switch to Old Trafford on a £73m deal back in 2021.

The former Borussia Dortmund ace looks likely to be moved on by the Red Devils this summer amid claims that Erik ten Hag is willing to cash in on the 5 foot 11 trickster, with an asking price of around £60m having been suggested.

The one-time Manchester City youth product is currently facing such uncertainty at the Theatre of Dreams having provided just 18 goals and assists in 79 games across all fronts over the last two seasons, although those at N17 may well be hoping that they can revive the £350k-per-week forward's fortunes if he is to make the move to the capital over the coming weeks and months.

Should Tottenham sign Jadon Sancho?

There is no denying that Sancho is not looking like the player who previously burst onto the scene at Dortmund, having notably racked up 114 goals and assists in just 137 games for the Bundesliga side, prior to making his return to England.

That stellar form had unsurprisingly earned the wide man rave reviews, with his compatriot and former teammate Jude Bellingham having dubbed him "frightening" and "scary" back in 2021 due to the sheer scale of his talent.

That version of the London-born whiz would no doubt be a real bonus for Spurs if they could wrap up a deal, with there a potential for Sancho to form a devastating attacking partnership with his England colleague, Harry Kane, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

With it looking as if Kane will not be sold by chairman Daniel Levy this summer, the club's record scorer is set to lead the line yet again next term, having only recently ended the 2022/23 campaign with a staggering haul of 30 league goals to his name.

As Sancho's assist record in Germany would illustrate – a total of 64 assists in all competitions – the playmaker could well help to provide quality service to the 29-year-old in attack, while the current United man has also shown a willingness to try and make things happen at the top end of the in recent times, as he ranks in the top 8% among his European peers for touches in the attacking penalty area.

Even amid his current woes, the fleet-footed ace still ranks in the top 20% for shot-creating actions as a further marker of his creative ability in the final third, again suggesting that he could be the man to deliver the goods to Kane on a regular basis.

Of course – as the most recent campaign has shown – the latter man is almost able to make the difference on his own, yet having a fit and firing Sancho alongside him in the attack could be a truly mouthwatering proposition.

Glasgow Rangers target Jose Cifuentes is set to fly in to complete a medical ahead of a move to the Scottish Premiership, according to reports.

Who is LAFC's Jose Cifuentes?

The Los Angeles FC midfielder first arrived in the Major League Soccer back in 2020 and has since gone on to make a total of 113 appearances for Steve Cherundolo’s side, but with his contract set to expire at the end of the year, he’s likely to be available for a cut-price fee this summer.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Fabrizio Romano credited the Light Blues with a strong interest in the 24-year-old and claimed that initial conversations are “going well” after Michael Beale and Co offered him an “interesting project”.

The Ecuador international also recently sparked excitement among supporters after he was spotted liking social media comments from fans welcoming him to the club despite a deal having not yet even been completed, though it sounds as if a move is pretty imminent.

Are Rangers signing Cifuentes?

According to The Herald, Cifuentes is “poised to quit” Los Angeles FC in the MLS and is “expected to jet in for a medical sooner rather than later” to finalise his switch to Rangers. Beale now “closes in” on securing his next new signing and one that will add “further strength” to the centre of the park, with all of the fresh faces set to join up with the rest of the squad in next month’s pre-season training camp over in Germany.

Could Cifuentes be a strong addition for Beale?

Rangers recently confirmed the signing of Crystal Palace goalkeeper Jack Butland so Beale will now be focusing on what other targets he can bring in next, and having been described as a “physical” central midfielder by Ecuador specialist Benedikt Duda, Cifuentes would be a fantastic addition at Ibrox.

The World Cup participant, who pockets £5k-per-week, is naturally stronger in the attacking aspect of his game, ranking in the 98th percentile for successful take-ons and turning his dribbling skills into results having posted five goal contributions (four assists and one goal) in 18 appearances across all competitions this season.

Cifuentes, however, is also good at getting stuck in defensively having won 15 of his 19 tackles made since the start of the term so loves to dispossess the opposition and win the ball back for his side. For someone who has a positive impact at both ends of the pitch, this seems like a no-brainer of a deal to complete.

Manchester United have submitted an offer to sign Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, according to Marca (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown: Major interest

Although the transfer window is yet to officially open, the pursuit of De Jong is already in danger of turning into an exhausting saga.

The Red Devils have been extensively linked with a move for the 25-year-old, particularly following the official appointment of former Ajax manager Erik ten Hag, who took charge of 59 games in which the cultured midfielder played in Holland.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-man-utd-updates-3/” title=”Latest Man Utd updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Amidst all the noise surrounding the potential switch to Old Trafford from the Camp Nou, it now appears as though United have taken the first big step towards getting the deal moving…

The latest: Bid made

As per Marca, translated by SW, Manchester United chiefs are believed to have made an opening bid worth €60million (£51million) initially, plus a further €20million (£17million) in add ons.

It’s claimed that Ten Hag has personally ‘spoken with the footballer to convince him to be his star at United’, having overseen his development earlier on in a fledgeling career.

The report states that De Jong – once lauded as a ‘sublime footballer’ by reporter Sam Dean – would be given the responsibility to be the ‘conductor’ in the midfield and is now ‘further away’ than ever from staying at Barcelona.

The verdict: Fingers crossed

Signing the 42-cap Holland star for the mooted expenditure would be a welcome positive statement of intent to signify the beginning of what is hoped to be a new and successful era under Ten Hag.

Sharing similar stylistic traits with Real Madrid superstar Luka Modric, Manchester City sensation Ilkay Gundogan and classy Inter Milan ace Nicolo Barella (Fbref), there is certainly an elite level player in the cross hairs of the United recruitment team.

With his talents already well known to the manager, during 2021/22, the Dutchman scored four times and registered five assists in 46 appearances across all competitions, earning an impressive 7.08 Sofascore rating whilst competing 1.3 key passes on average from 32 La Liga outings in the process.

That form and perceived level of potential, combined with the opportunity to link back up with his ex-manager Ten Hag and former teammate Donny van de Beek, makes the swoop for De Jong a no brainer, particularly having allowed Paul Pogba move on.

In other news, Erik ten Hag could be key in luring this star to Old Trafford

Liverpool have been heavily linked to Darwin Nunez and the speculation has certainly ramped up since it was reported that Sadio Mane may leave this summer, but now a new update has emerged that suggests the Reds may have made their move.

What’s the latest?

According to Portuguese news outlet Record, Liverpool have now made a club-record offer for the Benfica star.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-liverpool-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-salah-gnabry-isak-romano” title= “Read the latest Liverpool news!”]

As per the report, the Merseyside giants are said to have tabled an offer of €100m (£85m) to secure a deal for Nunez this summer.

The news has further been backed up by Dominic King this morning with the popular journalist tweeting:

“Liverpool want to sign Darwin Nunez and are prepared to smash their transfer record to get him.”

Klopp loves him

There is no doubt that Jurgen Klopp will be thrilled to have Nunez join the squad at Anfield, and clearly already loves him as he was full of praise for the striker when Liverpool faced Benfica in the quarter-finals of the Champions League last season.

The German coach claimed in his pre-match press conference for the second tie (via Sky Sports Premier League):

“An extremely good looking boy eh?! He was calm for the finish. He is good, really good. If he stays healthy, he has a big career ahead of him.”

Nunez who was hailed a “diamond” by Steve McManaman has been attracting attention from some of the biggest clubs in the world following a highly impressive season for Benfica, with Manchester United and Atletico Madrid both name-dropped as interested parties by King in his aforementioned tweet.

The 22-year-old has scored 34 goals and contributed four assists in 41 appearances across all competitions for his Portuguese side which is phenomenal for a youngster, and his 26 league goals saw him become the top goal-scorer in the Primeira Liga during the 2021/22 campaign.

It is clear that Klopp views the goal machine as a good fit for his formidable forward line that already boasts top talent like Mohamed Salah and he would be an idyllic replacement for Mane’s goal contributions should the Senegalese winger move on this summer.

With that being said, if Liverpool can beat their competitors for the signing by making the club record-breaking transfer bid there will be high expectations on the young striker to adopt a lot of responsibility in the front three next season.

AND in other news: Liverpool plot bid to sign “glorious” £64m “nightmare”, he’s better than Darwin Nunez

Everton struggled this season following a tight relegation battle in the Premier League, and Frank Lampard must improve the squad if they want to do better next time around.

To that effect, a new Goodison Park transfer target has now been revealed.

What’s the latest?

According to 90min, the Toffees have joined the race to sign former Manchester United star Jesse Lingard, who is now a free agent.

As per the report, the attacking midfielder is a potential target for not just Everton – his former Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho could try to tempt him with a move to Roma, or he could rejoin his former loan club West Ham United this summer.

Imagine him & Gordon

Everton are desperate to add new attacking threats to enhance their goalscoring opportunities following a lack of goals last season, which ultimately led to the Toffees struggling in the bottom half of the table, and signing Lingard could be a great solution to that problem ahead of next season.

The Merseyside club conceded 23 goals more than they scored in the 2021/22 Premier League, with Richarlison leading the way with 11 in all competitions. However, they will need to find a few more reliable scoring outlets if they want to break back into the top half next term.

Lingard has never been a consistent starter at Old Trafford, but during his time at his boyhood club, he has scored 35 goals and delivered 21 assists in 232 first-team appearances, with one goal contribution every 224 minutes. However, he has proven elsewhere that regular game-time enables him to offer a consistent attacking threat.

The £80k-p/w star, who was dubbed “infectious” by Manchester United legend Andy Cole, enjoyed a successful six-month loan spell at West Ham last year. He displayed his talents effectively in east London, scoring nine goals and contributing five assists in just 16 appearances, proving that he could be a very astute signing for any Premier League club this summer.

Lampard is already a huge fan of the 29-year-old and spoke out about him in 2018 on BT Sport (via The Sport Review), saying: “What I like about him is his game intelligence. You never see him linger on the ball when he doesn’t need to. He has the right amount of touches and knows when to arrive in the box at the right time.”

With that in mind, the Toffees manager could tee up a formidable attacking duo if he can secure the signing of Lingard and deploy him in the team alongside Anthony Gordon, who chipped in with seven goal contributions this term. The pair couldlink up to create more goal-scoring opportunities in the final third, ideally leading to Everton enjoying a more fruitful 2022/23 season.

AND in other news – Worse than Klassen: Journo claims Everton are now tracking “really slow” 31 y/o dud

Newcastle United reportedly ‘remain keen’ on signing Sven Botman in the summer, despite a ‘sensational twist’ that has now emerged.

The Lowdown: Milan bound?

It has been reported that the St. James’ Park faithful have ‘not given up hope’ of signing Botman in the summer, despite AC Milan already verbally agreeing personal terms with the Lille central defender.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-6/” title=”Newcastle news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

After failing to sign him in the January transfer window, the North East club have continually held ‘extensive negotiations’ over the potential signing, but it looks like Milan could be the favourites for his signature.

The Latest: Remain keen

As per Football Insider, the Tyneside outfit ‘remain keen’ on signing Botman, even though a ‘sensational twist’ has now emerged in the form of a new suitor.

According to a source from Manchester United, the Red Devils are now ‘exploring a move’ for the Dutchman, with ‘preliminary talks’ set to take place after a board meeting involving new manager Erik ten Hag.

The Verdict: Get it done

With Manchester United, who can offer Botman European football just like Milan, now entering the frame, the Magpies need to act fast to get this deal done.

Described as a ‘golden boy‘ by his agent Francesco Miniero, he is one of the most promising up-and-coming players in the game at just 22 years of age, having already played regularly at the highest level.

Nonetheless, at six-foot-five, he is an imposing centre-back, and could form a truly scary partnership with the six-foot-seven Dan Burn.

In other news, find out which ‘terrifying’ star NUFC are now eyeing here!

The Athletic’s Liverpool reporter James Pearce has provided a crucial update on the fitness of Mohamed Salah with the Reds’ Champions League final just two weeks away.

What’s the latest?

The Egyptian winger was withdrawn in the first half of Liverpool’s FA Cup victory over Chelsea on Saturday through injury, with supporters holding their breaths.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-liverpool-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-salah-gnabry-isak-romano” title= “Read the latest Liverpool news!”]

However, Pearce tweeted that Salah confirmed he will be fit for the Champions League final against Real Madrid, stating after the FA Cup final: “Of course, all good.â€

The 29-year-old has scored a whopping 30 goals in 49 appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s side and would be a colossal miss if the forward was unable to make the Champions League final.

Liverpool supporters will be buzzing

Liverpool supporters would have certainly feared the worst when they saw their star player hobble off the Wembley pitch on Saturday with two crucial Premier League matches left as well as Europe’s showpiece fixture against Real Madrid in Paris.

Despite Manchester City now boasting a three-point lead, Klopp’s men are still in the hunt for the Premier League title with games against Southampton and Wolves to come.

However, they may well need a favour from Aston Villa on the final day.

Therefore, focus will certainly be on the Champions League final, with the German manager admitting: “The quadruple is off because of the situation we are in. We have to make changes against Southampton.â€

Granted, Liverpool have a plethora of world-class attackers in Sadio Mane, Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota. However, replacing a player who has netted 30 goals is virtually impossible.

Moreover, Salah has unfinished business against Real Madrid given how the Egyptian was cruelly forced off against the Spanish outfit in the 2018 final through injury, with Liverpool eventually losing the match 3-1.

The 29-year-old’s availability for the Champions League final will certainly have his manager, teammates and supporters buzzing.

AND in other news: Liverpool must now brutally sell £85k-p/w dud who’s lost possession every 4.5 minutes

Everton are eying up a swoop for Mainz centre-back Moussa Niakhate during the summer transfer window as Frank Lampard aims to bolster his defence.

What’s the word?

That’s according to German outlet BILD, who have claimed that the 26-year-old wants to join a Premier League club this summer, with the Toffees and West Ham leading the chase.

With just one year left on his current contract, the centre-back could be available for a partly £8m, small change in today’s world of vastly inflated transfer fees.

Lampard needs Niakhate

There is no doubt that Everton have had a terrible season, and despite a recent resurgence in results which could prove crucial in their relegation fight, it has simply not been good enough for a club of their size and talents.

If Lampard remains in the job ahead of next season, his urgent priority is to sign a defender, and Niakhate fits the bill perfectly.

The £12k-p/w Mainz captain has been has described by manager Bo Svensson as both a “role model” and “clever” following his wonderful campaign which sees Die Nullfünfer currently sit ninth in the Bundesliga table.

Nikhate would be a big upgrade on Yerry Mina and Michael Keane in the Everton backline. He has made more interceptions (72) than the Toffees duo combined (70) and has also atttempted more tackles over the course of the league season (59) compared to Mina (17) and Keane (46).

These figures show how strong he is at the back and illustrate his ability to stabilise the Blues’ defence. His disciplinary record is excellent too, receiving only one caution, whilst Mina and Keane have each had three bookings this term.

freshpress-quiz ]

Everton need a player who is mature enough to marshal their defence, and Niakhate looks like he has all the attributes to succeed in England, while also being a discernible upgrade on the defensive options currently at Lampard’s disposal.

AND in other news, Everton can finally axe “poor” £68k-p/w dud by signing 22 y/o with “huge potential”…

Liam Kennedy has dropped a ‘big summer’ Newcastle United claim on Elliot Anderson after news of his ineligibility was confirmed.

The Lowdown: Not eligible

As per Newcastle World, Anderson is not eligible to play against Arsenal and Burnley in their remaining two Premier League fixtures.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-6/” title=”Newcastle news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

He has returned to St. James’ Park after his loan spell at Bristol Rovers, but guidance from the top flight has stated that while he is now able to train with the first team, he will not be allowed to feature for them, as only in ‘exceptional circumstances’ – like the early recall of a goalkeeper – should a player be able to return to first-team football outside of a transfer window.

The Latest: Kennedy reacts

Taking to Twitter, Newcastle World journalist Kennedy has given his reaction to the revelation, claiming that while it is a ‘shame’, there could still be a ‘big’ summer ahead for Anderson:

“It’s a shame, but not even sure Eddie Howe would use him, especially when you look back at his selection policy against Cambridge in the FA Cup earlier this season. Could be a big summer for the lad.”

The Verdict: Shame indeed

Indeed, it is a shame that the Toon Army will not be able to see Anderson play for them in their remaining two games.

The 19-year-old scored eight goals and made a further five assists in 21 matches in total in League Two, including three goal contributions on the final day which helped the Gas remarkably win promotion (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, with the North East club now comfortable in the table, it would have been a good time to see what Anderson can do as Eddie Howe ponders keeping him in his squad for the next campaign.

In other news, find out which ‘insane’ star NUFC could sign this summer here!