All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Some Glasgow Rangers fans have been left fuming after it was officially confirmed by the club that Steven Gerrard has now left to manage Aston Villa.

The Scottish champions posted a statement on their official website, stating that he had left to go and manage Villa in the Premier League after three-and-a-half years at Ibrox.

The statement listed just some of his achievements while managing the Light Blues, including qualifying for group stage football in Europe for four successive seasons, reaching the knockout stage in the last two, while of course bringing them their coveted 55th Premiership title after a 10-year wait.

While supporters can be appreciative of what Gerrard has done, it is a bit of a kick in the teeth to leave them midway through the campaign, especially with all of the competitions in which they are still involved and the fact that they currently sit four points clear at the top of the Premiership.

Therefore, it is not a surprise to see some Rangers fans react angrily to the news.

Rangers fans on Gerrard departure

These Gers supporters fumed as the news was shared on Twitter, with one even saying that they were ‘sickened’ by the hasty manner of Gerrard’s exiy:

“Very disappointing leaving halfway through season, Europa place still in sight.”

Credit: @ShazEHollas

“Handling of this has been terrible, like a flashback to the Warburton shambles”

Credit: @AaronRo85

“I won’t lie. I am SICKENED seeing him holding that Villa top…..Part of me thinks he’s done a great job but main part thinks he’s a rat for leaving at this time of season – I have NO DOUBTS he will regret it and no one is bigger than our club.”

Credit: @glen1873

“I’d like to wish Steven nothing but the absolute worst”

Credit: @JosephStanton_

“Enjoy the relegation battle, snake”

Credit: @AmyB0yd

“Gerrard lied, simple as that.”

Credit: @RFC1872GER

In other news, find out what news on this ‘brilliant’ player has left many Gers fans buzzing

Rangers boss Gio van Bronckhorst will have a number of big decisions to make at Ibrox heading into the 2022/23 campaign.

The Gers coach will have the opportunity to shape his squad in the transfer market and this means that he will have to decide on players he wants to get rid of in the current team as well as the gems he would like Ross Wilson to bring in.

One player who should find himself on the way out of Glasgow in the coming months is outcast centre-forward Cedric Itten.

Journalist Mark McDougall named him as one of the club’s sporting director’s worst pieces of business, Tweeting: “At some point the signings under Ross Wilson need to start being questioned. What players can be deemed a success that he’s signed? Hagi, Roofe, Balogun. Maybe Bassey? Likes of Itten, Lundstram, Wright, Simpson all let downs and jury out on a few others.”

Is that justified? His failure to score or assist a single goal in four Premiership appearances this season along with his exclusion from the Europa League squad would suggest that it is. He has not been good enough when given an opportunity and van Bronckhorst’s decision to cast him aside in Europe indicates that the Dutchman is not keen on giving him any other chances, which is why he must now be axed.

Rangers, along with Norwich and Swansea, are reportedly interested in snapping up Ross Stewart from Sunderland this summer and he can be the player to replace Itten.

The 25-year-old phenomenon has been exceptional this season and has shown that he has the quality to potentially be a great signing for the club.

Ex-Gers forward Kris Boyd recently heaped praise on the Scot, saying: “We’ve seen a progression from him. The turnaround to what he’s actually doing, it’s obviously a bonus when you’re scoring goals.

“It’s the other thing that Ross Stewart does for me, he works ever so hard for the team. He’s been linked with Rangers this week, he’s at a good age now, 25, but I think it’s his work ethic is unbelievable.”

The centre-forward’s performances for the Black Cats have warranted Boyd’s comments as he has ben in sublime form in League One. He has scored 22 goals and provided five assists in the third tier of English football, scoring on a consistent basis throughout the campaign.

Therefore, van Bronckhorst must finally end Itten’s spell in Scotland – after joining in 2020 – and snap up Stewart to replace him.

AND in other news, Gio van Bronckhorst provides worrying injury update on Rangers gem…

With 18 games played in the Premier League so far this season, Newcastle United have the worst defensive record in the top flight with a total of 41 goals conceded.

Taking this into account and the imminent opening of the January transfer window, this could provide newly appointed transfer consultant Nick Hammond with the opportunity to sign some players that would help strengthen Eddie Howe’s squad, particularly at the back.

Looking ahead to January, it seems as though Newcastle have identified someone they would like to bring in to help fix their defensive issues.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from The Telegraph, Newcastle are leading the race to sign Tottenham Hotspur defender Joe Rodon.

The report also claims that Spurs are likely to allow Rodon to leave on a short-term deal in January to get some regular game time. However, fellow Premier League clubs Brighton & Hove Albion, Watford and Leeds United are keeping an eye on the centre-back as well.

Rodon to the rescue

Since joining Spurs from Swansea City back in October 2020 in a deal worth an initial fee of £11m plus add-ons, the 24-year-old, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £24k-per-week according to Salary Sport, has only made 20 appearances for the north London club across all competitions.

Having been praised in the past for his “colossal” display for Wales in their 3-1 defeat against Belgium back in March by BBC Wales Football Correspondent Rob Phillips, a move to Newcastle on loan in January could suit all parties if Rodon gets to play regularly.

If he achieves that, then he could potentially save the Toon from relegation if he can fix up what can only be described as a shambolic defence.

The Magpies have shipped more goals than any other team in the top-flight (41) and have one of the worst defensive records in the highest four divisions of English football. Only Morecambe and Peterborough United (44) have let in more strikes throughout 2021/22 than Newcastle.

With pundit and former Premier League star Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink saying that “nothing fazes him” when talking about Rodon, this is the sort of mindset that Newcastle will need to have in their side if they are going to escape the relegation zone and secure their place in the Premier League next season.

His defensive attributes and strong-willed mentality could be exactly what Hammond needs to add to the Newcastle squad in order to rescue their campaign.

Taking all of this into account, the Toon should do all they can to secure Rodon’s signature in January, even if it is only on a temporary basis just so they can add some defensive strength to their side, which is what they desperately need if they are going to avoid the drop.

In other news: Move over Ashworth: NUFC must consider “irate” DoF whose “behaviour’s been a disgrace”…

A key Rangers transfer claim has been made regarding the future of Alfredo Morelos…

What’s the talk?

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has claimed that the club will attempt to avoid cashing in on the prolific centre-forward due to the importance he holds in the race to win the title this season.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I think they’ll be looking to keep Morelos to try and help them retain the Scottish Premier League title, which comes with Champions League football next season, which is going to be huge for whoever does win the Scottish Premiership.”

This comes after CBS reported earlier this month that Leicester, Everton and Newcastle are all interested in signing Morelos for a fee in the region of £20m.

Van Bronckhorst will love it

Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst will surely love this news, as he will want to retain the striker’s services heading into the second half of the campaign. Morelos is the Dutchman’s go-to option at the top end of the pitch and he has paid back the faith shown in him by producing excellent performances.

The 25-year-old is a proven goalscorer at this level and it is hard to put a price on that attribute, as there is no guarantee that anyone coming in to replace him will do the same. Even if Rangers replace him with another player who has scored goals on a regular basis in the Premiership, they have not done it in Van Bronckhorst’s system or with the pressure at Ibrox to win games and achieve success.

The Colombian has proven time and again that he can handle the goalscoring burden for the Glasgow giants. He has scored an incredible 107 goals in 211 matches for the club throughout his career, proving his talent over a prolonged period of time.

Since the former Feyenoord boss came in to replace Steven Gerrard, Morelos has scored six goals and provided two assists in eight appearances in all competitions. This shows that he is thriving under the 46-year-old, and that is why the head coach will be delighted if the Colombian stays at Ibrox, as he will be pivotal to their chances of winning silverware at the end of the campaign domestically and in Europe.

Therefore, Van Bronckhorst will love this claim from O’Rourke and can perhaps look forward to working with Morelos even further for the foreseeable future.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Hagi: Rangers could find new creative maestro in £1.2m-rated gem with 31 G/A…

Grant McCann is one of the candidates to become Sunderland’s next manager, according to Sky Sports News. 

The lowdown

Sunderland are looking to appoint a replacement for Lee Johnson, who was sacked following a 6-0 rout at the hands of Bolton Wanderers in late January.

Mike Dodds took caretaker charge of The Black Cats for Saturday’s shock defeat against bottom-of-the-table Doncaster Rovers.

McCann had recorded back-to-back wins, pulling Hull City ten points clear of the Championship’s bottom three, before he was sacked by the new regime at the MKM Stadium last month (via BBC Sport).

The latest

Roy Keane, who managed the club between 2006 and 2008, appears to be the frontrunner at present, having been interviewed for the vacancy.

But should Keane decided against returning to the dugout, Sky Sports report Sunderland do have other options in mind.

They include McCann, former Celtic boss Neil McCann and 73-year-old veteran Neil Warnock.

The verdict

Would McCann be a good appointment? Well, the standout achievement on his CV is leading Hull back to the second tier as League One champions following their relegation in 2019/20.

He’s a manager with ‘staggering’ ambition, in the words of Liam Hoden, Deputy Head of Sport at the Doncaster Free Press, which is sure to be music to the ears of Sunderland fans desperate to see their club back where they belong.

And in more good news for supporters, his style of play is appealing too. Barry Fry, who oversaw McCann at Peterborough, has called him ‘brilliant’ and gushed over his ‘attractive’ brand of football.

In other manager news, this treble-winner has expressed his interest.  

Liverpool have definitely not been at their best in recent times but they’re still in with a chance of securing the Premier League title, with a win on Sunday taking them three points clear at the top.

The Reds will need to focus on getting the best out of their front three from here on in until the end of the season, as they went missing against Bayern Munich in the Champions League earlier on in the week.

Interestingly, it appears as if Jurgen Klopp may already has his eye on an attacker, as according to the Daily Mirror (via ESPN), Liverpool could be set to renew their interest in Jadon Sancho.

Sancho has developed into one of the hottest prospects in world football since moving to Borussia Dortmund, so it comes as no surprise that the Reds could renew their interest. He currently has eight goals and 13 assists to his name in all competitions and has plenty of years still left to develop with his 19th birthday coming up next week.

Liverpool already have the likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Xherdan Shaqiri operating out wide at this moment in time, but it’s safe to say that there’s certainly room for more talent. Indeed, the Englishman is a very special talent who already has the ability to give the Salah a run for his money on the right-hand side, with the skills, pace, dribbling, creativity and finishing ability to slot right into Klopp’s fast-paced attacking style.

However, it’s safe to say that the youngster won’t come cheap as the German club sold Ousmane Dembele to Barcelona for a fee of £100 million rising to £135 million back in 2017, and they have made it clear that when they eventually look to sell Sancho on, they will value him in a similar bracket.

What do you think Liverpool fans?

Celtic have been dealt a late setback in their bid to secure a deal to bring Matt O’Riley to Parkhead in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Record, who claim that West Bromwich Albion have made an 11th-hour bid for the Milton Keynes Dons central midfielder.

However, the report goes on to state that, at present, it still appears as if the 21-year-old is on course to make a switch to Ange Postecoglou’s side, with the former England U18 international having undergone a medical with the Hoops on Wednesday.

Finally, it is claimed that, unless there is a dramatic last-minute U-turn on the part of the player, Celtic should seal the £1.5m transfer of the midfielder in the coming days.

Postecoglou will be having flashbacks

While, at present, it does seem as if O’Riley’s move to Parkhead is very much still on, the fact that a Championship side have made a late offer in an attempt to thwart Celtic’s deal to sign the midfielder will undoubtedly be giving Postecoglou flashbacks to his failed bid to land Riley McGree earlier this month.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/?post_type=web-story&p=664142″ title=”Check out the latest Celtic news!”]

Indeed, despite having agreed a £3m fee for the FC Charlotte star, with reports suggesting that a deal for the 23-year-old was all but finalised despite the interest of a number of English second-tier sides, the Australian international was made a late offer by Middlesbrough, something which the midfielder went onto accept ahead of the opportunity to join Celtic.

And, while Postecoglou came out on the defensive regarding his failed bid to land McGree, with the 56-year-old claiming that he didn’t care the 23-year-old had opted to join a Championship side ahead of the Bhoys, it is undeniable that missing out on a deal for the Australian would have come as a massive blow to the Hoops boss.

As such, with West Brom now looking as if they are attempting to repeat Middlesbrough’s trick regarding Celtic’s deal to sign O’Riley, the Greek-Australian coach will undoubtedly be sweating while the final touches of his move for the MK Dons starlet – who has scored ten goals and registered eight assists over his 54 appearances for the League One side, as well as being dubbed an “elegant” player by Sam Rourke – are completed.

In other news: Ange can seal biggest Celtic signing since Edouard with “perfect” £12.5m-rated dynamo

An update has emerged on Rangers transfer target John Souttar with the Gers suffering a blow in their bid to bring him to Ibrox next year.

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Record, the Hearts centre-back wants a move to England in the January transfer window, with the likes of Blackburn, Stoke and QPR, among others, keen on his services.

The report claims the Gers and Celtic are both keen on the defender and are set to be let down by his decision to go south of the border.

Big blow

This news comes as a big blow to Rangers as it suggests that they will be unable to land the defender in the next transfer window.

He is out of contract at the end of the season and that means the English sides will be able to pin him down to a pre-contract agreement in the winter, whereas the Gers would need to wait until his deal officially expires next summer.

It will also leave fans gutted as they will have been excited at the prospect of him arriving at Ibrox. He has been in sensational form in the Scottish Premiership and could have been a major addition to the side, but now appears set for the Championship in England.

Former Hearts boss Craig Levein once heaped praise on the defender, saying: “I’ve known him since he was 12 years old and he’s just got better and better. When he came here from Dundee Utd, we just needed to give him time. He’s grown into the player that I hoped he would be and for me he’s the best centre back in Scotland.

“Just for the fact that he can do wonderful things. His passing of the ball Saturday was fantastic, but he is also now capable physically of competing with any centre forward. His pace is very, very good and he’s strong, focused and aggressive.”

Souttar has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.39 in the Premiership for Hearts. Connor Goldson and Leon Balogun, meanwhile, have averaged scores of 7.05 each, which suggests that the Jam Tarts beast could be an upgrade on what the club currently have.

The 25-year-old has made 2.7 tackles and interceptions, along with 3.8 clearances, per game. He has also won an impressive 69% of his duels on the pitch throughout the campaign to date, with all of these statistics highlighting the defensive quality he could have brought with him to Glasgow. This is why fans will be gutted to read this update and why it is a big blow to the club ahead of the upcoming window.

AND in other news, 129 appearances: Rangers secured dream deal with £0 gem who “embodies professionalism”…

As per journalist Ryan Taylor of The Daily Express, amid all the rumours surrounding Erling Haaland, it appears Man City have their eyes on another player as news emerges on Benfica star Darwin Nunez.

The Lowdown: Sky Blues in striker search…

Pep Guardiola seems set to target a world class centre-forward in the summer window after failing to sign Spurs star Harry Kane last summer.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/man-city-newest-updates/” title=”Man City newest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Haaland, who appears to be dominating the headlines where City are concerned, has been very heavily linked with a move to Eastlands since The Mail broke news of a deal even allegedly being in place.

However, the Norway star isn’t the only man reportedly on Guardiola’s radar, with Benfica’s big name attacker Nunez also a target according to reports.

Sharing an update, Taylor now has some news for City supporters as Eastlands officials travel abroad this week.

The Latest: City officials travel…

According to his information, Sky Blues officials were in attendance to run the rule over Nunez during Benfica’s clash with Liverpool in the Champions League on Tuesday.

It is believed that scouts from Man United, Tottenham, Arsenal, West Ham and Arsenal were also at the Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica in midweek.

The Verdict: Ideal Haaland alternative?

If City can’t seal an agreement for their top target this summer, Nunez arguably stands out as as perfect alternative.

Scoring 28 goals already this season, the starlet attacker could leave for around £60 million this summer, but the amount of competition could mean sporting director Txiki Begiristain faces a summer transfer battle.

Lauded as an ‘absolute beast’ by Anfield Index podcaster Hari Sethi after that clash with Liverpool, one of the most in-form frontmen in Europe could raise a real bidding war and it will be interesting to see whether the Sky Blues could be part of it.

In other news: ‘Man City close to finalising’…Insider shares major player development out of Eastlands, find out more here.

Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton was fuming at referee Bobby Madden’s performance in the Hoops’ Scottish Cup semi-final defeat.

The Lowdown: Hoops beaten by rivals

Andy Postecoglou’s side were looking to keep their treble dream alive on Sunday afternoon, as they faced old foes Rangers at Hampden Park.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/key-latest-celtic-updates-2/” title=”Key latest Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

When Greg Taylor fired Celtic in front, everything seemed to be going swimmingly, but Scott Arfield equalised and the game ended up going to extra-time.

It was left to Fashion Sakala to secure a 2-1 win for Rangers, as the Hoops were left to lick their wounds after a bitterly disappointing day at the office.

The Latest: Sutton fumes at Madden

Taking to Twitter after the game, Sutton couldn’t hide his frustration at Madden’s performance, following some questionable decisions on the day:

“Celtic were poor but Bobby Madden turned in one of the worst refereeing performances I’ve seen in Scotland for a long time… and that’s saying something!!!”

The Verdict: Poor day all round

There is no doubt that Madden was poor on Sunday, somehow allowing John Lundstram to commit numerous fouls before being booked, among other errors.

That being said, Celtic must also look at themselves and accept that they were short of their best, as Sutton alluded to in his aforementioned tweet.

You could argue Rangers were the better team for much of the game, with their superiority eventually shining through, even despite playing 120 minutes in the Europa League around 72 hours earlier.

Celtic must now dust themselves down and focus on securing Scottish Premiership glory, hopefully fending off the Gers in the remaining weeks of the season.

In other news, a pundit has explained why Celtic will win the league title. Read more here.