All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Ralph Hasenhuttl appears to have suffered a huge blow at Southampton ahead of their game against Burnley on Sunday, with James Ward-Prowse a doubt after picking up an injury on international duty.

The 26-year-old did not feature in England’s final World Cup qualifying fixture against Poland after he was sent back to Southampton as a ‘fitness precaution’.

However, Hasenhuttl has since confirmed that the midfielder hasn’t trained with the club at all this week as they prepare to take on Sean Dyche’s side at St Mary’s, with a calf problem casting doubt over whether he will be fit enough to feature.

It would be a big blow to the Austrian manager if he were without his captain, as Ward-Prowse has played every single minute for the Saints this season and has enjoyed arguably his best campaign in the top flight.

The academy graduate has contributed seven goals and five assists in 29 Premier League appearances, resulting in an impressive 7.10 average WhoScored rating – the best of any Southampton player this season.

What is even worse for Hasenhuttl is that fellow midfield options Oriol Romeu and Will Smallbone are out for the season, so he may be forced into a difficult decision on Sunday if Ward-Prowse is unavailable.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/southampton-saints-ralph-hasenhuttl-martin-semmens-st-marys” title=”Latest Southampton news, transfer rumours and more”]

The Austrian was full of praise for the England international, who reportedly earns £45,000 per week, earlier this season for the way he has set the precedent as captain following the decision to strip Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg of the armband last season ahead of his move to Spurs, saying:

“He reacts how I expect a captain to react. This is not so much off the pitch, much more on the pitch because that is where you win games, not off the pitch.

“You have to walk out there and always be the role model of what we are standing for. When you see him running and him fighting for everything in every game then this is what a captain should do.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“594431″]

Therefore, to have such an influential player potentially missing for a game in which the Saints will undoubtedly be targeting three points as they look to bring an end to their torrid run of Premier League form could prove to be disastrous for Hasenhuttl.

In other news… No goals this season: Hasenhuttl must axe 25 y/o Saints flop, he’s stealing a living

Speaking to Football Insider after West Ham United images emerged of Declan Rice celebrating in the stands last weekend, pundit Paul Robinson has dropped a transfer claim involving the Englishman.

Rice is currently sidelined with a knee injury and had to watch from the stands as the Hammers pick up a vital three points in the race for an unprecedented European finish.

Goals from Jesse Lingard (x2) and Jarrod Bowen were eventually enough to fight off a Leicester City side determined to mount a late comeback.

Robinson drops Rice transfer claim

David Moyes’ men managed to cling on for a 3-2 win at the London Stadium, with images emerging during the encounter of sidelined star Rice appearing over the moon.

In reaction to these photos, Robinson has claimed the 22-year-old will be ‘licking his lips’ at the prospect of Champions League football next season and is very unlikely to go anywhere this summer amid transfer links. 

“I think the likelihood of being in Europe and potentially even the Champions League make Declan Rice’s decision easier,” explained Robinson to Football Insider.

“West Ham will be able to attract top players to the club this summer if they finish in Europe.

“They have made huge stride as a club this season and why would you want to leave?

“You can see that he is very happy at the moment and I am sure he will be licking his lips at the prospect of playing in Europe in front of a packed London Stadium.

“I cannot see him going anywhere this summer.”

Transfer Tavern take

As West Ham continue to exceed all expectations, we also believe that Rice definitely won’t be going anywhere.

The midfield maestro has been a crucial cog in Moyes’ system this season, making a brilliant two interceptions per game in the Premier League before his injury (WhoScored).

As a result, GSB and co reportedly value him at somewhere around £100 million (Sky Sports), and in this climate, it’s very unlikely any club will be able to afford that – even if Rice did want to leave.

In other news: West Ham eyeing this colossus, find out more here.

Swansea City sealed their place in the Championship playoffs with a 2-2 draw against Reading on Sunday afternoon but Steve Cooper was once again left frustrated by his side conceding a late goal.

Yakou Meite’s header had put the Royals ahead before second-half goals from Jamal Lowe and Andre Ayew had looked to seal the three points for the Swans.

However, Tomas Esteves earned the hosts a point in the 93rd minute, although it wasn’t enough for Veljko Paunović’s side, who saw their own playoff hopes come to an end.

One man who impressed for Swansea City at the Madejski Stadium was left-back Jake Bidwell.

As per SofaScore, £1.8m-rated defender would earn himself an impressive 7.4/10 rating for his performance, with only Lowe (8.0) and John Swift (7.7) earning higher from both sides.

During the game, Bidwell would make an impressive seven clearances, which was the most of any player, and also far more than the 2.1 clearances per game he has averaged in the Championship this season.

He also contributed two interceptions and one tackle during the 90 minutes, which again is above his average of 0.6 interceptions and 0.6 tackles per game so far this campaign.

The former QPR man was also excellent going forwards, as he completed 23/27 of his passes during the game, resulting in a solid 85% pass accuracy rate, which is far better than his 64.9% average in the second tier.

Bidwell would also contribute three key passes and superbly provided the assist for Ayew’s goal, as he burst down the left-hand side and waited until the perfect moment to cut the ball back for the Ghanaian international to score a tap in.

Whereas Lowe produced an excellent display, scoring and hitting the post whilst also being heavily involved throughout, he played fewer key passes, lost possession on several more occasions (16 vs 9) and also won fewer duels than Bidwell (6/14 vs 7/13).

[freshpress-quiz id=“532484″]

Therefore, the 28-year-old left-back deserves a lot of credit for his display and perhaps emphasised that he should be the man to start in the playoffs for Cooper’s side.

And, in other news… Swansea could sign their ideal Ayew heir in £225k-rated beast, Cooper would love him

Leeds face intense competition to sign Udinese star Rodrigo De Paul in this summer’s transfer window.

What’s the story?

Reports last summer suggested that Marcelo Bielsa’s side were interested in signing the Argentina international; and then last month, The Athletic’s Phil Hay admitted that De Paul still very much wants to come to Elland Road.

Italian publication Calciomercato have now claimed that, as well as both Leeds and fellow Premier League side Liverpool, Italian giants Inter have thrown their hat into the ring, as Antonio Conte has earmarked the midfielder as his number one transfer target for this summer.

Exactly what Bielsa needs

His dynamism and box-to-box style has brought him six goals and six assists in just 27 league games, and his all-action displays are something which would surely fit in seamlessly with Leeds’ intense running.

Speaking to Yorkshire Evening Post, Smarterscout’s Dan Altman said: “There aren’t any central midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues who can match Rodrigo de Paul’s style of play and his pitch coverage.

“He’s most active in the right channel, crossing midfield, but he can pop up almost anywhere. He’s an avid defender, and his attacking contribution is huge at a Premier League standard. He’s Argentine and has enormous output on both sides of the ball, so he seems like a great fit for Bielsa’s Leeds.”De Paul has been described as a player who “lacks absolutely nothing” by his former boss Julio Velazquez, and the £34.2m-rated dynamo has shown this season what he could bring to the table if he joins Leeds.

Given the midfielder’s desire to come to Elland Road, and the qualities he exhibits on the pitch, De Paul must surely be a priority for Victor Orta and Leeds this summer.

Meanwhile, Leeds must reignite their interest in this star…

Reports by Arena Napoli earlier this week claimed that Nikola Maksimovic is close to agreeing to leave Serie A side SSC Napoli as a free agent this summer, which could throw Yerry Mina’s long-term Everton future into further doubt.

Carlo Ancelotti has recently been claimed to be keen on a reunion with Maksimovic, with Il Mattino suggesting that the Italian tactician was monitoring the Serbian centre-half’s situation during the winter transfer window.

Napoli demanded around €10m (£8.5m) to part with the 29-year-old as West Ham United and Fulham were also thought to be keen, while Sky Sports suggested Liverpool as another potential destination before the Reds struck a deal to sign FC Schalke 04’s Ozan Kabak on loan.

Maksimovic’s agent, Fali Ramadani, was due in Naples earlier this week to hold crunch talks with his client over the defender’s long-term future, with it expected that the Serbian will soon agree to leave the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium once his contract expires in June.

The £13.5m-rated brute has seen his game time reduced under Gennaro Gattuso this season, starting in just nine of his 14 Serie A appearances, despite being a constant fixture of the Napoli backline following a hamstring injury last term.

Maksimovic was a bit-part player in Ancelotti’s plans during the Everton head coach’s time in charge of Gli Azzurri, starting in 23 of his 25 appearances from a possible 47 games in the Italian top-flight.

Ancelotti was a fan of what the 25-cap enforcer had to offer nonetheless, having described Maksimovic as being a player without any clear and obvious faults.

“He has no problems,” the former Chelsea boss said, via quotes by Tutto Napoli. “I am satisfied, he is an excellent defender, complete elastic, fast, he can play both centre-right and centre-left, perhaps he fits better on the centre-right for habits and characteristics.”

If Ancelotti pushes to secure a reunion with Maksimovic once he becomes a free agent, it could throw Mina’s long-term Everton future into further doubt, following claims by the Daily Mail that the Colombian could be sold this summer.

The Toffees boss is not believed to have found his ideal defensive partnership, but has often persisted with Michael Keane and Ben Godfrey occupying central roles since losing Mina to a calf injury against Manchester City last month.

Everton’s 3-1 loss to the Citizens marked Mina’s 19th start from 23 possible Premier League games, having only been left out sparingly amid Everton’s quest for European football.

Over those outings, the £120,000-per-week titan – notably Everton’s joint-highest earner – has offered fewer successful (1) and attempted tackles (1.2) than Godfrey (1.8/1.9) and Mason Holgate (3/3.8), for the third-most among Ancelotti’s four current centre-half options, per WhoScored.

Mina also provides fewer interceptions (1.1) than Keane (1.5) and Holgate (1.4) and fewer accurate passes (56.2) than the two Englishmen (59.6 and 61.8, respectively).

Maksimovic, meanwhile, offers Napoli one successful tackle from 1.6 attempts, plus 1.4 interceptions and 55.6 passes per game over his 14 Serie A outings to date.

The gap between the Serbian and Mina may not be large, but Everton’s interest in alternative centre-half options and doubt in the Colombian’s future could see Ancelotti re-consider a reunion for the soon-to-be free-agent this summer.

AND in other news, Everton eye a £22.5m-rated speedster who is “hungry for success”…

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Premier League forward Marlon Harewood has suggested that Frank Lampard would be a good fit for Crystal Palace.

With Roy Hodgson’s contract set to expire in the summer, the Eagles could be in the market for a new manager, and Lampard is one name that would be available. The 42-year-old was, of course, recently dismissed as Chelsea boss after overseeing a run of poor results and is now without a job.

It is not yet clear what Lampard’s future plans are, but if he were to end up in the Selhurst Park dugout, Harewood is confident the ex-Chelsea and England midfielder would fit in well. On Lampard, Harewood told FFC:

“It’d be a decent thing for Lamps to come into if he’s ready to come back into management. That’d be a very good club to come into, got some great players there. I think he’d go and complement it well.

“He’s had a good experience of what he needs to do and what he didn’t do and [the chance to] reflect on how he can better himself because you always do that [after being sacked.”

The former West Ham striker concluded by saying: “Yeah, it would be a good fit.”

Hodgson has done well since arriving at Selhurst Park back in 2017, keeping Palace away from any sort of real relegation trouble. Under the former England manager, the south London club have managed to earn 11th, 12th and 14th-placed finishes, firmly retaining their status as a Premier League outfit.

However, change could be on the horizon, with the 73-year-old’s contract almost up, and Lampard could be a name worth exploring for Palace should he still be available.

Plenty of Aston Villa fans have been reacting to footage on social media regarding youngsters Louie Barry and Aaron Ramsey.

The pair were in action at Villa Park against Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday evening in the FA Youth Cup.

Both Barry and Ramsey helped Villa progress to the fifth round following a 3-0 win, with the latter of the two netting a brace in the second half.

Kaine Kesler-Hayden opened the scoring, with captain Ramsey sealing the victory with two goals in the space of six minutes.

It was Ramsey’s second effort which had plenty of Villa fans talking on social media. Barry picked up the ball and beat a few Brighton players before feeding it into Ramsey’s path, with the midfielder slotting an effort into the far corner.

Villa fans react

@academyavfc shared the third goal on Twitter on Wednesday evening, with the clip viewed over 24,000 times as of Friday morning.

This is what these Villa fans had to say, with one describing Barry’s run as ‘Jack-esque’.

“Jack-esque going forward like that. Love to see it.”

Credit: @JayVtid

“Barry’s turn of pace is something else”

Credit: @JAnnetts_

“The first team awaiting”

Credit: @Alanmccaugherr1

“That’s absolutely brilliant”

Credit: @nicknackjames1

“Love that run from Barry and the finish from A Ramsey”

Credit: @mickstewartssss

“There’s some Jack Grealish about this Louis Barry kid”

Credit: @MShauib1

In other news: Many AVFC fans react as FFP news emerges, find out more here. 

AS Roma loanee Robin Olsen was Carlo Ancelotti’s true match-winner as Everton beat Leeds United 2-1 on Wednesday night.

The Swedish goalkeeper was drafted into the Toffees’ starting line-up in the absence of regular first-choice option Jordan Pickford, with the 26-year-old sidelined with a rib injury that Ancelotti hopes will not prevent his involvement at Manchester United on Saturday.

Olsen has now started three Premier League fixtures for the Goodison Park natives since moving to Merseyside on a one-season loan deal last summer, having not featured in the top-flight since recording his sole clean sheet in a 2-0 win at Leicester City in December.

Olsen’s lack of match action was far from clear at Elland Road as Everton won their midweek clash through goals from Gylfi Sigurdsson and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, to move up to sixth in the table and to within four points of Liverpool in the last of the Champions League places.

The Toffees continue to hold two games in hand over their Stanley Park neighbours and the four further sides above them in the standings, and can move inside the top-four with wins.

Ezgjan Alioski came close to equalising after Sigurdsson broke the deadlock when his volley rattled the post, before Olsen acrobatically tipped Pascal Struijk’s header over the bar and did well to deny Mateusz Klich.

A rapid triple save in second half later ensured Calvert-Lewin’s 12th goal of the Premier League season would secure all three points, as the £20,000-per-week ‘keeper did superbly to palm away a deflected effort and make himself big to thwart Raphinha’s follow-up and a 20-yard hit from Jack Harrison.

It was a performance from Olsen that perfectly justified Ancelotti’s intent to retain the AS Roma goalkeeper beyond his loan spell, with the Everton boss recently confirming his hopes of signing the 31-year-old permanently in the summer after discussions over a deal failed to result in an agreement during the winter market.

“No news but the idea is the same to keep him permanent,” Ancelotti said, via quotes by the Liverpool Echo, when asked for an update on Everton’s pursuit in January. “In the next few months, we are going to talk with Roma about this.”

Olsen was called into making six saves in total against Leeds, per SofaScore, to help ensure Everton won their first match at Elland Road since 2002 having lost on their previous two visits to the West Yorkshire outfit.

Four of the £4.5m-rated shot-stopper’s saves were made from efforts taken inside the Toffees’ penalty area. He also collected one cross and completed 11 of his 24 long passes to help toward a 59% pass success rating.

Only Burnley’s Nick Pope (9.6) averages near to as many accurate long passes a game among goalkeepers to have featured more than three times in the league this term, per SofaScore.

Evidently, Olsen was clearly kept busy at Leeds but he more than stood up to the task of deputising for Pickford to emerge as Everton and Ancelotti’s true match-winner, despite defender Ben Godfrey earning vast praise from supporters for his efforts at Elland Road.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti faces a continued problem in a £9m man after Everton’s January transfer failings…

Jarrod Bowen betrayed David Moyes with a horror show performance in West Ham United’s 1-0 win at Everton on Friday night.

Moyes awarded the Leominster-born forward his 30th successive Premier League appearance at Goodison Park after recalling Bowen to the starting line-up, having only turned to the attacker as a late substitute in Tuesday’s draw with Southampton.

But the decision to start Bowen looked more and more questionable as the game progressed, with the £96,000-per-week winger failing to match his exuberant energy with any real quality when on the ball.

Bowen, who Hull City boss Grant McCann lauded for being “really humble” during his time at the KCOM Stadium, brought lots of energy to the Hammers’ right-wing to display glimpses of his threat but often let himself and the Irons down through his poor decision making.

The 24-year-old frequently opted to look for a shot when a pass was on or passed when a chance to test Jordan Pickford presented itself, and must improve his prioritisation to see a return of the player who scored three times in the opening four games of the Premier League season.

Bowen is now without a top-flight strike to his name since penning his fourth of the campaign on matchday 10, while only recording two assists in 17 games thanks to five-straight uninfluential outings in recent weeks.

Moyes would have expected to see far more from Bowen than what the £25m-rated forward brought to Merseyside, where he was lucky to stay on the pitch until the 73rd-minute when replaced by Andriy Yarmolenko.

Bowen won just three of his nine duels at Goodison Park with the West Ham winger losing five of eight ground battles and his sole aerial contest of the game, per SofaScore.

He further turned over possession 16 times thanks to a woeful 62% pass accuracy rating, having misplaced eight of his 21 passes, three of five attempted crosses and only finding a teammate with one of two attempted long balls.

The 5 ft 8 attacker was able to at least create a big chance for the Irons to score against Everton but not through his shooting, with Bowen’s sole recorded effort blocked on a night Said Benrahma struggled to find a groove before Michail Antonio replaced Sebastien Haller.

More space opened up for Benrahma to display his talents once playing behind Antonio, while leaving Moyes with food for thought through his relentless pressing whenever Everton were in possession.

AND in other news, West Ham are considering offering a 6 ft 1 brute with a “terrific range of passing” a mid-season move to the London Stadium.

Steve Bruce should urge Newcastle United to swoop in and sign Sam Cosgrove during the January transfer window after Stoke City had the Aberdeen striker scouted.

What’s the word?

According to The Scottish Sun, Potters boss Michael O’Neill is a big admirer of Cosgrove and had the 24-year-old watched as Aberdeen were beaten 2-1 by runaway Premiership leaders Rangers earlier this month.

Cosgrove has been a long-term target for Stoke having tracked his situation for the last two windows, while Newcastle are said to have been assessing his potential as a younger Andy Carroll type who can provide cover in attack.

The 6 ft 4 colossus turned down a £2.7m move to French second-tier side En Avant de Guingamp last summer, and Aberdeen are expected to demand a similar fee to sell him this month.

A deal for Cosgrove would further deplete Aberdeen’s attacking ranks, with talks with Rangers over a deal to offload Scott Wright this month already underway and Ryan Edmondson now at Northampton after his loan from Leeds.

Cosgrove missed the start of the 2020/21 Premiership season after sustaining cartilage damage but returned to action in late October and has started seven of his 12 Scottish top-flight appearances to date, scoring three goals.

Should Newcastle sign Cosgrove?

Stoke’s scouts will not have been entirely bowled over by Cosgrove’s performance against Rangers earlier this month, with Steven Gerrard’s side winning their 21st game of the season to pull further clear of rivals Celtic at the top of the table.

Cosgrove could not find the back of the net with his only shot of the Gers affair, having rarely found possession in the final third but contesting 13 ground duels and nine aerial contests, per SofaScore, to show that he was not afraid to go toe-to-toe with the best opposition around.

His output up top was not unusual, either, with Cosgrove only averaging 1.1 shots per league game this season, yet his combative nature was far above his general standards of 6.6 ground duels and 5.3 aerial challenges contested a game. Those are certainly aspects Bruce would stand to benefit from at Newcastle, with the threat of a relegation battle a growing reality after Monday night’s 3-0 loss at Arsenal.

Cosgrove’s stellar goal record last season proved he knows where the goal is, too, having scored 23 times in 38 games across all competitions, which Bruce would no doubt love to tap into with Callum Wilson proving his only regular goal threat at Newcastle.

But even Wilson has not found the back of the net in his last four Premier League games and only boasts one goal in his last seven top-flight appearances, forcing Bruce to hope that Carroll can add to his only goal in the last 1,010 days across all competitions.

Dwight Gayle also only has one goal to his name this season and is yet to start a fixture in any competition, with each of his seven appearances to date coming from the bench following yet more injury struggles for the 31-year-old.

Having another option who can score frequently in Cosgrove, then, could prove to be what saves Newcastle’s season from total collapse, and a £2.7m fee may prove very good value for money.

AND in other news, Newcastle United are being targeted to solve another PL side’s transfer crisis…