All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Wolves potentially caused one of the shocks of the summer transfer window when they agreed to sell star forward Diogo Jota to defending Premier League champions Liverpool in a £45m deal, when add-ons are included.

He had long been a favourite under Nuno Santo, playing a total of 131 times across three seasons.

The 23-year-old returned 44 goals and 19 assists in that spell, via Transfermarkt, also winning the Championship with the club in 2018.

Jeff Shi’s decision to sell the Portuguese dynamo is looking worse and worse as weeks go by…

Mistake?

Jota has already made an impact at Anfield, scoring seven goals in ten appearances. That number is even more impressive when you learn that he’s only played 500 minutes in all competitions.

That’s one goal every 71 minutes.

By comparison, no other player besides Raul Jimenez has found the net more than once for Wolves this season. Pedro Neto and Daniel Podence have scored one each whilst Adama Traore finds himself yet to get on the scoresheet.

In the Premier League this season, Jota ranks first for shots attempted (4.13 per 90), first for link-up plays completed (9.38 per 90), second for accelerations (4.5 per 90) and second for touches in the opposition box (7.87 per 90), via Twenty3.

It’s no wonder Reds legend and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher lauded him as a “pressing monster.”

They really were the perfect partnership up front, and you’d imagine the Mexican is missing his right-hand man.

Speaking back in March, he said: “Me and Diogo have training sessions and play on the pitch together, him and me are having a good relationship. I assist him and he assists me in so many games, it’s a good part of the team.”

Wrong player?

Interestingly, he wasn’t the only Wolves star mooted with an exit throughout the summer as Traore was also wanted by Jurgen Klopp’s Reds.

According to the Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), the Liverpool boss was keen on signing the wing monster but the Midlands outfit were asking for around €70m (£64m).

The 24-year-old has only started eight of Wolves’ last 16 matches in all competitions and two of those were filling for the recently-departed Matt Doherty at wing-back.

Traore has not started since the 4-0 mauling by West Ham back in September – in that time, Nuno’s side have remained unbeaten. Coincidence?

In comparison to Jota’s aforementioned Premier League figures, the Wolves star is 91st for shots attempted (1.3 per 90), 100th for touches in the opposition box (1.82 per 90) and 62nd for successful link-up plays (2.08 per 90), also via Twenty3.

That makes it ever so clear that Jimenez is lacking the presence of his perfect foil in Jota.

Shi is clearly willing to give up his key players for the right price.

But Traore’s stock is only going to plummet whilst sat on the bench most weeks, which is bad news for making a profit on him in the future.

If he had sold the Spaniard instead of the now €70m-valued (£64m) Jota this summer, then things may have turned out very differently for Wolves, both on and off the pitch.

It has been one unforgivable mistake from the chairman so far.

AND in other news, Wolves starlet with “similar traits to Pogba” has the potential to usurp Ruben Neves…

Aston Villa’s new sporting director Johan Lange could kickstart his tenure with a bang if he manages to clinch Dean Smith a new striker this summer – and there’s one standout candidate…

What’s the word?

According to BirminghamLive, the west Midlands outfit are facing stiff competition from a host of Premier League teams for Celtic talisman Odsonne Edouard.

Top-flight newcomers Leeds United are in the running as are Arsenal and Leicester City.

It comes just a week after The Sun’s claims that Villa have inquired about the impressive 22-year-old forward, who is thought to be valued at £40m.

Lead with the Lange

A move for Edouard is rather audacious on Villa’s part having narrowly avoided relegation, but if it can be done, then Lange could provide a massive, massive coup – one that will right all the wrongs of Jesus Garcia Pitarch’s reign at Villa Park.

Suso dithered on a move for Smith’s old goalscorer Neal Maupay and instead opted for a move for Wesley – aside from his injury, he only managed to provide five goals whilst his January replacement Mbwana Samatta hardly set the ground alight with one goal from 14 appearances (via WhoScored).

That’s around £30m wasted on two strikers who aren’t up to the standard of the Premier League.

Meanwhile, Edouard is a stonecold, prolific marksman who has not only done it for Scotland’s biggest club but also on the European stage.

Last campaign, he delivered a whopping 27 goals and 19 assists, which includes a pair of strikes against Lange’s old club, Copenhagen in the Champions League.

It’ll take a lot for the Hoops to sell him though, that if Neil Lennon’s praise is anything to go by: “He’s hugely important (to us), he’s an outstanding footballer, talismanic almost, he’s so talented, so cool.”

Whilst his suitability to play up top on his own at Villa is emphasised by former Celtic star Mark Wilson, who believes Edouard is a “complete all-round striker” who “can play off the shoulder, can hold it up, can drop into the hold and can score free kicks.”

The Villans absolutely must listen to Lange over this deal, it’ll be far from that of Suso’s panic spree last summer, that’s for certain.

AND in other news, Villa the latest club to register interest in prized Bournemouth asset…

Tottenham Hotspur are still on a lookout for a quality Harry Kane alternative. Not that the big Englishman is going anywhere, of course, but Jose Mourinho has seen what life without him is like at the club and has decided enough is enough.

Spurs can’t move forward without a proper substitute to potentially take Kane’s spot when he’s unavailable. Last season’s long-term injury left the team devastated, both on and off the pitch, and the Special One aims to rectify that in the upcoming 2020/21 Premier League campaign.

And one of the potential targets is Brentford’s Ollie Watkins. The 24-year-old striker could cost around £25m, which is not exactly cheap but at the same time, still affordable for Daniel Levy.

According to Jermaine Beckford, the former Leeds and Leicester City player, the Bees’ young forward would be the perfect choice for Mourinho as he ticks all the boxes.

Here’s what he had to say about it on TalkSPORT: “He’s 24 years old, and if you look at the way he plays, he’s very quick, very strong, his positioning is really good, his finishing is brilliant and his work rate is unbelievable.

“He’s very good in the air, as well. He ticks all of the boxes. For me, it’s a no-brainer.”

We still don’t know how much money do Spurs have for the ongoing summer transfer window. But if Levy approves, this could be a big scoop for them and a major win on the market.

Verdict

And when everything is said and done, this deal really does make sense for Spurs and Mourinho. Not only would they get a prospect for the future but also someone well capable of performing in the present as well.

With the team needing someone to lift some pressure off of Kane’s shoulders, Watkins could indeed be the one to do exactly that and then some.

Newcastle United have signed up Adam Wilson to a new deal as he has proved his fitness in time for the upcoming 2020/21 season, as per The Chronicle.

As per the outlet, the 20-year old has been struggling with injury woes and apparently attracted some interest from Blackburn Rovers a couple of years ago.

Wilson had made seven appearances in the Premier League 2 in the 2019/20 season before it was cut short by the global pandemic outbreak, scoring two goals, and the Tyneside club’s under 23’s won five of those seven games with him playing a part, according to Transfermarkt.

The midfielder has featured in a total of 69 matches for the Magpies at youth level, netting 11 strikes and making five assists, and he has also played four times for England at under 18 level (via the website).

Wilson has predominantly played on the left-wing.

However, the 23-year old has sometimes lined up a little deeper on the left flank when Steve Bruce has played a 4-4-1-1 formation, like he did when they beat Chris Wilder’s European-chasing Sheffield United 3-0 at St. James’ Park after Project Restart, with Saint-Maximin scoring the opening goal of the match.

Perhaps Wilson can learn from the Frenchman if he has an ambition of eventually breaking into the first-team squad, as NUFC seem to see a future for him at the club given that they have tied him down to a new contract.

Geordies, will Wilson ever make it in the first team? Comment below!

A number of Glasgow Rangers fans hit out at referee Kevin Clancy as he was speaking ahead of the new Premiership season.

As per Daily Record, the 36-year-old claimed that officials in Scotland’s top flight will be put under unprecedented pressure in the coming campaign, with matches taking place behind closed doors from now on and with Celtic going for a historic 10th successive title triumph. His comments were also shared on Twitter by @ClydeSSB.

He said: “I can guarantee that the referees officiating know exactly what’s at stake this season. We are under no illusion that every decision, in almost every game, is going to be scrutinised to a level that even the media probably haven’t seen for a long time. We really do know what is at stake.”

Clancy had a run-in with the ‘Gers last season when he showed red cards to assistant manager Michael Beale, who had accused him of cheating, and striker Alfredo Morelos for simulation in stoppage time during the 2-1 win away to the Hoops during the festive period.

He has taken charge of 28 matches featuring the Ibrox club, half of which ended in wins for the ‘Gers and the other half split evenly between draws and defeats. Despite the controversy from the aforementioned derby seven months ago, the Light Blues have actually won both of Clancy’s Old Firm games so far. [via TransferMarkt]

Despite that record, many ‘Gers fans still haven’t forgotten the tempestuous clash at Parkhead and took their opportunity to have a go at the referee following his comments, with one fan seemingly taking a leaf out of Beale’s book by calling him a “cheat”:

‘Gers fans, what did you make of Clancy’s pre-season warning? Comment below with your views!

Reliable Times journalist Paul Joyce tweeted on Wednesday that Duncan Ferguson will remain in caretaker charge for the trip to Manchester United on Sunday, and Toffees fans have been quick to react.

The Scot took charge of the Merseyside outfit for their 3-1 win against Chelsea at Goodison Park last weekend, and with the club seemingly failing to make enough progress in a bid to get Marco Silva’s successor in this week, the 47-year-old will lead the team out at Old Trafford.

It was certainly an impressive start from Ferguson in the dugout, and he made some key changes that paid off such as starting with a 4-4-2 formation with Richarlison partnering Dominic Calvert-Lewin up top – the former scored one while the latter netted a brace in the victory.

Even though it meant that they won’t have a new man in charge against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, many were happy with the update.

Others took it in a slightly different way though, with one suggesting that it might be taking longer because the club have now reportedly made Carlo Ancelotti their first-choice option.

Another was happy with the news as they would rather have their former player at the helm than David Moyes, who was reported to be “on the brink” of taking charge in a report by The Times earlier this week.

One more individual said it’s like when the club had David Unsworth in caretaker charge back in 2017 before Sam Allardyce eventually came in, but it’s unclear whether they are being positive or negative about this.

Did he play for Everton? Simple question but a lot tougher than you think…

However, the fact he lost five of his eight games then suggests it may be the latter.

In other Everton news, a 57-year-old pundit has dropped a hint that Carlo Ancelotti could be set for Goodison Park appointment…

Former Glasgow Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha is set to return to football as the manager of Mexican outfit Tigres.

The Portuguese boss is a record-breaker at Ibrox, becoming the club’s shortest-serving permanent manager when he was sacked after just 229 days in the hot-seat, and has been out of a job for just under a year after being relieved of his duties by fellow Mexican outfit Cruz Azul. Now, though, it is being reported by Tele Diario that Tigres, one of the biggest and most well-supported clubs in the country, could well give him the top job.

This is likely to shock plenty of the Gers supporters given his poor record north of the border where he won just 14 of the 27 games he managed. Indeed, BBC Sport’s Tom English described his reign as “a desperate mess from start to finish.”

But he does have good pedigree in the North American country. As manager of Santos Laguna, he won both the domestic league and cup, whilst he also finished top of the table with Cruz Azul.

It seems the move to Scotland was not right for Caixinha, despite him spending a fair amount of money on the likes of Carlos Pena and Eduardo Herrera. Still, he appears to have found the right place for himself on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

Let us know what you think below!

Having signed from Benfica, Raul Jimenez has proven to be an incredibly shrewd acquisition for Wolves. The Mexico international has been banging in the goals, left, right and centre, and has spearheaded the attack for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.

As per Transfermarkt, the striker has been in prolific form this season, scoring 13 goals in 22 games, with eight of them coming in his side’s forays into the Europa League.

And the 28-year-old took his excellent form into Saturday afternoon’s Premier League clash against Bournemouth, netting what proved to be the decisive goal in their 2-1 win.

After seeing Jimenez’s goal-scoring display, Wolves fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the £31.5m-rated forward.

Many supporters of the Molineux side were left raving over his goal, with one excited fan in particular claiming that he is the “best striker in the Premier League”.

Check out some of the reaction of Wolves fans after their win over Bournemouth, below:

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Off the Bench series, which places in-game managerial decisions and squad selections under FFC’s microscope.

West Bromwich Albion retained their crown at the top of the Championship table on Monday night with a 1-0 victory over Preston North End at Deepdale.

Snapshot

The Baggies were largely poor by their standards, being restricted to six of their 11 attempts at goal from outside the area while the likes of Grady Diangana, Matheus Pereira and Hal Robson-Kanu were largely anonymous and were found wanting, neither averaging over a 6.8 rating by SofaScore.

Watch West Bromwich Albion Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

With the game looking destined for 0-0, Albion boss Slaven Bilic made the first of his substitutions in the 61st minute by introducing Kyle Edwards, surprisingly in the place of Matty Phillips, rather than Diangana.

But it paid off as he would be the man to set up the chance for fellow substitute Charlie Austin.

Off the Bench

Edwards proved to be a major attacking threat in the short time he was in the pitch, managing two successful dribbles, winning four ground duels while also picking up two set-pieces, including the one that led to the winner.

In the final minute of the match, the 21-year-old burst into the box before going down under a challenge from home goalkeeper Declan Rudd – dive or not, the referee pointed to the spot without hesitation.

To which, Austin duly stepped up and dispatched for his fourth of the campaign and third in as many games.

It was a bold call to withdraw Phillips, who has scored six and assisted two goals this term, for a player that has struggled for much game time in recent months having started just one match since August, but it paid dividends.

Bilic has often been spot on with his substitutions, and this is surely the icing on the cake as the decision as essentially put the Baggies back in pole position while at the same time sending a statement to the rest of the league that they can deal with whatever is thrown at him.

[ad_pod ]

In other news, one of Edwards’ teammates thrived against Preston despite being asked to perform in a different role…

Lots of Newcastle United fans have been praising Miguel Almiron for his performance against West Ham on Saturday, as Steve Bruce’s men recorded a 3-2 win.

Supporters have been praising Almiron for his role in the victory, after the 25-year-old displayed an “absolutely phenomenal” work rate to track back and attack in east London.

The 25-year-old recorded 47 touches against the Hammers, as he attacked and defended up and down the right-hand channel, while drifting across the edge of the Irons’ area to offer support to his Toon teammates.

Watch Newcastle United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Almiron again failed to open his account for goals or assists, though, as he could not convert any of his three on-target efforts and did not register a key pass, per WhoScored data.

He did find a teammate with each of his 24 passes, though, with ten coming in the final third – no other Newcastle player completed all of their attempted passes.

Only Federico Fernandez and Isaac Hayden were successful with more of their tackles than Almiron of Bruce’s men, with the Paraguay international taking possession on two occasions, along with recording one clearance and two interceptions.

Almiron’s total of four shots at the London Stadium was the most he has attempted in a Premier League game so far this term, while also penning a joint-season low one unsuccessful touch.

Here are some of the messages shared…