All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Aston Villa are reportedly continuing their pursuit of Leicester City forward Harvey Barnes, who has been a player eyed by the club since May if reports are to be believed.

The Englishman is likely to depart the King Power this summer, following the club’s relegation to the Championship, with plenty of Premier League sides swarming at his availability.

News reported earlier this week by the Daily Mail listed Villa as one of the clubs to have ‘enquired’ about the 25-year-old, named alongside Newcastle, West Ham and Tottenham as the sides interested.

A separate report from the Mail added that the Foxes will hope for a price in the region of £35m for the winger, who is contracted to the club until 2025.

Where could Harvey Barnes play at Aston Villa?

Lauded as “unbelievable” by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, the forward has shone on the flank for Leicester in the Premier League.

Despite struggling through a damning 2022/23 campaign with the Foxes, the Englishman maintained his superstar status in guiding the side where possible, as highlighted by his 13 goals.

The winger netted just two goals fewer than Villa’s talisman Ollie Watkins, who scored 15 goals in 37 Premier League appearances last season in an inspired feat under Unai Emery.

The Spaniard has transformed the look of the side he inherited from Steven Gerrard, bringing a positive light to the attack at Villa Park in an improvement that fired the Villans to European football.

After a campaign full of highs after starting so discouragingly, it’s difficult to identify areas for improvement, however, Emery’s sights go far beyond a seventh-place finish.

One thing that the side could benefit from is having an additional goalscorer, which is something the former Arsenal boss highlighted to The Athletic in April with his wishes to sign a partner for Watkins made clear.

President of football operations Monchi could hand his compatriot ammunition for his dreams in signing Barnes, who would bolster Villa’s threat in the final third.

Behind Watkins, the Villans’ next top scorer was Danny Ings, who netted nine in all competitions, alarming considering the striker departed the club back in January.

Jacob Ramsey managed to score six as an outlet for goals on the right side, however, his tally could be doubled by Barnes should he tick in Emery’s set-up.

Averaging 0.43 non-penalty goals per 90 last season, Barnes provides a real threat on goal, with further attributes that suggest he could be a strong asset for Watkins to play alongside.

As per FBref, the Englishman averaged 3.32 progressive carries per 90 to show his strength in carrying the ball, as well as 1.29 final third passes per 90, displaying two areas of his game that could benefit the Villa hitman. Indeed, he truly is the "live wire" that Alan Hutton described him.

Last season, Barnes registered an impressive ten assists for Leicester, showing his ability to play a strong pass which could be beneficial to both himself and Watkins should he opt to join Villa, with the striker averaging 53.6% shots on target per 90, via FBref.

A direct player with an eye for goal and a creative spark, it well could elevate Emery’s side and indeed Watkins to the next level.

Newcastle United may finally find out what their chances are of landing Kieran Tierney this week, with Football Insider reporting that the defender will decide on his future in talks with Mikel Arteta.

What is the latest Newcastle United transfer news?

There has been plenty in the pipeline for the Toon this summer, with the Premier League outfit clearly realising the need to improve their squad for a campaign spent in both the top flight and European competition. The Magpies will be eager to ensure they can compete on all fronts, and that has led to interest in numerous players already this transfer window.

One of the deals that appears to be advancing is for Harvey Barnes, with Newcastle now in contact with Leicester over a potential deal for the winger. Having impressed for the Foxes during his time in the top tier, he could now find an escape route back to the Premier League with Eddie Howe's side.

There is no official bid on the table for the Englishman yet, and another forward option they are looking at is Federico Chiesa at Juventus, with the Toon set to open fresh discussions with the Italian outfit and the winger's representatives over a potential transfer deal.

Is Kieran Tierney joining Newcastle United?

However, one name that has seemingly been linked with a switch to St James' Park since the beginning of the summer is that of Kieran Tierney at Arsenal. The defender has been on Newcastle's wanted list since the end of the 2022/23 season, and it seems as though the St James' Park outfit are still in pole position to land him, despite competition from Celtic.

Now, according to a report from Football Insider, the 26-year-old is set to hold talks with current boss Arteta and his future "will be decided this week".

The left-back could still decide to stay on at the Emirates – and if he did, Newcastle will have to move on to alternative targets quite quickly, but the report reaffirms that the Magpies are still the front runners to get a deal done.

Tierney has been praised highly in the past by boss Mikel Arteta too, so perhaps the Spaniard won't want him to leave unless he doesn't see a place in the squad for him. He stated that the left-back was "fantastic" during a performance against Crystal Palace and despite affording him limited game time last season, the Scot did impress when given the chance.

Indeed, going by FBRef's metrics, comparing the 26 year-old with others in his position across the top five European leagues, Tierney ranks highly for non penalty goals, assists, progressive passes and progressive carries, suggesting he could bring a lot more attacking impetus to the left flank on Tyneside than Dan Burn, who is of course naturally a centre-back.

That is why there are teams seemingly so keen to snap up the player this summer – and if Newcastle do manage to land the 26-year-old, it could really bolster their backline ahead of a daunting season in four competitions.

Newcastle United are considering a swoop to bring Benfica forward Goncalo Ramos to the Premier League, according to reports.

How many goals did Goncalo Ramos score this season?

Ramos is naturally a striker who has played his football at the Estadio da Luz all of his career having graduated from the club’s academy to get promoted to the first-team back in 2020. He’s since gone on to become a regular feature of Roger Schmidt’s side, making 30 starts from 34 Liga Portugal games last season and finding the back of the net 19 times in those outings.

The Portugal international was heavily linked with a move to the northeast last summer when journalist Pedro Sepulveda reported that the Magpies were “interested” in striking a deal for the 22-year-old, which was followed up by O Jogo who claimed that he was still firmly on their radar in January, though once again, a switch failed to materialise.

Fabrizio Romano has hinted that AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali could finalise his transfer to Eddie Howe’s side within the next “few days”, and the boss will be hoping that his centre-forward target can follow in his footsteps, now eyeing a third attempt to bring Ramos to St. James’ Park.

Are Newcastle signing Ramos?

According to Football Transfers, Newcastle are “looking at” Ramos as a serious option for the summer as a result of Howe wanting to add to his attacking ranks.

Benfica’s striker, who has a staggering €120m (£103m) release clause, is believed to be “admired” by the recruitment team, and whilst it’s unknown whether an approach will be made in the coming weeks, there’s a chance that “groundwork” could be getting laid behind-the-scenes to go for it in the new year.

Is Ramos a good signing for Newcastle?

Newcastle do already have strong centre-forward options in Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak, but Ramos, dubbed an “outrageous” player by talent scout Jacek Kulig, may have a higher ceiling than both of them, so it would be a massive coup should Howe be able to secure his services either this window or the next.

The Gestifute client posted 26 total goal contributions (19 goals and seven assists) in 30 Liga Portugal appearances last season which not only made him his club’s best-performing offensive player but he also received the division’s Striker of the Year award for 2022/23.

The World Cup participant additionally recorded 98 shots over the course of the campaign which was more than any of his fellow teammates, as per FBRef, so with the prolific threat that he could bring, Ramos joining would undoubtedly strengthen the squad ahead of next season.

Manchester United are still leading the race for AS Monaco defender Axel Disasi, who is set to be on the move this summer, according to reports from France.

What's the latest Man United transfer news?

The Daily Mail report Man United are willing to part ways with up to 13 players this summer, including Harry Maguire, meaning Erik ten Hag may be in the market for a new centre-back, and there are several options available.

The Red Devils are one of the clubs interested in signing Bayer Leverkusen's Edmond Tapsoba, with the likes of Liverpool, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur in the race, while 21-year-old Goncalo Inacio has also been named as a target.

Disasi has also been routinely linked with a switch to Old Trafford, with United holding "positive" talks over a move back in April, and they remain very much in the race for his signature.

According to a report from L'Equipe (via Sport Witness), Man United still lead the race for the 25-year-old despite other big European teams trying to convince the defender to move to their club instead.

As Kim Min-jae is seemingly on his way to Bayern Munich, the Red Devils may have to turn their attentions to the Monaco star, but there will be fierce competition for his signature, with a number of big European teams trying to convince him about a move.

At the moment, the player himself seems to have his mind set on a move to Old Trafford, but United appear to be prioritising a move for a goalkeeper, and they could make one last swoop for Kim before pursuing a deal for Disasi.

Who is Axel Disasi?

The Frenchman has played in his home country for his entire career up to this point, across spells with Paris FC, Reims and Monaco, establishing himself as a key player last season by featuring in every single Ligue 1 game.

Last season, the £12k-per-week centre-back averaged 1.5 interceptions per game in Ligue 1, the joint-second highest figure in the squad, and he did enough to impress France manager Didier Deschamps, making his debut for his national side last November.

For the meantime, Kim should remain United's top target at centre-back, considering he has been hailed as "one of the best" defenders in the world by teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, but the France international could be a very solid back-up option.

Football scout Jacek Kulig has hailed Disasi as "dominant", while also likening him to Virgil van Dijk, and members of the media have praised him for his "insane strength and power."

Newcastle United enjoyed an incredible season under Eddie Howe's tutelage and returned to Champions League qualification with a top-four finish, and have now identified Chelsea's Marc Cucurella for transfer.

What's the latest on Marc Cucurella to Newcastle?

According to the Mirror, Magpies technical director Dan Ashworth has added the Spanish full-back to the club's list of transfer targets after signing Cucurella while the pair for €18m (£15m) were both at Brighton & Hove Albion.

Having completed a stunning season with the Seagulls, the 24-year-old was signed by Chelsea for a mouth-watering £63m last summer, but after an uninspiring year Newcastle could look to provide him with a fresh start on English soil.

The Magpies have been in fine fettle indeed, but with the introduction of European football, the depth of the club will need to expand, and Cucurella could be the perfect choice to enrich the left flank, especially given that the Blues are considering a cut-price sale of just £30m.

How would Marc Cucurella perform at Newcastle?

Despite failing to produce the desired results at Chelsea, Newcastle could reignite a player who demonstrated he is Premier League quality and then some on the south coast.

Recording an average rating of 7.11 (Sofascore) with Albion over the 21/22 campaign, Cucurella completed 82% of his passes, averaging 1.2 key passes, 2.7 tackles and 1.9 clearances per game, also winning 61% of his ground duels, hailed for his "brilliant" performances by former teammate Leandro Trossard.

The disparity to his time at Stamford Bridge could not be greater, branded a "defensive liability" by journalist Okon Nya and at the core of the west London outfit's woes as they finished 12th.

However, provided a license to flourish at St. James' Park, Cucurella could return to the top of his game and leave observers waxing lyrical in their throngs once again.

Linking back up with his former teammate Dan Burn, who completed a £13m move from Brighton to Tyneside in January 2022, the £175k-per-week Chelsea ace could snatch the defensive left flank from the 31-year-old, cementing a starting berth for the most pivotal of encounters next season.

A centre-half by trade, Burn played 39 times at left-back this year after impressing in the makeshift role, with the 6 foot 5 colossus being heralded as "solid as a rock and immense" by journalist Aaron Stokes, but his stagnancy in transition is undoubtedly a weakness and the variation that Cucurella would bring is an enticing thought, with Burn having been 'dragged all over the place' on occasion, according to journalist Jude Summerfield.

As Newcastle progress and creep closer toward the forefront of European football, Cucurella's progressive presence could lead to him taking the baton and transcending Burn's performances in the team, proving to be the ultimate attacking heir down the left-hand side.

And given that the former Barcelona youngster can also play as a central defender, he could offer the dynamic assurance to win Howe over and play a pivotal role in a thriving Premier League outfit once again.

Arsenal are reportedly eyeing a Ligue 1 star to bolster their attack, as Mikel Arteta prepares for a busy summer in charge at the Emirates.

While the Gunners enjoyed a high-scoring Premier League season, in a year that teased north London with their first league title since 2004, there is always room for improvement which the Spaniard could achieve in signing their latest target.

What’s the latest on Elye Wahi to Arsenal?

As reported by Foot Mercato late last month, Arsenal are interested in signing Montpellier forward Elye Wahi this summer.

The report claimed that the Gunners were in ‘pole position’ to sign the striker, who is believed to be valued around €35m (£30m).

In a recent interview with 100% Paillade, Montpellier president Laurent Nicollin revealed that Arsenal are a club that the goal machine “likes a lot”, as relayed by Get Football News France.

What could Elye Wahi offer to Arsenal?

Lauded as “powerful” by Francis de Taddeo, ex-academy director at his former club Caen, the forward could be an exciting revelation for the Gunners.

North London has enjoyed its fair share of French strikers, from Thierry Henry to Olivier Giroud, and it’s not unfamiliar for the club to have a Frenchman leading the line.

In 33 Ligue 1 appearances, the 20-year-old has contributed to a total of 24 goals, scoring 19 himself and assisting five in a memorable individual season, via FBref.

The interest sparks questions as to what his place would be in Arsenal’s side, and most importantly how this would affect Gabriel Jesus.

Arsenal’s number nine has had a strong first season in the capital, despite missing a chunk of action after undergoing knee surgery for an injury sustained at the Qatar World Cup.

Arteta was left with little option following the Brazilian’s absence, with no option but to see Eddie Nketiah lead the line, a player that had previously struggled to maintain game time.

The Englishman did a stellar job in standing in for the former Manchester City ace, notably scoring twice against Manchester United, however, the issue remained that there was no other option for Arteta to consider other than the forward with ten Premier League goals prior to this campaign.

In Wahi, Arsenal would not only gain a stronger option to contest and interchange with Jesus but a forward in himself that is capable of leading the line.

As per FBref, the striker averages 0.64 non-penalty goals per 90, placing him in the top 7% of forwards in Europe in this area which signifies the prolific nature of his game.

Arteta could replicate the success that Pep Guardiola has in being able to rely on Julian Alvarez to get among the goals in the absence of Erling Haaland, which would be a huge step in terms of Arsenal’s progression, but certainly bad news for Nketiah.

Indeed, the Argentine has capped off a wonderful first season in English football where in the process of winning the treble, found the net on 17 occasions, a great deal better than the nine-goal haul of Arsenal's back up striker.

This season may well have been all about Haaland but Alvarez certainly played a huge part in dragging City across the line.

Therefore, another striker potentially arriving in north London could mean the end of the road for the 24-year-old Nketiah, who has struggled to impose his quality during his career at Arsenal so far.

Manchester United are now in the running to sign Matheus Nunes from Sporting Lisbon, according to Portuguese newspaper Correio de Manha (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

Central midfield is a priority for Erik ten Hag ahead of the summer transfer window, with two additions planned in that position (via The Athletic).

The 23-year-old is a willing and effective dribbler who is also strong in the passing department (via WhoScored). He played most of his football last season as the left central midfielder in a 3-4-2-1 formation at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.

Nunes’ contract is said to contain a release clause of €60m, which equates to £51.3m.

The latest

Correio de Manha reported (via Sport Witness) that United have ‘joined the race’ to sign Nunes, along with their crosstown rivals Manchester City.

The Red Devils have begun considering the Portuguese midfielder following the departure of Paul Pogba, but although both clubs are said to enjoy a good relationship with Sporting, City reportedly have the edge at the moment.

While the 23-year-old does have that aforementioned release clause, Sporting would listen to offers of €50m (£42.8m) in addition to taking a player on loan.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-man-utd-updates-3/” title=”Latest Man Utd updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The verdict

Nunes would be a good signing for the Red Devils.

He has won seven caps for Portugal, who are ranked eighth in the world, and he was named the Primeira Liga’s best midfielder for October and November this season.

He earned mighty praise from City manager Pep Guardiola, who called him ‘one of the best players in the world’ following their meeting in the Champions League round of 16 earlier this year.

United will no doubt be encouraged by the efforts of Bruno Fernandes since his move from Sporting in January 2020, with the 27-year-old scoring 50 goals and setting up another 39 in his first 126 appearances for the club, and hopefully they can land another top talent from the Lisbon outfit in Nunes.

In other news, read this journalist’s reaction to a crucial off-field development at Old Trafford

Leeds United’s failure to bolster the playing squad in January was down to former manager Marcelo Bielsa, according to journalist Beren Cross.

What’s the word?

During a recent Q&A on LeedsLive, the reporter was asked about the club’s decision-making during the winter transfer window and in particular, why they did not sign a new striker, given Patrick Bamford’s troubles.

He responded:

“Only the people party to those conversations will know for sure who said what when it came to January recruitment, but sources have continued to say Bielsa had the final say and he said no to reinforcements like [Donny] van de Beek and [Harry] Winks in that window.”

Indeed, both the Everton loanee and Tottenham Hotspur outcast were linked with moves, as per the Yorkshire Evening Post, but it is in attack where the Elland Road giants have suffered most.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more-2″ title=”Read the latest Leeds news, transfer rumours and more!”]

Bielsa’s big mistake

Heading into the final game of the season against Brentford, the Whites occupy the final place in the relegation zone, tied on points with Burnley, who face an in-form Newcastle United side, albeit one with nothing to play for.

A whopping difference of 20 goals is what keeps them in the drop over the Clarets and in the far weaker position heading into the weekend. Only five teams have scored fewer goals than Leeds throughout the course of the 37 games played.

Meanwhile, only Raphinha (ten goals) has hit double figures in the Premier League this term, following on from Bamford’s 17-goal feat in 2020/21. This term, the 28-year-old has only managed nine top-flight appearances, scoring twice.

You’d imagine that if he had been available for even double that number of matches, they’d be out of sight of the drop zone by now. Even if that’s in hindsight.

The Elland Road faithful have long rued their unrelenting injury crisis throughout the season but this latest claim from Cross will do nothing to alleviate the negativity.

If anything, they will be furious to learn that Bielsa is said to have rejected reinforcements, a decision that is now looking very catastrophic indeed.

AND in other news, Jesse Marsch dealt fresh blow in relegation fight…

Manchester United have already made an approach over a mega-money move for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.

The Lowdown: Attackers needed

Erik ten Hag is eager to get going at Old Trafford, so much so that he terminated his Ajax contract six weeks early.

A number of incomings and outgoings are expected over the coming months, with Edinson Cavani falling into the latter of the two categories.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-man-utd-news-2/” title=”Latest Man Utd news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

He looks set to become a free agent at the end of June and is likely to leave, while Marcus Rashford has been linked with an exit, which may leave Ten Hag extremely short of attacking options.

The Latest: Osimhen update

Sports Witness relayed an update from Corriere dello Sport regarding Osimhen on Wednesday. They claim that the Red Devils have already made an approach for the 23-year-old, who has a €110m (£93m) valuation.

A number of clubs in England are seemingly keen on the Nigeria international, however, only United have been name-checked in the update.

The Verdict: Osimhen or Nunez?

Benfica’s Darwin Nunez has been linked with a big-money move to Old Trafford, so it looks as if it will be one of the two forwards this summer, as United are also working on a move for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.

Midfield appears to be a big priority, so we can’t imagine the funds will be there to sign both strikers alongside de Jong, who is reportedly 95 per cent likely to join.

Osimhen, who former United striker Odion Ighalo described as ‘the future’, has scored 18 goals in 31 appearances this season, turning out impressively in the Europa League.

Meanwhile, Nunez, a year younger than Osimhen, has scored a whopping 34 goals in 2021/22, has played in the Champions League and can also play on the wing or in a deeper role, so perhaps the Uruguay international could be the smarter buy.

In other news: Man Utd source: Sensational transfer twist as Erik ten Hag now hijacking move for ‘golden boy’. 

Tottenham Hotspur youngster Khalon Haysman will reportedly leave the club at the end of the season, according to a report published by Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Scholarship prospect

The midfielder first joined the Lilywhites’ U18s squad back in 2020 after signing a two-year scholarship deal, and following a successful spell, was hoping that he would be able to agree a professional contract with the Premier League giants once the training programme ends next month.

However, it seems like Fabio Paratici and co are currently in the process of letting the club’s second-year scholars know whether they are being released or kept, and it doesn’t appear to be good news for the 18-year-old starlet.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-newest-updates/” title=”Tottenham newest updates…” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Haysman set to depart

In a new article by Football Insider, a Spurs source has told the site that Haysman has been made aware that he will be one of the players departing north London when his contract ends on June 30th.

After Paratici’s decision, the talented prospect will now be on the hunt for a new club.

The Verdict: One for the future

The maestro would have gained plenty of experience at Spurs, not just from the scholarship, but from his time in the academy side, where he has made 17 appearances across the U18s Premier League and also the FA Youth Cup this season, finding the back of the net twice, as per Transfermarkt.

Even though this news will come as a huge blow to Haysman, he has the ability to switch roles from a defensive midfielder to playing on the left-hand side in the middle of the park.

This type of versatility is rare and a very attractive trait for someone still at such a young age, so there’s no doubt that his future potential suitor is out there, but for now, it looks like he will be starting the next chapter of his career away from N17.

In other news… a Sky Sports pundit has dropped a huge Tottenham managerial claim.