All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Steve Howey was surprised that Andy Carroll hasn’t been offered fresh terms by Newcastle and felt he was unused by Steve Bruce last season.

The Magpies boss confirmed the 32-year-old is now looking for a new club following the expiration of his contract last month, which comes after there appeared a possibility that he would extend his second stay at St James’ Park.

However, Bruce ended those claims by calling Carroll’s Newcastle exit “amicable”.

He re-joined from West Ham two years ago, but scored just once in 43 appearances in all competitions and was hardly used by Bruce during his second campaign back in the north East.

Carroll started just four Premier League matches and made a handful of brief late substitute outings during the final four months of the season.

Those cameos were added up to just 20 minutes from February onwards, and Howey expressed his frustration over Carroll’s treatment.

He exclusively told Football FanCast:

“I’m surprised because I felt as though he was available a lot more than I thought he would be and wasn’t used. I’m not sure what the lad can do if he’s given very few minutes on the park. I’d have used him a bit more.”

An update has emerged regarding the Ibrox future of Rangers dud John Lundstram…

What’s the talk?

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has suggested that the Gers could sell the midfielder this month in order to make a quick profit on him.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “Obviously he was signed by a different manager, in Steven Gerrard.

“So for Rangers, they might decide to cash in on Lundstram right now and they make a bit of money out of it after getting him on a free transfer.”

This comes after The Daily Record claimed that Chris Wilder is interested in signing Lundstram for English Championship side Middlesbrough. The pair worked together at Sheffield United in the Premier League and a reunion could be on the cards in the coming weeks.

Fans will love it

Rangers fans will surely love this update from O’Rourke, as Lundstram has struggled since his move to Glasgow, so selling him for an instant profit could be a great move for the club from a footballing and financial perspective.

In terms of the off-field benefits, it would mean that Ross Wilson managed to bring a player in for nothing before selling him for a profit just six months later, handing him more funds with which to improve Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s squad.

On the pitch, it just has not worked out for the English midfielder, and fans could well love to see him being moved on. He has been unable to nail down a regular starting spot and has only started twice since Van Bronckhorst took over from Steven Gerrard, suggesting that the Dutchman is not a fan of his style of play.

Last month, Frank McAvennie has suggested that the end to Lundstram’s Blades career foreshadowed what has happened at Ibrox this season, saying: “He’s dropped off the map. Rangers made a big fuss of signing him in the summer and to me, it seems like he never gets a game.

“I know he’s scored a couple of goals so clearly he can hack it up here. I remember Sheffield United fans being happy he was leaving, that was never a good sign.”

This highlights how much of a disaster the last 12-18 months have been for Lundstram, as he seemingly had a poor end to his spell at Bramall Lane and could now be dumped by Rangers. Hopefully, if he does leave Ibrox, he is able to find his feet and enjoy a good run of form to rejuvenate his career.

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst could land the new Prso as Rangers submit offer for “groundbreaking” January transfer…

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Ronnie Edwards to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Daily Mail, who claim that both Spurs and Crystal Palace are keeping a very close eye on the Peterborough United centre-back ahead of a potential move at the end of the season.

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The report goes on to state that the relegation-threatened Championship side are believed to value the England U19 international at a figure of around £15m, with Posh likely being unable to keep hold of the youngster following their seemingly imminent return to the third tier of English football.

Conte can axe Rodon with Edwards

Considering the sheer amount of potential Edwards quite clearly possesses, in addition to the style of defender the centre-back is, it is easy to see why both Fabio Paratici and Antonio Conte would be interested in a move for the 19-year-old this summer.

Indeed, over his 30 Championship appearances this season, the £270k-rated talent has been imperious in the Peterborough backline, helping his side keep three clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.3 interceptions, 1.7 tackles, 3.5 clearances and winning 2.8 duels – at a success rate of 54% – per game.

The £2.7k-per-week prodigy has also impressed with the ball at his feet, enjoying an average of 60.2 touches and completing 44.2 passes, 3.7 long balls and 1.5 chipped passes per fixture – with scoutedfootball listing the centre-back’s primary strengths as his composure, his elegant passing and his one-on-one defending.

These returns have seen the youngster who Barry Fry dubbed a “Rolls Royce” average a SofaScore match rating of 6.75, ranking him as Posh’s 11th-best player in the second tier of English football.

Regarding his signing of the teenager back in August 2020, Fry went on to state: “I used to watch a lot of U18s football at Barnet as well as Posh and I told [Darren Ferguson] about him. When we brought him in for a game, Darren watched him for 20 minutes and told me to sign him.

“Spurs were watching him at the time… it’s no secret how highly Ronnie is rated by other clubs and by the England set-up. We had 18 Premier League scouts watching him play for the U23s at our stadium. He’s a certainty to have an outstanding career in the game.

“A couple of good seasons in the Championship would make him worth £10m to £20m. He was outstanding on what was a great day for the club [in the 3-0 win over Birmingham City in September]. He is so calm and composed and his passing is unbelievably accurate.”

As such, considering the fact that Tottenham’s £24k-per-week Joe Rodon – who John Wenham dubbed a “real issue” for Spurs back in April of last year – has reportedly decided to quit the north London club this summer – having featured just three times under the management of Conte – Edwards would certainly appear to be a fantastic replacement for the 24-year-old Wales international in the Italian’s backline.

AND in other news: Talks underway: Paratici in negotiations for £41.5m deal, it’d be a big coup for Spurs

After a disappointing 2-1 defeat against Norwich City at the weekend in their latest Premier League outing after the latest international break, Southampton have been dealt a worrying injury issue that could impact their team for the next few weeks.

What’s the news?

Southampton midfielder Stuart Armstrong was not in the squad for the game at Carrow Road after picking up a calf injury before the game according to Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl.

This will surely be a big blow for the team and a big disappointment for the fans after the Scottish international had only recently recovered from a calf issue and managed to get some Premier League minutes under his belt before his first start of the season in their 1-0 win over Aston Villa earlier in the month.

Since joining the south coast club back in the 2018 summer transfer window from Celtic in a deal worth a reported fee of £7m, the 29-year-old has made a total of 109 appearances for Southampton across all competitions in which he has managed to score 14 goals and provide 11 assists in the process.

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Given how Armstrong was just getting back into the swing of things for Southampton and played in both of Scotland’s recent World Cup qualifying matches against Moldova and Denmark, this latest calf issue will surely be a big setback for the player.

His latest appearance for his country against Denmark saw Armstrong come off the substitutes bench and provide an assist for his club teammate Che Adams in their 2-0 win.

Hasenhuttl and everyone else at Southampton will undoubtedly be hoping that the forward will be able to recover from this latest setback as soon as possible and not miss too many games for the Saints. As they approach their winter run of fixtures the manager will want as many options in the squad available to him to help keep his side away from the relegation zone.

If Armstrong does end up spending another significant period of time out injured, Hasenhuttl will have to rely on the likes of Theo Walcott, Moussa Djenepo and Nathan Tella to step up to the plate and provide a suitable attacking threat while Armstrong is out recovering. Given their inconsistent nature, this injury blow will certainly leave their Austrian head coach gutted.

In other news: Possession lost x17: Southampton lightweight with 0 key passes let Ralph down vs NCFC – opinion

Tottenham Hotspur are now lining up a sensational return for Christian Eriksen this summer, according to reports…

What’s the word?

Football Insider claim the north London outfit are keeping tabs on their former attacking midfielder, who is set to become a free agent at the end of the season after reigniting his career during a short-term stint at Brentford.

Spurs are among the Premier League teams eyeing a move for the 30-year-old. He has impressed since joining the Bees on a six-month deal on January 31st, proving his fitness and health following a cardiac arrest during Euro 2020 last summer.

The 111-time Danish international departed Hotspur Way in January 2020, leaving to join Antonio Conte at Inter Milan and now it appears the Italian is keen on a reunion.

It’s also thought that Eriksen would be open to a move back to his former club. He wouldn’t cost chairman Daniel Levy anything in terms of a transfer fee.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-martinez-dybala-spence-conte-2” title= “Read the latest Spurs news!”]

Playmaking fix

Since his exit from the club, Spurs managers – past and present – have struggled to replace the void he left behind with neither of the likes of Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele able to step up in his absence.

Both players were shipped out on loan during the winter and the latter has refound form, though Villarreal would like to keep him permanently and that is a deal the Lilywhites must let happen – it could be sweetened by the return of Eriksen, who can fill that no.10 gap at long last.

Effectively finally replacing himself, the 30-year-old playmaker has proven his ability in the Premier League once again. His one goal came against former rivals Chelsea, whilst he’s also provided two assists from six appearances, playing the full 90 in five of those matches, via Transfermarkt.

Eriksen leads Thomas Frank’s squad in terms of average WhoScored rating, thus suggesting that he has made a major impact in a mere matter of months. He also tops the charts in terms of creativity, managing 1.7 key passes per game.

This would see him rank joint-second behind Heung-min Son (1.9) in Conte’s current squad and the prospect of adding the Dane to a frontline involving the South Korean sensation, January marksman Dejan Kulusevski and the talismanic Harry Kane is very exciting indeed.

The north Londoners know too well about his playmaking talents with the ex-maestro providing 159 direct goal contributions across 305 appearances in a Tottenham Hotspur shirt – that’s around one goal or assist every 152 minutes, via Transfermarkt.

Conte and Spurs could indeed end a 30-month problem by replacing someone like Lo Celso by sealing a return for the £13.5m-rated wizard, who was once dubbed “special” and “unbelievable” by his former boss, Mauricio Pochettino.

AND in other news, Conte could finally axe “terrible” £91k-p/w dud as Spurs plot bid for £58m-rated “leader”…

Aston Villa have confirmed a major injury boost over Leon Bailey ahead of their Premier League encounter with Arsenal on Friday night.

Dean Smith’s side have been without the summer signing for the past three games in the Premier League after being forced off in the second half against Everton back in mid-September.

However, speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Mikel Arteta’s side at the Emirates Stadium, the Villa manager said: “Leon Bailey and Bertrand Traore have both trained over the last couple of days and both will be available for the squad down at Arsenal.

“But we have to be aware that Bailey’s had a thigh injury for four weeks so we have to assess how much of a risk we take with him. We are building up their fitness, they will be in the squad, but we’ll have to assess where they are. They have both been out injured for a few weeks, so they are lacking minutes.”

The Jamaica international has had an injury-disrupted start to life at Villa Park, playing just 85 minutes of football in the Premier League, but even in that limited amount of game-time, he has shown exactly why Villa fans should be excited about their summer signing.

After coming off the bench to great effect against Watford on the opening day – he marked his Premier League debut for the club by setting up John McGinn’s goal and almost sparking a late comeback – the Jamaican flier showed just what he can bring to the table when he delivered another barnstorming cameo against Everton.

Having come on as a substitute once again, Bailey whipped in the corner which was turned in by Lucas Digne, before firing in a superb goal of his own to seal an impressive 3-0 win for Villa.

Speaking before the Midlands club officially confirmed the deal to sign the winger, Alan Hutton threw his backing behind a move for the Jamaica international.

He said: “I’m so excited to see this one. I’ve heard a lot about him over the past two or three seasons. He’s obviously still very young but he’s electric, he gets people off their seats. That’s what you want in a player.

“But what’s more impressive, 15 goals and 11 assists from wide areas in the German league. That’s unbelievable. It’s the kind of consistency you want from your wingers.”

The fact that he’s now back in the frame to play against Arsenal tonight is sure to have fans absolutely buzzing, especially at a time when Villa have fallen into a bit of a slump.

Meanwhile, Villa must start this £7.2m-rated gem against Arsenal…

Aston Villa get their Carabao Cup campaign underway on Tuesday night when they take on Barrow in the second round.

Dean Smith’s side were, of course, finalists in 2020 where they were beaten by Manchester City, while they were knocked out of the competition in the fourth round last season by Stoke City.

The Villa boss will no doubt ring the changes to his starting line-up for today’s clash, with many of those who started in the 2-0 victory over Newcastle in the Premier League at the weekend unlikely to do so again.

And, with that in mind, below is a look at the kind of line-up Smith might look to put out for Villa’s clash against Barrow.

In goal, Emi Martinez is likely to be given a rest with back-up shot-stopper Jed Steer coming for his first competitive game for Villa since that 1-0 defeat to Stoke last season.

The back-four is also set to see wholesale changes, with Frederic Guilbert making his first Villa appearance since returning from loan last term.

Matt Targett should come straight back in at left-back, while Kortney Hause is likely to be partnered by Axel Tuanzebe, who could make his second debut for the club following his initial loan spell.

Further forward, Smith could be in line to make some exciting changes by starting three of the club’s brightest young academy talents, with Carney Chukwuemeka, Jaden Philogene-Bidace and Jacob Ramsey ready to make their mark.

And up front, with Ollie Watkins still out, Wesley could come in for Danny Ings as he looks to prove why he should remain at the club and be given the chance to impress.

Predicted XI: Steer; Guilbert, Tuanzebe, Hause, Targett; Nakamba, Ramsey; Philogene-Bidace, Chukwuemeka, El Ghazi; Wesley.

Meanwhile, Villa are plotting a late swoop for this star…

Aston Villa have suffered a potentially significant injury blow ahead of their Premier League clash with Norwich City at Carrow Road this evening.

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic’s Gregg Evans, Villa midfielder Marvelous Nakamba is set for a spell on the sidelines after picking up a knee injury, although the seriousness of the issue is not yet known.

He tweeted: “Big blow for Nakamba sustaining a knee injury. The severity will be revealed later in the week but if it is bad, #AVFC may consider sourcing a replacement in the transfer window.

“Villa have acted on injuries before in the Jan window and will be flexible enough to do so again.”

The in-form 27-year-old has been a key player for Steven Gerrard’s charges in the opening period of the current campaign, and his absence from the matchday squad to face Norwich will come as a huge setback.

Steven Gerrard will be gutted

News that Nakamba is expected to be unavailable for the trip to Norfolk and potentially beyond will leave Gerrard feeling gutted, given his importance to the first-team squad.

The Zimbabwe international has forced his way into the starting lineup in recent weeks, featuring from the off in Villa’s last seven top-flight fixtures – including all five games of Gerrard’s short tenure.

And when taking a closer look at the defensive midfielder’s underlying numbers, it’s easy to understand why he has become a mainstay for the Midlands outfit.

As per WhoScored, Nakamba has averaged two tackles per league game throughout 2021/22 – the third-highest total compared to his teammates – and 1.5 defensive dribbles, the highest tally amongst his colleague.

The midfield gem has also produced 0.8 interceptions and one clearance while recording a passing accuracy of 86.6%, highlighting his hugely effective displays of late.

With the busy festive schedule set to kick in, Gerrard will be disappointed to lose such a pivotal player at this moment in time, and he’ll be hoping the likes of Douglas Luiz and Jacob Ramsey can step up in his absence.

And, in other news…Imagine him & McGinn: Gerrard can form scary AVFC duo with £21k-p/w “special talent” 

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard included teenage midfielder Tim Iroegbunam in a senior matchday squad for the first time against Leicester City on Sunday, and a number of fans were quick to heap praise on the 19-year-old following the club’s official post.

Iroegbunam made the move to Bodymoor Heath over the summer from Midlands rivals West Brom. The central midfielder has since gone on to make 15 appearances for Villa’s under-23’s, three of which have come in the EFL Trophy.

He has seemingly impressed in recent months and was among a number of youngsters involved in first team training under former manager Dean Smith.

Gerrard also included Iroegbunam in his first training session as Villa boss and named the youngster on the bench in the 2-1 win over the Foxes on Sunday afternoon.

Villa fans react

Here is what these Villa fans had to say in reply to the club’s official Twitter post on Iroegbunam, with one labelling it as ‘great’ and another calling the 19-year-old a ‘baller’.

“Good move this. Best player on the pitch on Tuesday”

Credit: @SethRol05972053

“FINALLY”

Credit: @maxavfclove

“This tweet is better. Good. Inject it.”

Credit: @AVFC_AP

“Great to see him in the match day squad”

Credit: @MarkSparkyD

“Can’t wait for a song for this baller…”

Credit: @MarkJirobe

“Top top baller, basically Pogba but better”

Credit: @ItsBenSmith1404

In other news: Luke Hatfield urges Aston Villa to sign ‘unbelievable’ 24 y/o

Steve Bruce’s focus this transfer window is strengthening Newcastle United’s midfield rather than his options up front, journalist Liam Kennedy has told The Transfer Tavern.

It has been a frustrating window for Newcastle with little transfer activity, though things are starting to pick up a little bit.

In what will come as a welcome development to the St. James’ Park faithful, Joe Willock is close to signing for the club from Arsenal following an excellent loan spell on Tyneside last season.

Newcastle have also been linked with other midfielders such as Jens Cajuste of FC Midtjylland and Leicester City’s Hamza Choudhury. And Kennedy expects that theme to continue, with that area of the pitch being a priority for Bruce in this moment of time.

“I don’t think it [striker] is an area that they’re really focusing on,” the Shields Gazette reporter said.

“I think they want a revamp in the midfield, which has been long overdue. Willock is the key to that and I think they want one other.”

All things considered, Newcastle could probably do with revamping their attack as well. An injury to their first-choice No.9 Callum Wilson, something they did have to deal with last season, and the Magpies suddenly look very light up front.