All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

An update has emerged on Celtic and their search for a new head coach ahead of the 2023/24 campaign…

What's the latest on Andoni Iraola to Celtic?

According to the Daily Mail, former Rayo Vallecano manager Andoni Iraola is preparing to throw his hat in the ring in the hope of being in contention for the job.

The club are in the market for a new boss after Ange Postecoglou left Parkhead to put pen to paper on a deal with Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.

Iraola is currently a free agent after opting against a contract extension with Vallecano having kept them in LaLiga for a second straight season.

Would Andoni Iraola be a success at Celtic?

The Hoops could strike gold with the young tactician as he is an up-and-coming coach who has shown great promise in his short career so far.

Former Leeds United head coach Jesse Marsch is another name to have been linked with the job but Iraola would be a far better option than the American boss, whose poor form at Elland Road raised red flags to those at Parkhead.

The 49-year-old barely avoided relegation from the Premier League in the 2021/22 campaign as he lost five of his 12 matches with the Whites and finished 17th in the table.

He then lost ten and won four of the 20 matches he managed in the division the following campaign, and that led to him being relieved of his duties by the English side with a points per game rate of just 0.9.

That spell in England came after the American lost six of his 14 Bundesliga games with RB Leipzig in Germany, which included five wins that left them underperforming in 11th in the table. They went on to finish fourth in the table, with 17 wins to ten losses, suggesting that he was holding them back.

Iraola, however, won 22 of his 46 matches in LaLiga 2, including the play-offs, to win promotion to the top flight in the 2020/21 campaign and was then able to establish Vallecano in the Spanish top division.

The 40-year-old tactician, who typically plays a 4-2-3-1 formation, finished 12th in both 2021/22 and 2022/23 and this shows that the Spaniard was able to successfully lead a club through a transitional period.

They finished outside of the play-offs in the second tier in the season before he joined, 2019/20, and was able to turn them into an established top-flight club within three years before his departure this summer.

Therefore, Iraola, whose work with Vallecano was hailed as "insane" by scout Jacek Kulig, is a manager on the up who has proven himself capable of uplifting a team above their means.

On the flip side, Marsch has failed in his last two jobs and has been a disappointment in England and Germany, which suggests that the Spaniard would be a far better option for Celtic at this moment in time.

Manchester United bidder Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his petrochemicals firm INEOS are prepared to be 'flexible' in order to seize control of the Premier League giants, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

What's the latest ownership news involving Manchester United?

As per Sky Sports, INEOS value Manchester United at a higher price than rival bidder Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani and are looking to acquire a majority controlling stake in the club, giving the Glazers an opportunity to keep a 20% stake as minority stakeholders.

According to The Financial Times, all six members of the Glazer family could be allowed to stay on once INEOS has acquired the club, with a contractual obligation to leave the building in the coming years.

INEOS could then buy up the remainder of the shares on derivative contracts in what would be a phased takeover of Manchester United and enable Ratcliffe to take majority control.

On the flipside, Sheikh Jassim has submitted his fifth and final bid to take over at Old Trafford; however, he has made it clear that the offer must be accepted by this Friday or he and the Nine Two Foundation will step away from proceedings, as per The Mirror.

The Qatari businessman wants to take 100% control of the Premier League giants and has promised to upgrade infrastructure at Old Trafford, something which has taken a backseat under the Glazer family's ownership, as per The Daily Mail.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jacobs thinks that Ratcliffe is willing to be as open as possible about the structure of his bid in order to gain control at Old Trafford.

Jacobs told FFC: "The Glazers will look at one number, which is the club valuation, and this is where INEOS feel that they still have an advantage. There's perhaps not a massive amount between the two club valuations, but Jim Ratcliffe's offer is higher and also more flexible. By flexible, I mean that INEOS are prepared to either allow the Glazers, particularly Joel and Avram, the opportunity to stay, or Jim Ratcliffe is prepared to buy all of their shares. As long as he gets control of the football club, he is prepared to be as flexible as possible."

What now for Manchester United?

While the battle for the ownership of Manchester United rages on, the Red Devils and their boss Erik Ten Hag will look to turn their attention towards summer recruitment at Old Trafford.

Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount looks like he could be one of the first names through the door at the Red Devils and is said to have agreed personal terms over a move, as per Football Insider.

Manchester United have also been linked with a move for West Ham United captain Declan Rice and he looks to have played his last game for his current employers following his Europa Conference League success this week as confirmed by their chairman David Sullivan, according to The Manchester Evening News.

L'Equipe report that Monaco defender Axel Disasi could also be on his way to the North West in the off-season, signalling that Manchester United could be in for a busy time of things in the market over the next few months.

Leeds United are ‘most interested’ in signing New York City forward Valentin Castellanos, according to 90min.

The Lowdown: Orta and Kinnear spotted in New York

The Whites have been acting quickly when it comes to signings for Jesse Marsch ahead of his first full season in charge.

Leeds have already brought in Brenden Aaronson from RB Salzburg and look to be closing in on right-back Rasmus Kristensen.

Castellanos could now be the club’s next key target, with Victor Orta and Angus Kinnear recently spotted alongside Leeds director Massimo Marinelli just over five miles from New York City’s Yankee Stadium.

The Latest: Smith’s post

90min journalist Chris Smith shared an update regarding Castellanos on Twitter.

He provided a link to his story, claiming that the Whites are the ‘most interested party’ and they do indeed have ‘club reps’ in the US after Manchester City passed up on their option to bring him from a fellow City Group outfit.

“Per sources, Man City have passed up their option on New York City FC striker Taty Castellanos, but have recommended him to a number of other EPL clubs.

“Leeds the most interested party, club reps are in USA.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-updates-4/” title=”Latest Leeds United updates!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Needed

Reinforcements in attack are certainly needed after Patrick Bamford started just seven Premier League games last season due to injury.

Castellanos, described as a ‘quality player’ and even dubbed the ‘new Didier Drogba’, appears to be an extremely shrewd target, with the Argentinian contributing to 76 goals in 126 games for the MLS side.

Still just 23 years of age, Castellanos can also play on either wing and Transfermarkt have a probability of a move to Leeds United at 68%, so this could be one to watch very closely.

In other news: Phil Hay now drops big update on Raphinha’s Leeds future after what he’s heard from Elland Road. 

Raphinha’s proposed move from Leeds United to Barcelona in the summer transfer window is now in doubt.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), who claim that, despite the winger previously being said to have already agreed personal terms with the LaLiga side, Barca could now walk away from a deal for the Brazil international.

The report goes on to state that this is a result of the ongoing situation concerning Ousmane Dembele, the French forward who is out of contract at the Camp Nou this summer, but who is also a player Xavi is thought to be keen to tie down to a new deal.

Should Dembele remain at Barca, Mundo Deportivo claim that the Catalan outfit will neither have the space in their first-team squad nor the financial capacity to offer Raphinha his previously agreed salary – something that could well see the Spanish club’s move for the 25-year-old fall-through.

Supporters will be buzzing

While it is true that, even if Raphinha’s proposed move to Barcelona were to fall through, there would still be a considerable amount of interest in the winger – with Arsenal and Manchester United also having been linked with a move – considering how certain the Brazilian’s departure had previously looked, this latest twist in the saga is sure to have left Leeds supporters buzzing.

Indeed, should the Whites somehow manage to keep hold of the forward beyond the closure of the summer transfer window on September 1, it would certainly come as a huge boost to Jesse Marsch, Victor Orta and Andrea Radrizzani – as the attacker is undoubtedly one of the club’s most talented players.

This was evident over his 35 Premier League appearances in 2021/22, with the £40.5m-rated talent scoring 11 goals, registering three assists and creating 10 big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 2.5 shots, making 1.9 key passes and completing 1.8 dribbles per fixture.

These returns saw the £63k-per-week winger average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.97, ranking him as Marsch’s second-best performing outfielder in the top flight.

As such, while Orta has already sealed the exciting addition of Brenden Aaronson this summer, as well as the Whites being linked with a number of other highly-rated targets, should Raphinha indeed remain at Elland Road heading into 2022/23, it would undoubtedly be the biggest result of the Whites’ transfer window.

AND in other news: Marsch can form an “unstoppable” duo as Leeds plot £21m bid for £20k-p/w “phenomenon”

Tottenham Hotspur journalist Dan Kilpatrick of The Evening Standard has now made an exciting transfer claim involving manager Antonio Conte.

The Lowdown: Conte eyes major overhaul…

The Spurs head coach, after guiding his side to a previously unthought of finish in the Premier League top four, is reportedly plotting a major summer reshuffle behind-the-scenes.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-developments-2/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

As per by reliable sources like The Times, Conte is said to have his eye on ‘at least’ six summer signings with as many as eight Spurs players heading out the other way.

The question marks have always been around whether chairman Daniel Levy and the club’s hierarchy will back the Italian and provide him with the resources necessary to compete next season.

The Latest: Kilpatrick shares exciting update…

Kilpatrick, sharing news on Twitter, now claims that the north Londoners are intent to give their full backing to the former Chelsea coach with ‘significant’ funds in the market.

He explained:

“Told Spurs are ready to back Conte with significant funds & prepared to make concessions over his desire to sign experienced players, too. Squad leaders Lloris, Dier & Kane believe club must seize the moment & not waste this chance to push on.”

The Verdict: Very promising…

This update from a reliable source in Kilpatrick comes as a very promising one indeed.

Following on from Nuno Espirito Santo’s sacking late last year, few would have envisaged the positivity at Tottenham nowadays and a major part of their transformation has been down to Conte.

It’s little wonder senior Spurs players are ‘desperate’ for the Italian to be appeased this summer ahead of his first full campaign in charge.

In other news: Tottenham now eyeing shock move for ‘unplayable’ star, Pochettino called him ‘huge’…find out more here.

Transfer insider Dean Jones has provided an update on Newcastle United and the interest in Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. 

The lowdown: Magpies interested

This comes following a report from talkSPORT claiming that Newcastle are monitoring the 35-year-old Danish shot-stopper as Eddie Howe looks to improve the squad.

Heading steadfast towards the final 12 months of a deal at the King Power Stadium (Transfermarkt), Schmeichel could be seeking a new challenge in the near future.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-6/” title=”Newcastle news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

However, one notable journalist has suggested that it’s not only the North East club that are attentive to the stopper’s situation.

The latest: ‘Offers prepared’

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones has suggested that the 80-cap international is on numerous radars across Europe.

He explained: “His contract is starting to wind down and I think that there’s a possibility that he has offers coming in for him this summer. I think he might even have offers prepared for him right now.

“There are clubs, I’m told, in Germany and Italy that are keen on Kasper Schmeichel and they’ve got a feeling he might become available.

“We’ll have to wait and see how that plays out, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Leicester had to consider options for him in the summer.”

The verdict: Better options available

Although the pursuit of a new number ‘keeper in order to challenge and perhaps usurp Martin Dubravka is an important one, at 35, Schmeichel isn’t the ideal candidate to carry the mantle of a new era in the North East.

This season, the experienced Dane  – who was hailed as ‘world class’ by manager Brendan Rodgers in 2020 following a goalless draw against Brighton – has kept 10 clean sheets in 51 outings across all competitions, making 3.6 saves per game on average (Sofascore).

Albeit clearly still at the peak of his powers, Newcastle manager Howe would be best served to consider a younger alternative such as the heavily linked Manchester United stopper Dean Henderson.

In other news, find out which ‘world-class’ ace NUFC have now made contact over signing here!

Renowned Glasgow Rangers bloggers Four Lads Had a Dream were full of praise for the performance of Leon King in the Premiership on Saturday.

The Lowdown: Rangers youngsters prevail

Giovanni van Bronckhorst named a much-changed side yesterday ahead of the Europa League final in midweek, with some youngsters enjoying a deserved run-out.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/rangers-news-4/” title=”Rangers news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Many of them impressed, as Alex Lowry grabbed himself a goal and an assist, while Cole McKinnon also got on the scoresheet in the 3-1 win over Hearts.

The Latest: King hailed

Taking to Twitter, Four Lads Had a Dream hailed the performance of 18-year-old Leon King at the back for Rangers, with some praise for Lowry as well.

The bloggers gushed: “Alex Lowry obviously grabbing the headlines & quite rightly, special player.”

“But Leon King is absolutely top class. What a talent. Both threaten to be as good as any academy graduate. The future looks very bright indeed.”

The Verdict: Unsung hero

As Four Lads Had a Dream pointed out, Lowry is likely to grab all of the headlines with his goal and assist, but King was an unsung hero at the back for the Light Blues on Saturday.

The defender won two of his duels and also recorded two clearances, two tackles and one accurate long ball, posting an 88% overall pass success rate throughout the game (SofaScore).

That was his sixth senior appearance of the season despite his tender age, which suggests that King will continue to be called upon by Van Bronckhorst next term, should he be needed.

In other news, find out what Europa League final update has left these Gers podcasters fuming

A big Rangers setback has emerged regarding Ibrox gem Joe Aribo and his injury situation… 

What’s the latest?

Journalist Andrew Dickson has revealed that the Nigeria international will miss the final of the Europa League if he is diagnosed with a concussion.

The midfielder came off injured in the first half on Thursday night after he was struck in the face by a powerful free-kick, with doubt now surrounding his availability in the coming weeks.

Dickson tweeted: “McGregor didn’t have much to do but made a crucial stop in the second half when he needed to, could do nothing about Nkunku’s glorious finish. Bassey’s now a fixture in front of him. And I hope Aribo is okay after a fair bang on the head. If it’s concussion, he misses Seville.”

The reporter has confirmed that Aribo would not be able to play in the showpiece clash in Spain, although it remains to be seen whether or not the 25-year-old was concussed.

Supporters will be gutted

Rangers supporters will surely be gutted by this claim, as it leaves a gigantic cloud of doubt over the Nigerian’s availability for the Europa League final later this month.

The midfielder has been a reliable option for Giovanni Van Bronckhorst to call upon in Europe, and the Dutch head coach will surely want him to be fit to face Eintracht Frankfurt on 18 May. Aribo has started 12 matches in this superb European run, playing 14 times in total, and has averaged an impressive SofaScore rating of 6.95 as he has chipped in with three assists.

In the Premiership, he has averaged a score of 7.09, scoring eight goals and providing five assists from midfield. He has proven that he can make a big impact in the final third with his ability on the ball, and that is why losing him for the Seville showdown would be a huge blow for the Gers.

Aribo is a consistently brilliant performer who has the potential to be a match-winner for Rangers with his contributions at the top end of the pitch, and fans will be concerned by a potential concussion to the 25-year-old, as losing his talent will weaken the squad given what he has been able to do on the pitch this season.

Hopefully he is healthy and enjoying the celebrations after the win over Leipzig, and if that is the case then the focus will turn to assess whether or not he will be able to play in the final. For now, though, the Ibrox faithful will be gutted by his knock and desperately hoping that he is cleared for action on Wednesday week.

AND in other news, Forget Lundstram: Rangers’ £5.4m-rated “absolute baller” got Ibrox “rocking” last night…

A big Newcastle United selection claim has emerged over Darsley Park gem Elliot Anderson…

What’s the talk?

Daily Mail reporter Craig Hope has confirmed that the youngster will not be making an appearance for the Magpies until next season at the earliest.

The 19-year-old returned to Tyneside this week after the conclusion of the League Two campaign last Saturday and will now bide his time until pre-season later this year.

Hope tweeted: “It would have been great to see Elliot Anderson for Newcastle in final two games, but club say he is not eligible to feature after loan spell at Bristol Rovers.”

Supporters will be gutted

Newcastle supporters will surely be gutted by this news, as it would have been exciting to see him play against Arsenal and/or Burnley in the Premier League.

The Magpies have avoided relegation to the Championship and these last two matches will play no part in deciding whether or not they stay in the top flight. This means that it would have been a great opportunity to hand some minutes to the youngster to give him a taste of what may be to come.

His form for Bristol Rovers in the second half of the campaign suggests that he has the potential to make the step up to first-team level.

In 21 appearances for Joey Barton’s side, he scored seven goals and provided six assists as he averaged a phenomenal SofaScore rating of 7.23. Anderson created eight ‘big chances’ in total and provided 1.9 key passes per game as he showcased his consistency and quality during his spell on loan.

He was also involved in one of the craziest matches in EFL history as he scored once and provided two assists in a 7-0 win against Scunthorpe on the final day of the League Two season. This win resulted in his side securing promotion on goals scored after the seven-goal drubbing placed them level on points and even goal difference with Northampton.

The 19-year-old will come back to Newcastle as a better player for this experience, as he has been able to enjoy playing regular first-team football in a pressured environment, excelling at the same time. He has proven that he can perform under pressure, and Magpies fans will surely be excited to see what he can do next season, which is why they must be gutted that they won’t get a glimpse of him over the next two weeks.

AND in other news, Craig Hope drops worrying worrying £50m NUFC claim, it’s a first major disaster for PIF…

Former Premier League goalkeeper Paddy Kenny has been reacting to the news that Celtic could be set to receive a healthy financial windfall in the near future. 

The lowdown: £40m windfall?

This comes following a report from the Daily Record confirming that the Hoops will earn upwards of £40million due to participation in next season’s UEFA Champions League group stage.

Ange Postecoglou’s side will book an automatic place in the competition with success in the Scottish Premiership after Russian teams were banned from competing in Europe due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/key-latest-celtic-updates-5/” title=”Key latest Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

As things stand, the Bhoys are six points clear at the top of the Scottish top-flight and could all but wrap up the title with victory over Hearts at Parkhead.

The latest: Kenny reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, Kenny has claimed that the influx of funds could be monumental for Scottish football.

“Celtic and Rangers both need that money. We know what the financial situation is like up in Scotland. It’s the same every year.

“A guaranteed place in the group stage is massive. £40million is a crazy amount of money to either club.

“Celtic have also failed to get through the qualifying rounds in recent years and Rangers couldn’t do it this season.

“Europa League is great but the Champions League is far more lucrative. So if they get this money, and it looks like they will, that gives them such a boost.

“They can spend more and we know good Ange Postecoglou is with transfers. With Rangers’ finances, you would think they couldn’t pay the same, so I think Celtic could pull further away if they get their transfers right.”

The verdict: Spot on

Out of the elite European competition since 2017/18, Celtic have not only missed the prestige of playing amongst the upper echelons of the continent but also the money that comes with the participation.

Having already proven to be an astute operator in the transfer market, giving Postecoglou even a percentage of the mooted £40million windfall towards transfers would be a daunting prospect for the rest of the league.

Whilst the quality of the group may dictate whether or not the Hoops advance beyond the first stage, simply being back at the top table will be a huge plus for the club.

In other news… a Celtic ace has been backed to make a permanent move away from Parkhead this summer.