All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

[ad_pod ]Southampton legend Matthew Le Tissier has reacted on Twitter after former Saints player Virgil van Dijk claimed in an interview published on the BBC that he “gave everything” prior to his £75m move to Liverpool in January 2018.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Dutchman quickly established himself as one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League during his time at St Mary’s, and it was no surprise when he started to attract admiring glances from some of the bigger clubs in the division, such as Liverpool.

The Merseyside outfit attempted to bring the centre-back to Anfield during the summer of 2017 but Saints reacted by reporting them for an illegal approach, with the defender later handing in a transfer request and reportedly refusing to play for the team.

The summer transfer window ended with the Netherland international remaining on the south coast, and he featured 12 times before finally moving on.

Speaking to BBC about his exit, Van Dijk said: “After the end of August [and the transfer window] I put my head down, played for Southampton and gave everything. I was happy to play because I came back from an eight-month injury.

“When everything happened over the summer, people doubt you. For me, I really didn’t care as I gave everything in games and training.”

How has Le Tissier reacted?

The Sky Sports pundit reacted with two emojis of a thinking face and a surprised face, before going into more detail when replying to another user about Van Dijk’s claim.

Has he got a point?

He certainly has, because you clearly aren’t giving everything if you aren’t helping your team on the pitch.

Despite the fact the former Celtic man was recovering from months out through injury, it also seemed apparent that he wasn’t putting in the maximum effort, with his final appearance in the 4-1 home defeat by Leicester City a prime example of that.

With the Dutchman knowing that a move to Liverpool was on the cards he was never going to be as committed as he once was as a further injury could have prevented a move, no matter what he might be saying about it now.

Rangers’ Joe Aribo failed to make the desired impact in the Old Firm derby on Sunday, according to official club media partners Heart & Hand.

The lowdown

The Gers lost 2-1 against their arch-rivals in a result which could prove to be decisive in the title race.

Celtic are now six points clear at the top of the Premiership with six games to play after Tom Rogic cancelled out Aaron Ramsey’s opener and Cameron Carter-Vickers then scored the winning goal.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/rangers-news-2/” title=”Rangers news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Giovanni van Bronckhorst selected Aribo in the right attacking midfield role in his 4-2-3-1 shape, with Ramsey central and Ryan Kent slotting in on the left.

The Nigerian is one of the most trusted players at the club, starting 28 of the Light Blues’ 32 league matches so far this season.

The latest

During the first half of the game at Ibrox, Heart & Hand tweeted that Aribo was actually landing Rangers in trouble against Celtic.

They made the damning assessment that the 25-year-old was ‘causing us more problems than them’ on Sunday afternoon.

The verdict

What do the stats say about Aribo’s performance?

His SofaScore rating was a rather underwhelming 6.7/1o, the lowest of Rangers’ attacking foursome. The £9m-rated gem wasn’t able to fashion a chance for his team-mates and he didn’t have a shot of any description until the 89th minute of the match.

Furthermore, he lost possession 14 times and came off second best in four of the five aerial duels that he contested, which makes the criticism from Heart & Hand understandable.

Aribo is largely enjoying a fine season, with seven goals and eight assists under his belt, but this was perhaps a day to forget on a most unfortunate occasion to have it.

In other news, Rangers could be hit with a £5m fine

Brentford are ready to rival West Ham for the signing of Hull City midfielder Keane Lewis-Potter, according to a fresh transfer rumour.

The Lowdown: Hammers keen on Lewis-Potter

The Hammers are reportedly interested in acquiring the 20-year-old’s signature before the end of the January transfer window, following some impressive performances for Hull.

Lewis-Potter has scored five goals and registered three assists in 27 Championship appearances this season, also being hailed as a ‘special talent’ by Grant McCann.

It now looks as though West Ham could face competition for the youngster, though.

The Latest: Brentford emerge at contenders

According to The Daily Mail, Brentford have made a £12million offer to Hull for Lewis-Potter’s services, with Tottenham also mentioned in the report.

The Englishman’s current deal expires in the summer of 2023, meaning the Tigers are running out of time to receive a healthy fee for him.

The Verdict: Blow to miss out on him

While Lewis-Potter wouldn’t necessarily arrive as an immediate key man under David Moyes, he has the long-term potential to be a superb signing. He is already shining in the Championship at a young age and also won the EFL’s Young Player of the Month award back in October 2020.

With Mark Noble an ageing figure and Declan Rice not a certainty to stay put this summer, the Hull man is someone who could eventually mature into an influential figure in the middle of the park, albeit in a slightly more advanced role.

Not only has he chipped in with eight goal contributions in the league this season, but he has also averaged 0.8 interceptions and one clearance per game, showing he can shine defensively too.

In other news, some West Ham fans are excited by a transfer update. Read more here.

Celtic have been dealt a huge injury blow regarding Callum McGregor.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Mail (via the Glasgow Evening Times), who claim that the 28-year-old requires surgery on a fractured cheekbone which the central midfielder picked up in the Scottish Cup win over Alloa Athletic last weekend.

The report goes on to state that this will keep the Scotland international out of action for between four to six weeks, meaning he looks set to miss fixtures against Hearts, Dundee United, Rangers, Motherwell, Aberdeen and perhaps even the two-legged Europa Conference League tie against Bodo/Glimt on February 17 and 24.

Fans will be livid

While injuries are very much part and parcel of the game, when taking into account the sheer number of setbacks Ange Postecoglou’s side have suffered this season, in addition to the fact that Celtic were playing a League One side in the cup fixture, the 56-year-old’s decision to start McGregor against Alloa could very well have left the Parkhead faithful livid with the manager, particularly considering the tough run of games Celtic have in the coming weeks.

Indeed, with both James McCarthy and Reo Hatate on the bench for the fixture, two midfielders who arguably would have benefitted much more from first-team minutes than the Celtic captain, exactly why Postecoglou decided to field McGregor from the off is very much up for debate.

Granted, the benefit of hindsight is a wonderful thing, but with Liel Abada and Yosuke Ideguchi also limping off with injuries against Alloa, Postecoglou has once again been left extremely short of options in a number of different positions within his first-team squad.

However, with the Greek-Australian coach suggesting after the 2-1 victory that both Abada’s and Ideguchi’s knocks were not too serious, the duo may well return to action in the not too distant future, although, the loss of McGregor for what could be two months is undoubtedly a huge blow for Celtic – and one that could easily have been avoided.

In other news: Ange can finally axe “pathetic” £10k-p/w Celtic flop with “creative” 82-assist machine

Ange Postetcoglou’s Celtic side head into Sunday’s Premiership fixture off the back of arguably their best performance of the season, with the Bhoys comfortably seeing off their Glasgow rivals 3-0 in Wednesday’s Old Firm clash.

As such, spirits will undoubtedly have been high within the Hoops squad at Lennoxtown this week, with the match against Graham Alexander’s Motherwell, coupled with the Gers’ challenging test against third-placed Hearts, very much bringing with it the potential of Celtic moving clear at the top of the Premiership standings.

With Postecoglou recently revealing that the returning Tom Rogic – as well as Daizen Maeda – will be available for selection on Sunday, despite suggestions that the Australian might require a rest after his involvement with his national team, it would seem a wise move for the Bhoys boss to unleash the 29-year-old from the off at Fir Park, as the sight of the attacking midfielder will give Motherwell nightmares.

Postecoglou must unleash Rogic

Indeed, the £1.35m-rated Rogic has always been something of a thorn in the side of Motherwell, with the Aussie having scored five goals and provided his teammates with five assists over his 18 appearances against the Steelmen, including an extremely well-taken winner in Celtic’s 1-0 victory over today’s opponents back in December.

Furthermore, the £15k-per-week midfielder has also been in impressive form over his further 17 Premiership fixtures so far this season, scoring three goals, registering six assists and creating nine big chances for his teammates. These metrics have seen the 29-year-old average a SofaScore match rating of 7.00.

As such, considering that the player who Postecoglou dubbed “important” has something of a penchant for making his mark against Motherwell, in addition to his fine form thus far in the current campaign, the Celtic coach simply must unleash the attacking midfielder today, as he could well be a game-changer for the Bhoys.

In other news – Forget Dembele: Postecoglou must now unleash “generational” Celtic prodigy who has “no fear”

Dwight McNeil is among Everton’s possible targets in the January transfer window, according to The Daily Mail. 

The lowdown

The Toffees kicked off their January business with the signing of Vitaliy Mykolenko from Dynamo Kiev at the weekend, and now they’re closing in on a deal for another full-back in the form of Rangers’ Nathan Patterson.

Further up the pitch, McNeil – a near ever-present for Burnley this season – is attracting also interest, and Everton fans will be under no illusions as to what he can do.

Last March, the winger netted a goal that Gary Lineker described as ‘truly gorgeous’ and ‘stunning’ in a 2-1 victory for Burnley at Goodison Park. In the wake of that wonder strike, talent scout Jacek Kulig described him as ‘one of the best players out of the top six’.

McNeil is valued at £19.8m by Transfermarkt and has two-and-a-half years left on his contract at Turf Moor.

The latest

As part of The Daily Mail’s club-by-club transfer window guide, they’ve listed the players that Everton ‘like’. McNeil features on that list, along with the likes of Newcastle United’s Sean Longstaff and Arsenal’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

The outlet claimed that, after Mykolenko and Patterson, Benitez’s priorities are apparently ‘a midfielder plus a forward’.

The verdict

McNeil perhaps hasn’t made the direct impact he would have wanted this season, with no goals and just one assist after 17 matches for the struggling Clarets.

However, it should be noted that his team-mates’ finishing has let him down on occasion. He has notched 2.52 expected assists, created three big chances and averaged 1.4 key passes per game.

In a strange way, now might be the optimal time for Everton to invest. His transfer value has stagnated rather than climbed after a quiet first half of the campaign, but his talent is clear. He featured 10 times for England at under-21 level and has five or more assists in each of his full Premier League seasons to date, so there is enough evidence to suggest that he can thrive at a high level.

In other news, some Everton fans were left fuming over this transfer update

Manchester United will be aiming to stay within touching distance of the top four when they welcome Arsenal to Old Trafford for their intriguing Premier League clash this evening.

The Red Devils are currently five points behind today’s visitors and six behind West Ham United, who are currently occupying the final Champions League qualification spot.

Things have improved for United in recent weeks, though, following Ole Gunnar Solsjaer’s dismissal.

A hard-fought victory over Villarreal in the Champions League was followed up by a respectable draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last time out, and interim manager Michael Carrick will be hoping to build of those positive performances.

The 40-year-old tactician will once again be without Luke Shaw, Paul Poagba, Edinson Cavani and Raphael Varane through injury, but he will be able to call upon the services of Harry Maguire once more following his suspension.

With Ralf Rangnick finally receiving his work permit ahead of his imminent arrival, this evening’s encounter will be the last of Carrick’s short reign, and he’ll be keen to hand over their reins with three extra points in the bag.

Consequently, this is how Football FanCast expects the retired England midfielder to line up against the Gunners, with two changes from the side that featured from the off over the weekend…

In goal, David de Gea is set to keep his place between the sticks once again, adding to Dean Henderson’s frustrations as he’s forced to watch on from the sidelines.

Ahead of the Spanish shot-stopper is set to be a back four made up of Alex Telles, Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Aaron Wan-Bissaka due to Shaw and Varane’s enforced absences.

However, Carrick will have a tough call to make when it comes to his engine room options, with several players vying for a limited amount of starting berths.

The likes of Donny van de Beek and the £120,000-per-week Nemanja Matic will be eager to feature from the off after receiving game time in recent weeks, but a trio of Fred, Scott McTominay and Bruno Fernandes is the most likely setup.

And the interim manager also faces a selection headache when it comes to his star-studded forward line.

Carrick made the bold decision to drop Cristiano Ronaldo to the bench against Chelsea, and he may do the same again against Arsenal, lining up with an extremely mobile and pacey front three of Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood and Jadon Sancho.

And, in other news…Huge boost: Man Utd receive big injury lift ahead of AFC, Carrick will be delighted

Manchester United are targeting River Plate’s “rising star” Enzo Fernández this summer and he could slot straight into the team ahead of Brazilian midfielder Fred.

What’s the story?

United are set for a huge overhaul of their under performing squad before next season and according to The Daily Star, up to four midfielders could leave.

This would leave room for plenty of new additions with one target being Argentinian Fernández.

He currently play’s in South America for River Plate but could be persuaded by the lure of one of Europe’s biggest clubs. However, the Red Devils face competition for him from Real Madrid and local rivals Man City, with the player said to have a £20.6m release clause in his contract.

He’s better than Fred

One of the midfielders he would be competing with, or potentially replacing, at Old Trafford would be Brazilian star Fred. He has had a rollercoaster of a career at United and at 29 years old isn’t getting any younger.

The signing of Fernández could provide the perfect alternative, and if he impresses, the 21-year old could be a mainstay at the Theatre of Dreams for years to come.

He has made 36 appearances for River Plate and in his time at the club has been directly involved in 12 goals from midfield.

When you compare his statistics in the league to that of Fred’s, he excels in most categories. The average number of passes he makes per game is 55.3 compared to the Brazilian’s 48.9.

Fernández is also more of a threat in the air with him winning 1.1 of aerial duels per game compared to Fred’s 0.6.

If United are successful in their bid to sign the Argentinian youngster then it’s likely that he will be one of Erik ten Hag’s first singings as manager at Old Trafford.

The Dutchman is reportedly close to agreeing a deal to take the hot seat at the club and signing Fernández would be the perfect start to his tenure.

He’s known for giving young players a chance having developed some star players during his time at Ajax. It’s a same tradition that is part of the fabric at United and if he was signed it would be a signal of the start of a new era under Erik ten Hag.

IN other news: Manchester United: Anthony Elanga was important in crucial win…

Newcastle United grabbed themselves a vital 1-0 win at Leeds United on Saturday afternoon in their fight to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Jonjo Shelvey scored from a free kick in the second half in the only goal of the game after the visitors were left under the cosh at times, with the Whites dominating possession.

As such, some Magpies players struggled more than others, as The Transfer Tavern uses statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who Newcastle’s three worst performers (to have played at least 45 minutes) were on the day:

Ryan Fraser (6.8)

Admittedly tied with Jamaal Lascelles in terms of rating (6.8), Fraser ranks third here because he played the whole match, whereas the captain was substituted midway through the second half.

The Scotland international never managed a shot on target, successful dribble or key pass, while he was also inaccurate with three of his four crosses.

He also lost the ball 12 times and managed just 33 touches in total, highlighting his lack of impact at Elland Road.

Sean Longstaff (6.7)

Coming on as a substitute in the first half for the injured Joelinton, Longstaff was given a 6.7 rating.

The 24-year-old midfielder lost four duels and failed to record a single shot on target, dribble or key pass, losing possession nine times in total. Like Fraser, he also managed only 33 touches in the entire game.

Joe Willock (6.3)

Willock was ranked as Newcastle’s worst player on the day, as he was given a 6.3 rating.

The former Arsenal ace lost seven of his duels and was unsuccessful with his two shots and three of his dribble attempts, while he also gave the ball away 13 times.

He only managed 42 touches and was described as ‘anonymous’ by Daily Telegraph journalist Luke Edwards, along with Fraser.

In other news, find out what big NUFC transfer update has been dropped

Moving on from their 1-0 defeat against Liverpool at the weekend, Aston Villa are on their travels once again with a trip to Carrow Road to face Norwich City, pitting Steven Gerrard against former Villa manager Dean Smith.

On the chalkboard

In terms of which players Gerrard could pick to be in his starting XI on this occasion, one player that got some minutes under his belt in the defeat at Anfield that should be in the team from the beginning to take on the Canaries is Morgan Sanson.

After replacing Marvelous Nakamba in the 57th minute against Liverpool, Sanson managed to show to Gerrard what a useful midfield option he can be for Villa.

With 32 touches of the ball, Sanson completed nine passes, complete all three of the dribbles he attempted, win six duels and make two tackles with one interception, showing how good he is on the ball and winning it back for his team in the middle of the pitch.

This cameo performance earned the Frenchman an overall match rating of 7/10 according to SofaScore, making him Villa’s joint-second highest rated player on the day alongside Matt Targett.

With this in mind and the fact that Nakamba has apparently picked up a knee injury that could lead to Villa having to sign a new midfielder in the upcoming January transfer window, this could be the perfect time for Gerrard to unleash Sanson from the start to see if he can prove his worth once again.

Labelled as a player that “has a bit of everything” by Smith, the 27-year-old is currently earning a weekly wage of £59k-per-week according to Salary Sport.

Given how Sanson has only made 13 senior appearances for the Villans since arriving back in January, mainly due to injury troubles, it’s safe to say the midfielder would be chomping at the bit to finally get a decent run in the team, which could get underway if Gerrard starts him tonight and he manages to impress as he did against Liverpool.

If Gerrard does start against Norwich, Sanson could potentially create a solid midfield partnership with either the likes of John McGinn or Douglas Luiz who both played the full 90 minutes against Liverpool if they start again tonight.

In other news: Lange could save AVFC millions with £46k-p/w machine who will “get better and better” – opinion