All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Tottenham Hotspur could make a bid to sign Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie "next week" if they sell Harry Kane, and it is believed he "would welcome" a move to England.

Who will Spurs sign?

Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou has been backed with three major signings so far this summer, not including Tottenham's permanent deals for defender Pedro Porro and forward Dejan Kulusevski.

The north Londoners have reinforced their goalkeeping department with the signing of Guglielmo Vicario from Empoli for around £17.2 million, and he was followed closely by England international star James Maddison.

Winger Manor Solomon, after an impressive spell on loan at Fulham last campaign, then joined on a free transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk – with the trio of new additions making their Spurs debuts in pre-season.

Attention now turns to star centre-backs, and it is believed they're eyeing two senior defensive signings for that area of the pitch, which doesn't include their potential deal for Blackburn Rovers starlet Ashley Phillips.

"That's definitely our intention, absolutely," said Postecoglou when asked about signing new defenders.

"We've been working on it for a while and we'll definitely try to get it done as quickly as possible.

"I don't think it's any secret about some of the areas we needed to strengthen. Some of it I identified early on. The goalkeeper was one and central defence is another.

"In terms of the other boys, we've got a big squad but my view is I wanted to bring them along and just work with them, get some clarity in my head and give clarity to them."

Elsewhere, as Tottenham midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg edges closer to Atletico Madrid, Spurs may well look for a replacement if he does go. Star striker Kane's future is also shrouded with uncertainty, coming as Bayern Munich make a serious push for him.

Now, according to Spanish news outlet Sport, one midfield ace attracting Postecoglou's serious interest is Kessie of Barca.

Tottenham have apparently "warned" the La Liga champions that they could make an offer him just "next week" – if they receive funds from Kane's potential sale.

Kessie, who is a real candidate for the chopping block as Barca look to get rid of one player per position, is apparently considered an interesting player at Spurs.

The £199,000-per-week ace, for his part, "would welcome" a move to the Premier League as Tottenham eye a move.

How good is Franck Kessie?

His best season at the top level arguably came at AC Milan during the 2020/2021 season, where he racked up a brilliant 13 goals and four assists in 27 Serie A appearances (WhoScored).

These numbers indicate that Kessie is a serious threat from midfield when at his very best, with former Spurs keeper Paul Robinson once claiming he could be a good fit.

"Kessie would fit the bill," said Robinson to Football Insider.

"He is strong, quick and effective at both ends of the pitch. He ticks a lot of boxes.

“There is no doubting that he is an amazing player. The question is, would he come in and command a starting spot? Hojbjerg and Bentancur have done extremely well. [Yves] Bissouma has struggled to get a look in at times."

Wolverhampton Wanderers have turned up their pursuit for midfielder Alex Scott, as Julen Lopetegui bids to bolster his midfield this transfer window.

The Spaniard has had his eye on the Bristol City marvel since January, and now reports are claiming that the Midlands side have made a move for the 19-year-old.

How much is Alex Scott worth?

Valued at €15.4m (£13.2m) by FootballTransfers, the teenager has lit up the Championship since his rise through the Robbins’ academy.

Now, the Guernsey-born gem could seek a path into the Premier League, with the Telegraph reporting that Wolves are to make a ‘£20m-plus’ bid for the midfielder.

Earlier this month the Old Gold had a bid in the region of £18m rejected for the youngster, however he remains a ‘prime target’ for Lopetegui as highlighted through the improved offer.

How good is Alex Scott?

Hailed as an “unbelievable player” by Pep Guardiola earlier this year, Scott has received the seal of approval in his hopes to progress in his budding career.

The combative midfielder was named as the Championship’s Young Player of the Year last term, the 19-year-old made a mammoth 49 appearances in all competitions in the 2022/23 campaign, including a stellar performance against Premier League opposition in the FA Cup.

Earning a Sofascore match rating of 7.0 against treble winners Manchester City, the teenager made a statement to his admirers in the top-tier, to highlight that he’s capable of holding the fort against the best of the best.

For Wolves, the swoop for the player valued at £25m by his club, comes at the perfect time, with Lopetegui parting ways with two key figures in his midfield already this window, with Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho departing for pastures new.

The Molineux captain opted for a lucrative challenge in the Saudi Pro League, signing for Al-Hilal for £47m in a deal beneficial to the Midlands side in the wake of their financial worries.

Bidding farewell to the Portuguese ace freed up finances and left a vacancy in the squad, both potentially key factors to Lopetegui’s pursuit of Scott.

Despite still being in his teenage years and playing just two full seasons at senior level, the youngster could be a suitable candidate to take the 26-year-old’s throne in the Midlands.

Lauded as being one of the “most interesting” England U21 talents by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the box-to-box whiz could be the figure to ease Molineux’s mourning of their well-loved captain.

When comparing the two on their respective 2022/23 league campaigns, the numbers suggest that Lopetegui could seek a player with the potential to be of a similar calibre to Neves.

As per FBref’s comparisons, the Englishman flexed his combative nature in the middle of the park through an average of 2.05 tackles per 90, just shy of the 26-year-old’s 2.36 per 90 in the Premier League.

A strong carrier of the ball, Scott averaged an impressive 2.34 progressive carries to the former Wolves man’s 0.83 per 90, suggesting the benefits he could have in the Spaniard’s set-up.

Despite being one of Molineux’s key threats in the final third over the years, the Portuguese international fell short of the 19-year-old in his creative distribution, averaging 0.95 key passes per 90 to his 1.04 last term.

As such, the Old Gold could make a real statement in signing the promising young talent, in a move that could not only signify Lopetegui’s ambition, but one that could benefit the club for years to come.

Arsenal have a checkered past when delving into the French market, having brought some of their best-ever stars over from Ligue 1, but also some of their worst.

It is hard to look past the likes of Robert Pires as one of their star imports from that division, to which a true dynasty was built alongside Arsene Wenger.

However, it is likely the promise that replicating such sensational business brings that lends them to make these errors. Gervinho and Marouane Chamakh offer the counter-balance for the successes William Saliba and Olivier Giroud proved to be, and yet Nicolas Pepe stands out amongst all as comfortably the worst of the lot.

The Ivorian stands as the cautionary tale with regard to looking to the French market, as his 2019 transfer to LOSC Lille has been nothing short of catastrophic.

Signed after his breakout year, Unai Emery unloaded a club-record £72m fee to tempt him to join his revolution, which would be cut short just months after this arrival.

The underperformance of this wide man likely weighed heavily on this decision, which will surely have Mikel Arteta thinking twice about making the reported move to sign Elye Wahi from Montpellier.

Whilst the proposed €40m (£34m) fee would mark a drop in the ocean compared to Pepe's sum, it still represents money they simply cannot afford to waste if they are to keep pace with Manchester City.

How good is Elye Wahi?

Having scored 23 goals and assisted 12 across all competitions in his final season before making the move, many thought that in the left-footed right winger the Gunners would be getting their next true star set to dominate at the Emirates for years to come.

However, five league goals in his debut year in England denoted a fierce struggle to acclimatise, which can be felt by many players moving to such a physically demanding division. He has made just 112 appearances now for the club and seems set to depart this summer for a fraction of his initial price.

The same could well happen to Wahi should he tread that same path, especially given he has arguably even less experience starring at the top level than the 28-year-old had.

Having just notched 19 league goals and assisted a further six most recently, this marked only the second time that the 20-year-old had struck double figures in Ligue 1.

For comparison, Pepe too had only achieved this feat twice before his switch, whilst also being far from the focal point that Wahi has been for his side.

Despite that, praise has understandably rushed in for the youngster who has torn up the French top flight of late. Ex-Caen academy director Francis de Taddeo even noted: "He is a powerful, athletic and fast player with a range of dribbling skills where only he knows what he is going to do next."

However, the same was said of Arsenal's underwhelming record signing, with Jamie Redknapp perhaps jumping the gun on his praise, claiming despite a loss to Liverpool in August 2019: "I’ve seen Arsenal come here in the last few years and they haven’t done anything at all. But they have got a special talent in Pepe, I’ve been so impressed with him. He’s always looking to run on the shoulder, he’s causing mayhem."

He stands as the clear indicator that all that glitter is not gold, especially that which comes from Ligue 1.

Whilst Wahi might seem like the hot prospect to acquire now, a big-money fee could see them face another financial disaster akin to their disastrous 2019 signing of Pepe.

Sunderland will fight tooth and nail to hold on to Ross Stewart this summer it seems, with Kristjaan Speakman telling The Athletic that he is "keen" to hold on to the forward and reach fresh terms with the player.

How many goals has Ross Stewart scored for Sunderland?

The 26-year-old struggled to get onto the field too frequently for the Black Cats in 2022/23, with the striker having to drop out of the side due to injury issues. It meant that the Championship side had to try and claim a promotion without him and whilst they were able to climb into the play-off places in his absence, they ultimately faltered and fell out of the competition to eventual winners Luton.

Still, the attacker bagged himself ten goals in just 13 league outings and with three assists to boot, it meant he ended the campaign with a goal contribution rate of 1.12 per 90 – the best of his career.

Prior to that, he fired Sunderland to glory in League One with 24 goals in 46 third tier games. It means that since his move to the Stadium of Light, he has never failed to hit a double digit goal tally when he starts ten games or more. It shows how prolific the striker has been for the club and how big of a miss he was when he did have to sit out of fixtures last season.

Are Sunderland selling Ross Stewart?

Now, with the club awaiting potential interest in Stewart's services, Speakman has once more reiterated his side's desire to keep hold of the Scotland man.

Speaking via The Athletic, the Black Cats' sporting director stated that they are "really keen" to keep hold of the forward but that they "haven't got to an agreement" on fresh terms at the club yet. However, in a boost for Sunderland fans, he also added that it seems the player himself would "like to stay" with the Championship outfit.

As yet though, no fresh contract has been agreed and it means he may still be the subject of interest at some point this window, but "that's our private business," says Speakman.

He revealed: "The situation is no different to where we have been: we are really keen to retain Ross and everything from his camp is that he’d like to stay. But we haven’t got to an agreement that both parties would like to sign off.

"Externally that can seem strange, but we don’t think it is – Dennis Cirkin re-signed last week and we have been speaking to him about his contract for maybe six months."

Any interest would come as no surprise though. Having not struggled to adapt to the second tier, as showcased by his ten goals, the forward has proven he is well capable of finding the back of the net in the Championship.

In fact, the praise has continually been heaped on Stewart since his switch to Sunderland, with journalist and Black Cats fan Josh Bunting stating that the striker is "outstanding" after his performances on Wearsdie. His goals record also displays this, and he truly stepped up to the plate in attack for the club since his transfer – and it is therefore no wonder that the second tier outfit are so desperate to hold onto the Scotland player.

Liverpool have reportedly held talks with Celta Vigo midfielder Gabri Veiga over a summer move to Anfield, but they aren't alone in showing an interest.

Is Veiga a target for Liverpool?

The £83,000-a-week Spaniard was a standout figure for his side last season, producing some highly impressive performances that were full of creativity and end product.

Veiga scored 11 times in La Liga and also registered four assists for good measure, and a call-up to Spain's senior squad may not be a million miles away, having won four caps for his country's Under-21s to date.

The 21-year-old is one of many midfielders to have been linked with a summer move to Liverpool – Manchester City are also in the race – as the Reds look to make numerous signings there ahead of the new season, following a below-par campaign thanks largely to a beleaguered midfield.

Alexis Mac Allister has already joined from Brighton, which is a big positive step in the right direction, at least another signing is needed in midfield. With Dominik Szoboszlai looking potentially likely to join, too, a key update has emerged regarding the Reds' pursuit of Veiga.

Are Liverpool in talks with Veiga?

According to 90min, Liverpool are one of a number Premier League clubs who have had discussions with the Celta hero regarding a summer transfer:

"90min understands that Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Newcastle United have all indicated that they would be willing to meet this sum up front or pay a little extra if paid in instalments.

"The quartet have recently held talks with agent Pini Zahavi regarding Veiga's future, while Marseille and Serie A holders Napoli have also registered an interest."

This is a positive update from a Liverpool perspective, suggesting they are still very much keeping their options open when it comes to possible midfield signings.

Veiga certainly looks like a vastly talented young player, already making 55 appearances for Celta and having a "great season" in 2022/23, according to football talent scout Jacek Kulig, who hailed the youngster's pace, technique and shooting, comparing him to former Arsenal star Aaron Ramsey.

At 21, he is still extremely young, however, so it could be that there are more experienced options out there who could be immediate star men from the off, such as Nicolo Barella, who is five years his senior.

Either way, Veiga's arrival would be largely positive, though, given his long-term potential, and whoever snaps him up could be getting someone who ends up being a star in the Premier League.

Liverpool have emerged as the "front-runners" to secure the signature of Southampton's midfield dynamo Romeo Lavia, claims journalist Alex Crook.

Liverpool transfer news – What's the latest on Romeo Lavia?

It's been a positive start to the summer transfer window for Jurgen Klopp's Reds so far, with the signing of Brighton & Hove Albion's World Cup-winning midfielder Alexis Mac Allister last month for a fee of only £35m, potentially rising to £55m with certain clauses.

However, the six-time European champions haven't rested on their laurels and have since added the imperious Dominik Szoboszlai to their midfield in a deal worth an estimated £60m for the player's former club RB Leipzig.

In what is starting to look like an entire midfield rebuild in a single window, the club have turned their attention to the defensive midfield position after Fabinho had a year to forget by his standards.

The player deemed good enough to replace the Brazilian is Belgian international Lavia, who has attracted the interest of a swath of Premier League sides, with the Independent reporting last month that Arsenal were the favourites to land the player.

It would appear that the situation has dramatically changed over the last couple of weeks and that it is, in fact, Liverpool that have now shot to the front of the queue for the youngster's signature, per journalist Alex Crook.

He explained the situation on TalkSPORT's YouTube channel:

"Romeo Lavia is very much a name in the frame for Anfield, I know there is some interest from Chelsea as well, where their recruitment guru Joe Shields played a big part in him going from Manchester City to Southampton, he's keen to get the deal done taking Lavia to Stamford Bridge, but at this stage it looks like Liverpool are the front-runners. It won't be cheap though, Southampton are looking for a fee of as much as £50m for Lavia who I think will go on and become a real top quality Premier League midfielder."

Could Romeo Lavia replace Fabinho?

It may seem like a lot to ask of the 19-year-old, as the Brazilian was a key member of the Reds side that almost won the lot in the 2021/22 season, falling agonisingly close to being quadruple winners.

But after the horror campaign that the 29-year-old just had, it might be time to consider replacing him, and with the complete contrast in form that Southampton's gem had last year, he could well be the right man for the job.

In the passing department, it is advantage to the ex-Real Madrid man who attempts 61.7 passes at a completion rate of 88.3, a lot more than Lavia, who attempts just 40.4 with a completion rate of 86.2%, all per 90.

However, it is the Brussels-born "monster" that wins out when it comes to the defensive side of the game, perhaps the most important category if he is to be played just ahead of the back four.

The 5 foot 11 midfielder makhas madees 2.43 tackles per 90, winning 1.42 of them compared to Fabinho's 2.19 tackles, with 1.28 being successful. It is the same story with blocks and interceptions, with the Sao Paulo-born midfielder winning out in just clearances with 1.35 to his potential replacement's 0.93, also per 90.

While there are certainly some areas for Lavia to work on for him to surpass Fabinho, the fact that he is only 19 years old and already this good suggests that the potential upside with him could be massive, something that should worry the Brazilian should he have another Premier League campaign like his last.

Liverpool aren't just after midfielders this summer it seems, with the Reds preparing an offer to bring in Federico Chiesa, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, via Rousing the Kop.

How many goals has Federico Chiesa scored?

The winger has had a somewhat torrid year for Juventus in the 2022/23 campaign, with knee injury troubles meaning he was limited to very little playing time. He started on just six occasions in Serie A for example, although he did manage to play in 21 games in total – meaning that he largely had to make do with coming off the bench.

Even though that meant his minutes were limited, he was still able to score two goals and assist five times – it meant that he actually bettered his totals from the 2021/22 season, despite playing for slightly less time.

When able to get onto the field frequently though, the Italian has already showcased in the past what he can do. The last season in which he managed over ten lots of 90 minutes for example brought him eight Serie A goals and the same amount of assists. That meant he had a rate of 16 goal contributions in 28 starts for the Old Lady.

Are Liverpool signing Chiesa?

Now, according to a report from Gazzetta dello Sport, via Rousing the Kop, the player could be given an escape from the Turin side. That is because Liverpool do appear to have an interest in him and, not only that, they are already preparing an offer for the player to try and tempt Juventus into letting him leave.

That bid will reportedly be worth around £34m and they will be hopeful it can be enough to convince the Italian side into a sale – although it's believed that they are more likely to want just above £50m for the player.

Chiesa clearly still has a lot to offer a football club when he is fit, as football journalist Josh Bunting recently praised his "wonderful" talents after witnessing a "special" goal from the Juve starlet on international duty.

It shows that the forward can still fulfil his potential despite his injury hell over the last 18 months, and given the chance to thrive elsewhere, we could see the best out of him – perhaps Liverpool could be that team.

Liverpool have been credited with an interest for Southampton star Romeo Lavia for several months now, with the Belgium international on the club's shortlist of options this summer.

Jurgen Klopp has received all the plaudits for the exceptional job he has done on Merseyside since arriving in 2015, but the Reds collapsed this season after chasing a historic quadruple last year, and major surgery is now paramount.

World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister has already been signed for a bargain £35m following the departures of midfield trio James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, but further firepower is expected, with Fabrizio Romano confirming that the outfit are in the market for two more midfielders.

And according to The Athletic's James Pearce, the 19-year-old Lavia could soon don the Liverpool shirt, and is considered a part of the core cluster of centre-midfield targets for the club.

Football Insider have also recently claimed that contact has been made with the player's representatives, with Chelsea and Manchester United also both intrigued – a fee of around £40m would likely be enough to prompt the relegated Saints to seriously consider allowing their prodigy to leave.

How good is Romeo Lavia?

While the former Manchester City youngster suffered the ignominy of Premier League relegation last term, the teenage gem can hold his head high after belying his tender age and top-flight inexperience with assured and composed performances from the anchoring role in the south coast club's midfield.

Reporter Benjy Nurick had high praise after one performance earlier this year, saying: "Romeo Lavia was an absolute monster tonight. Quite possibly the best midfielder on the pitch."

The one-cap prodigy has recorded an average league rating of 6.8 – as per Sofascore – and exhibited his skills by completing 86% of his passes, making 2.1 tackles per game and succeeding with an extraordinary 68% of his dribbles, which bodes well as Klopp seeks out progressive players to enhance his midfield.

He could be the "perfect" – as stated by reporter Nick Emms – component to ensure that Trent Alexander-Arnold's late-season purple patch is cemented after a year which highlighted his defensive frailties and left the full-back at the epicentre of Liverpool's woes.

As per The Athletic, the crux of Liverpool's strife this year has been down to the midfield's inability to protect the defence, sapped of vitality and devoid of confidence, and Lavia could fix this and subsequently unlock the full might of Alexander-Arnold's creative arsenal.

As per FBref, Lavia ranks among the top 4% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for rate of blocks per 90, which only further strengthens the claim that, despite still being a budding prospect, he is en route to becoming one of the most dogged in the midfield business.

With Alexander-Arnold now flourishing in his new, inverted role – providing seven assists in the last ten league games of last season, the youthful exuberance of Lavia could ensure that Anfield steps into the new season firing across all cylinders, holding the centre of Klopp's squad together with an iron-clad grip and acting as the midfield 'monster' to allow his creative-centric teammates like the right-back to thrive.

Arsenal are now "willing to go over £100 million" for long-term transfer target Declan Rice, claims journalist Graeme Bailey.

The West Ham United captain has been linked to the north London club for months, but Bailey now understands they are willing to break their transfer record to secure the deal.

Arsenal transfer news – Declan Rice

The first rumblings of a potential deal to bring Rice to the Emirates emerged in the closing days of the January transfer window, and since then, the murmurings have turned into a constant stream of updates and rumours.

It now looks as if that might be coming to an end as the Gunners are preparing to offer the east London club a deal in excess of £100m if certain add-ons are met to secure the services of their player, per the Guardian.

Mikel Arteta's side weren't the only ones interested in the "destroyer", as labelled by ex-Tottenham Hotspur keeper Paul Robinson, with Chelsea and Bayern Munich linked with the player.

However, the Premier League runners-up look to be in a strong position to land the midfielder with Chelsea offering "no indication" that they will prioritise Rice.

What has Graeme Baily said about Arsenal's pursuit of Declan Rice

Bailey gave a promising update to Arsenal fans that the club was now willing to reach the asking price requested by West Ham.

Speaking on the Talking Transfers Podcast, Bailey said: "Arsenal has been his first choice for quite a while, and he doesn't want to leave London. It's a straight choice between Arsenal and Chelsea, really, and Arsenal are willing to go over £100 million for him now. That's our understanding.

"West Ham have always demanded that, and they're getting the breakthrough. I think it's a spectacular deal for West Ham."

Bailey gave his opinion on the deal, adding: "I like him, but I don't think he's a £100 million footballer, but if he's the player you want, Arsenal, you pay. If he can take you to that next level, you pay it, and I think they're getting very close to doing so."

How much is Declan Rice earning at West Ham, and what will he likely make at Arsenal

According to Spotrac, the Kingston-upon-Thames-born midfielder is currently on the relatively modest sum of £60,000-a-week in east London.

He had reportedly turned down an eight-year contract worth around £200,000-a-week two years ago to keep his options open for a move.

He would've lost around £14.5m worth of wages in the two years since.

However, the decision not to sign has paid off, as any move to the Gunners will likely result in him becoming one of their highest-paid players.

The current best-paid player at the north London club is Bukayo Saka, who is on an estimated £300,000-a-week.

With such a big-money move potentially on the cards for Rice, surely the big wages would come with a possible move to the Emirates.

Celtic are set to be on the search for a new head coach ahead of the 2023/24 campaign as Ange Postecoglou closes in on an exit from Parkhead.

The Athletic's David Ornstein has reported that the 57-year-old will finalise a deal to join Tottenham Hotspur in the coming days.

Who could replace Ange Postecoglou?

Former Hoops midfielder Kris Commons has urged the club to consider a move for out-of-work boss Graham Potter, who left Chelsea earlier this year.

The Scotsman wrote: "Forward-thinking, tactically astute, innovative, an advocate of possession football; he was everything you would want in a modern manager. He eventually got the Chelsea job, only for the whole thing to go sour after barely six months. But I don't think Potter is actually damaged by that."

He added: "If Celtic can land an ex-Liverpool boss like Rodgers, then they certainly would have a chance of getting someone like Potter. It would be daft not to at least ask him the question, if and when Postecoglou does depart."

Would Graham Potter be a success at Celtic?

The English coach, who typically deploys a 3-4-2-1 system, could be a huge success at Parkhead, swiftly allowing supporters to instantly forget about Postecoglou as the 48-year-old has displayed a pattern of being able to improve teams over time.

He was given less than a full season at Chelsea to follow through on his project and that makes it difficult to judge him on his time at Stamford Bridge but his work with Brighton and Ostersunds in the past suggests that he could be an excellent appointment for the Hoops.

Potter won the title in the third tier of Swedish football in his first season and then finished tenth and fifth in the second division before being promoted in second place in his fourth campaign with the club. He then led them to eighth and fifth in the top flight before joining Swansea.

His one season with the Swans, which ended in a tenth-placed finish in the Championship, earned him a move to Brighton and the coach took them from 15th and 16th in the Premier League to ninth in 21/22. This proved that his work in Sweden was not a fluke and that the tactician has the ability to develop clubs in multiple leagues and countries.

Potter, who plays an "aggressive" press according to Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, was able to gradually improve both of the teams who invested in him over the course of a number of years and this suggests that he could do the same with Celtic if they give him time to work.

Therefore, the Hoops supporters could instantly forget about their Aussie coach if the club can swoop for the "genius" that is Potter by he was dubbed by broadcaster Joe Thomlinson.

Indeed, the 48-year-old could be an excellent, progressive, appointment.