All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Liverpool fans were livid with the performance of Jordan Henderson during their 3-2 victory over Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

The Reds were in action in Madrid in the Champions League, and they picked up an important three points away from home in a thrilling encounter.

Going 2-0 up early on thanks to goals from Naby Keita and Mohamed Salah, a brilliant brace from Antoine Griezmann levelled things up. The France international was then sent off, however, and Salah grabbed the winner to given Jurgen Klopp’s men the victory.

Captain Henderson started in the middle of the park, but he did not put in his best display. He won the ball back in just one duel in his entire 90 minutes on the pitch (SofaScore), and lacked the usual leadership and composure we have become used to seeing from him, surrendering possession ten times.

The fans were from happy with the performance of the England midfielder, and they took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Henderson below

“Henderson was horrible and was worse than Keita In fact.”

Credit: @ninawiththe9

“Henderson was atrocious. he should’ve been cutting off the line of pass to griezmann but was caught behind the ball. As a no.6 for the game he didn’t recognise his role and was all over the place and poor in possession.”

Credit: @i98NDK

“Both goals came from the right side, are you not gonna say anything about TAA? What can you say about Milner and Henderson who were equally shambolic. As for the defining game for his career at LFC, not your call, you are not Jurgen.”

Credit: @LNdzabe

“Henderson has been garbage and Milner is an old man. Both should be replaced down the line.”

Credit: @AlucardKing7

“Henderson should never have gotten a contract”

Credit: @LFCShafic

“He was overplayed. Guy played all of his international team games and the game at Watford. Henderson was also very poor.”

Credit: @TemnoLFC

In other news, these were Liverpool’s best three players against Atletico.

Wolves haven’t been too active in the transfer window but after failing to score in their first two league matches of the season, there is a sense that Bruno Lage needs to spend more money.

Fortunately, the Old Gold still have six days of the market in order to wrap up their business.

What’s the word?

After Lage admitted last week that the Wolves first-team squad consisted of just 15 senior players it came as a huge concern for supporters.

However, after smacking Nottingham Forest 4-0 on Tuesday evening, there is a sense of positivity starting to manoeuvre through Molineux.

If Wolves finish the transfer window well then it’ll lift spirits further ahead of an exciting season under their new manager.

One player they are considering before the deadline is Cardiff City’s Kieffer Moore.

Football Insider suggests they are weighing up a bid for the Welshman, news that was supplemented by The Athletic’s Tim Spiers.

He said on Twitter: “Busy week ahead for Wolves who are working on a number of deals. Am told Cardiff and Wales striker Kieffer Moore is on their radar but no bid made yet. CB, CM and another striker priority positions.”

Good signing

With Wolves in desperate need of adding more bodies to their squad, Wolves supporters should be excited by the idea of signing Moore.

His record over the last year has been phenomenal and if anyone can play second fiddle for Raul Jimenez, it’s the Wales international.

After all, like the Mexican, he can score goals and also hold the ball up. In fact, Moore is arguably better in that second facet.

Last season, the 29-year-old won an incredible 10.5 aerial duels per game. That is absolutely streets ahead of anyone in the Wolves squad with Willy Boly topping the charts at 2.7 battles per match.

On top of that, Moore has goals in his armoury. He scored 20 of them for Cardiff last term as he dominated Championship defences.

Wolves will know all too well how a player can compete at that level and then drop off at Premier League level, though. The likes of Helder Costa and Ivan Cavaleiro caught the eye in the second tier but then dropped off once they were promoted with the Old Gold.

Moore, however, would arrive as a squad option. There would be little pressure on his shoulders and vitally, he knows English football well.

The same cannot be said for Fabio Silva and Willian Jose last season. That’s why signing a player like the Cardiff star is key.

AND in other news, Wolves eye move for £9.9m-rated gem with “unbelievable quality”, he may replace Traore…

‘Several’ Premier League clubs will be keen on Rangers star Ryan Kent, journalist Pete O’Rourke has claimed. 

The lowdown

Former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard reportedly wants to make Kent the first signing of his tenure at Aston Villa and is clearly a huge admirer of the winger, having dubbed him ‘top class’ during his time in Glasgow.

Meanwhile, Leeds United have ‘long been admirers’ of the winger and failed in an attempt to sign him last summer.

The former Liverpool man is in the penultimate season of his £18,000-per-week contract at Ibrox.

Transfermarkt value the 25-year-old at £12.6million.

The latest

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke warned Rangers fans to brace themselves for significant interest in Kent.

“I think that Kent will definitely be a target for several clubs in the Premier League,” he said.

The verdict

Losing Kent would be a bitter blow for Rangers. Since he joined the club, he’s scored 28 goals and provided 34 assists in 143 appearances – a direct goal contribution every 2.3 matches on average.

This season, he’s started every Scottish Premiership game for which he was available.

He’s averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.25 in those games, ranking him as the fourth best player in Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s squad.

What’s more, he may not be the only high-profile departure in the near future. Connor Goldson and Leon Balogun are out of contract in 2022, while Morelos and Aribo are only committed until 2023, so news of interest in Kent is the last thing fans need.

In other news, Noel Whelan is worried by this Ibrox source reveal.

Alasdair Gold has dropped a worrying update on the current state of the Tottenham Hotspur squad.

What’s the latest?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Football.London journalist revealed that a number of Antonio Conte’s side have fallen ill as a result of the ongoing global pandemic, something which would appear to jeopardise Spurs’ UEFA Europa Conference League fixture against Stade Rennais on Thursday evening, as well as their Premier League clash against Brighton & Hove Albion this weekend.

In his tweet, Gold said: “Understand that Spurs have indeed had a [viral] outbreak in their camp this week.”

Conte will be outraged

While Gold revealed in his follow up article for Football.London that, at present, it is understood Tottenham would be able to fulfil their European tie on Thursday evening – as the rules for the competition state that, as long as a club has 13 registered players available for selection, the fixture will be played – the fact that Conte’s preparation for the fixture has been thrown into disarray will have undoubtedly left the Italian incredibly worried.

Indeed, the 52-year-old is known for his incredibly meticulous training sessions, something that would very much appear to be under threat following a number of Tottenham’s first-team players and staff falling ill.

Furthermore, with Spurs needing a result against Rennes if they are to progress to the knockout stages of the Europa Conference League, the fact that Conte could be missing a number of key first-team players, as well as some of his coaching team, will undoubtedly come as a huge blow to the former Inter Milan manager’s chances of picking up all three points against the Group G table-toppers.

As such, Gold’s update is undoubtedly a worrying one for all involved with the North London side, who will be hoping that their current predicament will be clarified upon further testing that is being carried out on Tuesday.

In other news: Paratici can sign Conte’s next Hakimi at THFC with “special” £19m gem who “gives 100%”

Lots of Wolves fans have been left buzzing as a transfer update emerged on Joao Palhinha.

As per A Bola (via Sport Witness), the Midlands club have made approaches to try and sign the Portugal international, offering fees of between €15m and 20m (£12.8m-£17m).

He is reportedly free to leave Sporting Lisbon before the summer window shuts, but not for anything less than his €60m (£51.1m) release clause.

Described as a ‘special’ player last season by his manager Ruben Amorim, Palhinha was key in Sporting’s 2020/21 title win, winning no fewer than 9.1 of his duels per game, as well as averaging 3.3 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and 1.2 clearances per match (Sofascore).

A fee of £51.1m would be extortionate for the Molineux club to pay, but if they can negotiate that price down with the Liga NOS champions, then Palhinha is certainly a player worth pursuing.

Wolves fans on Palhinha transfer update

These Wolves supporters were buzzing as the transfer update was shared on Twitter, with one fan saying that it would be ‘class’ if they were to sign Palhinha and another urging chairman Jeff Shi to act:

“No brainer, do it now”

Credit: @adenwwfc_

“Worth it, @wolves do it”

Credit: @Millenwwfc

“Get him in!!!”

Credit: @Dan__Vincent

“This would be class!”

Credit: @xEz_Acex

“Please let this happen. Neves and Palhinha, come on Jeff”

Credit: @Dom00714

“Get him in and quick!”

Credit: @asitis4

In other news, find out what transfer update has left these Wolves fans fuming

Felipe Anderson could be set to depart West Ham United for just £9m as Lazio enter discussions to re-acquire the 28-year-old, according to the Daily Mail.

Enduring a mixed spell in east London to date after signing for £36m back in 2018, the Brazilian has registered 25 goal contributions in 73 games for the Hammers, with 12 goals and 13 assists [Transfermarkt].

After falling out of favour under David Moyes, he was farmed out on loan to Porto at the beginning of the 2020/21 campaign [talkSPORT].

Continuing this theme, it now looks as though he may be set for a London Stadium exit in order to reignite his career fortunes.

New Lazio manager Maurizio Sarri is said to be an admirer of the 28-year-old and is now looking odds-on to land the winger for a knockdown fee as his contract is due to expire in just 12-months’ time [Daily Mail].

As you can imagine, loads of West Ham supporters took to Twitter to vent their frustration at this transfer update.

Hammers fans react:

Here is what some West Ham supporters had to say following the Daily Mail’s report about Anderson:

“This makes zero sense to me. I really think we should keep him”

Credit: @AmbitiousAnang”This club is awful”Credit: @alanrzepa”imagine if we sell him and keep Yarmo, Felipe would flourish in the Europa League”Credit: @WHU_Law”I’m gonna cry”Credit: @_Jwoodzy”What a shame if he goes, such a talent”Credit: @PW57WHU”I also want to keep Felipe but if Moyes is gonna waste him and just not play him, it’s a waste of our money.”Credit: @JBonFootballIn other news, these West Ham fans react to a transfer update on a La Liga ace.

Leeds United could reignite their interest in a deal to bring Nahitan Nandez to Elland Road in the winter transfer market.

What’s the talk?

According to recent reports from Italy (via Leeds Live), Victor Orta could once again pursue a deal for the Cagliari midfielder in January, with the Whites having been heavily linked with a move for the 25-year-old over the course of the summer transfer window.

The report goes on to state that, after failing to secure a move prior to the passing of the summer transfer deadline, with the likes of Inter Milan and Tottenham Hotspur reported to have been keen on the Uruguay international, Nandez is eager to find a new club in January.

Previous reports had also claimed that, despite the midfielder having a €36m (£31m) release clause in his current contract at Cagliari, the Serie A side were willing to part with the 25-year-old for a figure in the region of €26m (£22m) this summer – something that could well remain the case going forwards.

Orta could make amends

While Orta did secure the signings of Daniel James, Junior Firpo and Kristoffer Klaesson this summer, as well as the permanent addition of Jack Harrison, it is undeniable that the director of football’s failure to bring in any reinforcements in the middle of the park was something of a disaster by the Spaniard.

Indeed, with only Kalvin Phillips as a viable option in defensive midfield, as well as Mateusz Klich, Jamie Shackleton and Adam Forshaw – who hasn’t played a league game for almost two years due to injury – in central midfield, it is clear that the position is one in which Marcelo Bielsa lacks any real depth.

However, the news that Nandez could well be available once again in January presents Orta with an opportunity to make up for his failure this summer, as the 25-year-old would appear to make an excellent addition to Bielsa’s options in midfield.

Indeed, over his 32 Serie A appearances for Cagliari last season, the £19.8m-rated midfielder – who can operate from defensive, central on the right of midfield – scored two goals, registered two assists and created four big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of one shot and making one key pass per game.

The player Italian football expert Conor Clancy dubbed a “machine” also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 0.7 interceptions, 1.8 tackles, 1.5 clearances and winning 6.1 duels per match.

These returns saw the £42k-per-week Uruguayan earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.80, with his performances playing a key role in ensuring that Cagliari retained their status as a top-flight side last term.

As such, it would certainly appear as if the addition of Nandez would be a very smart piece of business for Orta to get over the line this January, as the 25-year-old would not only plug a gap in the Leeds squad but would also help to raise the standard of quality in Bielsa’s midfield.

In other news: Signed for £7m, now worth £19.8m: Orta struck gold on “exceptional” £35k-p/w Leeds gem

West Ham United are among the teams eyeing a move for Jed Wallace this January…

What’s the word?

According to Football League World, the Irons are watching the 27-year-old’s situation ahead of a potential move, with his Millwall contract set to expire at the end of the current season.

It’s thought that an offer to stay at the Den is currently on the table but nothing has been agreed so far, meaning interest has ramped up in recent weeks.

The Hammers face competition from Premier League rivals Burnley, Newcastle United, Crystal Palace and Brentford, as well as Championship giants West Brom and Scottish duo Rangers and Celtic, who are able to agree on a pre-contract agreement at the turn of the year.

Sources have told FLW that the chances of Wallace signing an extension appear slim at this stage.

Another Bowen?

West Ham have had plenty of success when dipping their toes into the lower leagues of English football, with notable cases being Aaron Cresswell and Jarrod Bowen.

In Wallace, they could certainly repeat their trick with the latter, who signed from Hull City after a few fruitful seasons in the second tier.

After ten goals and seven assists during the 2020/21 campaign and ten goals and 12 assists in 2019/20, the £6.3m-rated dynamo has continued his fine form into the current season, scoring three times and providing two assists in six appearances, as per Transfermarkt.

Lions boss Gary Rowett knows exactly how important he has been for his side throughout the past few seasons. After a win over Bristol City in 2019, he described Wallace as “instrumental in everything we achieve at the moment,” whilst he was dubbed a “game-changer” after his performance against Blackpool just last month.

Throughout the course of his career, Wallace has proven to be very consistent, which bodes well for his chances of making the big step-up into the Premier League – as per WhoScored, he’s averaged 1.9 shots, 1.6 key passes and 1.5 dribbles every game since 2015/16.

Meanwhile, he’s provided a total of 39 goals and 40 assists across 228 appearances, averaging a direct contribution once every 239 minutes, per Transfermarkt.

Considering the success of Bowen, the Irons should certainly take a punt on the 27-year-old attacker in 2022, whether that be in January or on a free transfer at the end of the season.

Wallace could be the next great success story of Moyes’ impressive recruitment.

AND in other news, ExWHUemployee drops major claim on £60k-p/w West Ham star, fans will be ecstatic…

Sheffield United transfer target Jack Hendry has completed his move to KV Oostende.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Record, who claim that the centre-back is no longer a Celtic player after Oostende activated their £1.75m option to purchase the 26-year-old following his loan spell at the Belgian club last season.

It has been reported that Sheffield United, as well as a host of Premier League and Championship clubs, had been closely monitoring the defender ahead of a potential move in the upcoming transfer window, with Oostende thought to be more than willing to part with the Scotland international for a fee of around £10m, having agreed to sell him on to the highest bidder.

Jokanovic will be delighted

With Oostende’s permanent signing of Hendry being the first step in his potential move to Bramall Lane this summer, that they have tied up their deal for the £3.15m-rated Scotland international so efficiently is sure to leave Slavisa Jokanovic delighted.

Considering just how impressive the £8,000-per-week centre-back was in Belgium last season, the amount of interest in acquiring his services this summer is hardly surprising.

Indeed, over his 30 Jupiler Pro League appearances last term, Hendry helped his side keep six clean sheets, in addition to averaging 0.6 interceptions, one tackle, 4.1 clearances and winning 4.8 duels per game.

The 26-year-old also impressed in an attacking capacity, scoring two goals and providing one assist, with these metrics seeing the centre-back earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.01 – ranking him as Oostende’s third-best performer in the Belgian top flight.

As such, the addition of the former Wigan Athletic defender to Jokanovic’s backline ahead of the Blades’ upcoming Championship campaign would certainly not appear to do their chances of securing an immediate return to the Premier League any harm whatsoever.

However, with a significant amount of competition for the man Brendan Rodgers dubbed a “fabulous” player, it would be highly advisable for the 52-year-old Blades boss to try and tie up a deal for Hendry sooner rather than later.

In other news: Sheff Utd transfer update emerges on “versatile” £3k-p/w gem, Jokanovic will be gutted

Journalist Ryan Taylor has now dropped some Newcastle United transfer news on Hugo Ekitike.

The Lowdown: January bid

A reported £33m deal for Ekitike to move to St. James’ Park from Reims fell through on deadline day in the January transfer window, so Chris Wood from Burnley was the only striker brought in to boost Eddie Howe’s forward ranks.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-5/” title=”Newcastle news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

However, given recent links to the likes of Victor Osimhen and Arnaud Kalimuendo, it is clear that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) would like to bring in another forward to the North East in the summer, with Wood only finding the back of the net twice for the Magpies.

The Latest: Ekitike update

Taking to Twitter, Taylor has shared that the Tyneside outfit have now been ‘told’ that they can sign Ekitike this summer, following comments from Reims president Jean-Pierre Caillot:

“Newcastle have been told they can sign Hugo Ekitike this summer after January deadline day deal collapsed. #NUFC

“Reims president Jean-Pierre Caillot: ‘Hugo will be allowed to go & he’s probably going to leave.’ Also interest from West Ham, Wolves, Fulham.”

The Verdict: Exciting

The summer window is shaping up to be an exciting one for the Toon Army, and more so given this update on Ekitike.

Described as a ‘very special‘ player earlier on this season by Reims manager Oscar Garcia, the French teenager has a big future ahead of him, and many in France even go as far as to claim that he could be the ‘next Mbappe‘.

Like the now PSG superstar did at AS Monaco, Ekitike has burst onto the scene, with ten goals and four assists in 24 games in total over all competitions so far (Transfermarkt), and at just 19 years of age, he could be a real coup for the Magpies.

In other news, find out which NUFC target is ‘definitely an upgrade on Ciaran Clark’ here!