All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

With Kalvin Phillips shining on the international stage with England at Euro 2020 this summer, Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa will likely be keen to unearth the club’s next big thing.

After seeing Leeds United’s under-23s clinch the Premier League 2 Division 2 title a few weeks ago, the Whites boss would no doubt have been earmarking some of the players who could make a real impact at first team level at Elland Road.

While the likes of Cody Drameh and Crysencio Summerville have strong cases to be given an opportunity in the Premier League, Bielsa may want to consider finally unleashing Charlie Cresswell.

The 1.83m (6 foot) defender has made just the one outing for the senior side thus far, playing the full match against Hull in the Carabao Cup earlier last season.

While he isn’t a holding midfielder like Phillips, he has also come through the Yorkshire club’s academy and looks like another one of those players off the production line who puts his heart and soul into being the best he can be.

After pictures emerged of him in pre-season training looking more physically built than ever before, former Leeds striker Noel Whelan waxed lyrical about the kind of progress the teenager has made and touted him for big things.

The 46-year-old said: “From the pictures, you can see he’s put in a lot of work, a lot of effort. He’s taking his role at the club very seriously about pushing Koch, Cooper, Llorente and Struijk. That’s good to see. I want to see that from young players.

“Doing that little bit extra, going that extra mile to put themselves in fantastic shape. We know how competitive the Premier League is and for places at Elland road now. They’re going to be even more competitive.

“It just goes to show we don’t need any more centre-halves. Cresswell, when played last season in the EFL Cup game he was fantastic. He was a standout and he’s definitely one to the future. When you look at him now in stature, he doesn’t look like he’d be fazed coming up against any bigger centre-forwards. He is an absolute beast.”

With reports in recent weeks raising question marks over Robin Koch’s ability to succeed at Premier League level, Bielsa must surely look towards Leeds’ burgeoning academy and utilise the potential of Cresswell, who has also shown his leadership skills by captaining the youth teams.

The 18-year-old could well become the next big Leeds United success story from the academy after Phillips.

Meanwhile, Leeds receive major update on Marcelo Bielsa’s future…

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has shared some enticing insight on what the funds raised by Glasgow Rangers fans will be used for at Ibrox.

The Lowdown: Rangers fan share

After a meeting with managing director Stewart Robertson, fans have been offered the chance to help future-proof the Glasgow club.

Gers supporters have been given the chance to gather their resources via the fan group Follow Rangers, and can now take part in the scheme for as little as £10 – £500 was initially required for them to buy a stake at Ibrox.

Stakeholders will have voting rights and will be allowed to attend the annual general meeting (Football Insider), and Rangers have now decided what they aim to do with all of the funds raised.

The Latest: Maguire shares insight

Speaking to Football Insider, Maguire has shared that vice-chairman John Bennett would like to put the money into growth projects, and will primarily be used to help improve the infrastructure:

“I believe that Rangers have spoken to some other fan groups as well as Club 1872.

“This would allow them to vote as a bloc. It is a form of democratisation that will help.

“I spoke to John Bennett for the podcast (The Price of Football) and he is very clear in what he says. He wants to put the money into growth projects.

“There’s Edmiston House which is going to be used as a museum and for conferences, so in that, they are trying to sweat the assets and be business-savvy.

“Rangers fans can welcome this because the money isn’t being used to pay down the loans which the directors have put in.

“The investment is there to ensure that club continues to grow as they come out of their recovery phase. It’s for infrastructure, primarily.”

The Verdict: Can only be a good thing

The fact that the Gers have decided to invest in growth projects and the overall infrastructure of the Glasgow club can only be seen as a good thing in the longer term.

As Maguire points out, the investment will ensure that they continue to grow as a football club for the long term, coming off the back of a very successful season in which they snatched the Scottish Premiership title off of the hands of Celtic.

The opportunity to become a stakeholder is one that a lot of Gers fans will take with open arms, as they can truly have their own voices heard as they plan for what comes in the near future and beyond.

Nonetheless, the scheme is one that seemingly benefits all parties involved with the club.

In other news, find out what Bennett comments on transfer policy have Gers talking here!

Stuart Watson has issued a claim about Ipswich midfielder Flynn Downes and it’s not one that many of the club’s fans will be thrilled with.

What’s the talk?

Ipswich journalist Watson has claimed that he expects the club to cash in on Flynn Downes this summer due to his contract situation. He believes that the club will not keep Downes against his will amid interest from Championship side Barnsley. He told the Kings of Anglia podcast, as relayed by Inside Futbol:

“He’s effectively contracted for two more years, it’s the last year of his contract, but Ipswich hold the option to extend that.

“I think history shows standing in the way of players who have had a sniff of going higher up the chain and blocking that rarely works out well. Rarely do you then get the best out of that player again.

“It was a mantra of Mick McCarthy’s, as soon as a player’s head is slightly turned, there’s no point standing in their way – get your best deal and move on, and I think Paul Cook will have that same mentality, he’s talked about players being totally committed to this football club that are all in on the vision of this football club.”

Back in 2019, former Ipswich midfielder Matt Holland lavished praise on the “outstanding” midfielder. He told Ipswich’s official website:

“I’ve known Flynn for quite a while. My son did some training with the Academy here and I did come coaching and straight away Flynn caught my eye.

“He was only 10, 11 years old then but he looked as though he had the right temperament and attitude to go a long way, as well as the ability of course. He has proved that and this season, he has looked outstanding.

“I’ll whisper it but if I was a manager he would be the player I’d look to sign. He’s that good.”

Fans will be livid

Ipswich fans will be livid with this latest update from Watson. The journalist appears to have signalled that Downes will be on his way out of Portman Road this summer and that could be a major blow to Ipswich and Paul Cook ahead of next season. Downes is a promising, quality, young midfielder and his exit could affect Ipswich both in the short and long term.

In the short term, Ipswich would be losing an excellent defensive midfielder. Downes averaged a superb WhoScored rating of 6.98 as a defensive midfielder in League One during the 2020/21 campaign, highlighting his quality at this level. He was crucial in winning the ball back for Ipswich, as he averaged 3.8 tackles and interceptions per game for Paul Lambert and then Cook. This shows what Ipswich will be missing in the short term if they cash in on him now.

In the long term, Ipswich will not be able to benefit from his potential. The £2.3k-per-week ace doesn’t even turn 23 until next year and has plenty of years of development left in him. He could still progress into a better player and Ipswich fans will not be able to watch that happen in Suffolk if the club decides to sell him this window. Therefore, this update will be frustrating for Ipswich fans, especially if it comes to fruition.

AND in other news, Ipswich dealt transfer blow on “fantastic” £3.9k-p/w dynamo, Cook will be devastated…

Dean Windass has exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that he’d be surprised to see Tottenham rival north London neighbours Arsenal to sign Ben White.

The 23-year-old defender, who first caught the eye playing for Leeds in their promotion-winning season in 2019-2020, became a key part of Brighton’s back four last term, starting all but two of their Premier League matches.

Such was White’s form during his debut topflight season, he was rewarded by being named in Gareth Southgate’s 26-man England squad for the Euros.

And whilst the centre-back is yet to feature in the tournament, it’s been a rapid rise for White, who was playing in League Two with Newport County ahead of the 2018 World Cup.

It’s not just Southgate who’s been impressed, though. Arsenal have been strongly linked with a £50m move for the Brighton man, according to The Athletic.

Despite Tottenham’s need for a centre-back as desperate as the Gunners, Windass told The Transfer Tavern that he’s not even sure White is a better option than Eric Dier:

“Strange one for me, Ben White. I know he’s been picked for England, but I think Dier is more experienced, and he will stay there.

“I’m not saying he’s a better player, but he knows the club, so I can’t see that happening.”

Tottenham Hotspur’s chances of keeping Harry Kane this summer may have just gotten a bit slimmer…

What’s the word?

According to the Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has given his manager Pep Guardiola the green light to pursue a move for the Spurs striker this summer.

The Citizens owner believes that the Premier League champions need to send a strong message in the transfer market and has confirmed that they will be looking at finding a replacement for the departed Sergio Aguero, in which Kane features as a key target.

“This is actually the time to send a strong message that there is no contentment and that we are not just satisfied with just winning the league,” claimed Al Mubarak. “We lose a very important legend in Sergio Aguero, very hard shoes to fill but I am confident we will find the right player to fill those shoes.”

Long summer ahead

Last month, Spurs were rocked with the bombshell that their 27-year-old talisman expressed his desire to leave his boyhood club in the summer as he seeks to add silverware to his goal-laden career, as per Sky Sports.

Lilywhites chairman Daniel Levy has remained firm thus far, with reports suggesting that he is unwilling to sell the England international and that he certainly has no intention of strengthening a Premier League rival.

Although the ball seems to be firmly in Kane’s court as it’s also thought that the had a gentlemen’s agreement with Levy that he would stay to try and win a trophy in Jose Mourinho’s first full season in charge – the Portuguese boss was sacked on the week of the Carabao Cup final.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-manager-gossip-transfer-rumours-team-and-injury-updates-and-more” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, manager gossip, transfer rumours, team and injury updates and more!”]

Spurs have had their fair share of transfer sagas and Levy has been in this position before. Back in 2011, Luka Modric submitted a transfer request following interest from London rivals Chelsea before signing for Real Madrid a year later.

According to Eurosport’s Dean Jones, Kane likes the idea of playing for Man City, though not even £150m may not be enough to tempt the Spurs chairman.

It’s clear that the North London outfit are going to be in for a long summer of uncertainty, however, this fresh twist does not help Levy’s cause whatsoever and he may well be left absolutely reeling.

City certainly have the financial clout to test his resolve, especially after the 2020/21 campaign saw them clinch their fifth Premier League title, whilst also making their first-ever Champions League final.

A signing of Kane’s calibre could be exactly what Guardiola needs to finally get them over the line in Europe and now he’s been given the green light to sign him, who knows how much the Manchester giants can throw at him?

Kane wants to leave, City are going to pursue him and Guardiola has a war chest of funds available at his disposal. It puts Levy in a tricky spot, even more so when considering that Spurs’ next manager will likely want the prolific marksman at the club next season.

Trying to compete without a player that directly contributed towards 54.4% of your top-flight goals throughout the 2020/21 season is a worrying prospect. He has also hit at least 17 goals in every Premier League campaign since 2014/15, too, as per WhoScored.

This latest development will leave Levy seething, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Levy risks major Spurs disaster with “cheap” Poch alternative who once wowed Guardiola…

Daniel Levy is said to still be interested in appointing Brendan Rodgers as his next Tottenham manager…

What’s the word?

According to reliable football.london reporter Alasdair Gold, the 48-year-old is someone who Spurs “still have a keen eye on”, whilst the club’s former midfielder Scott Parker is not thought to be a candidate right now.

Two weeks ago, the Lilywhites’ managerial search hit a bump in the road as the Leicester City manager seemingly ruled himself out of the running and The Sun claimed that a £70m price tag was deterring Spurs from approaching him.

Football Insider then suggested that Parker would be holding talks with the club’s hierachy this week following Fulham’s relegation.

Encouraging news

However, Gold’s recent claims throw an interesting spanner in the works and this could delight many supporters in north London.

Spurs have seen many a managerial target emerge, only for them to swiftly quash any links – Julian Nagelsmann was confirmed as Bayern Munich’s next head coach and Erik ten Hag signed an extension at Ajax, for example.

It lessens the pool of potential candidates, in which Rodgers would surely sit top, so the fact that Gold has suggested that Levy and co will still keep tabs on him is certainly a major source of encouragement.

There were reports that Spurs could make him the second-highest paid manager in the Premier League behind Pep Guardiola and perhaps that’s a big temptation.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-latest-spurs-manager-update-gossip-transfer-rumours-daniel-levy-enic-mason-mourinho-more” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, managerial gossip, transfer rumours and more!”]

The Foxes are certainly clear of Tottenham right now. After all, they have won a Premier League title, are heading for a second successive season in Europe (potentially in the Champions League) and have an FA Cup final on the horizon.

However, the prospect of £15m per year could be too good to refuse for Rodgers.

It is also an interesting project to take on, considering how far Spurs have fallen in the last two years. They have plenty of talent still on offer, as the new manager could build around the likes of Joe Rodon, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Dele Alli, Tanguy Ndombele and, of course, Harry Kane and Heung-min Son.

Rodgers’ reputation as a developmental coach is hugely appealing for Spurs. Players like Harvey Barnes, James Maddison and James Justin have all improved tenfold on his watch, whilst Jamie Vardy is ageing like a fine wine under his stewardship.

Perhaps none have benefitted as much as Kelechi Iheanacho, who has gone from flop to hero in just one season. The improvement has been so dramatic that Dean Windass hailed Rodgers as “unbelievable” for his role in his progression during an exclusive interview with Football FanCast.

Similarly, the former Liverpool and Celtic boss has been dubbed an “elite manager” who “could manage any team in Europe” by BT Sport’s Robbie Savage.

It’s no wonder that many Lilywhites fans appear desperate to see Rodgers appointed as Jose Mourinho’s successor and this latest development from the ever-reliable Gold will surely have them absolutely buzzing.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Rodgers: Levy can secure Spurs a dream duo with “sensational” £20m titan…

It may not have had the beginning or middle that Newcastle United might have been hoping for, but their end to the 2020/2021 Premier League season was certainly something to lift the spirits at St James’ Park.

The Magpies rounded off the campaign with a comfortable 2-0 win away from home against Fulham on the final day of the season, with goals from Joe Willock – his seventh consecutive strike in the Premier League – and Fabian Schar enough to seal all three points.

While Steve Bruce’s side can head into the summer off the back of some promising season-ending form, one man who flattered to deceive on the day was Allan Saint-Maximin.

The Frenchman admitted in recent days that were Newcastle not to match his ambitions, and fighting for something other than avoiding relegation season after season, then he would have to consider his options.

Given the rapport that the star winger appears to have built up with the club’s fans, everyone on Tyneside will be hoping that the clash against Fulham wasn’t his final game in a Magpies shirt.

If it were, then it definitely fell flat.

As per Sofascore, he had fewer touches than goalkeeper Martin Dubravka and made less passes than the goalkeeper too (just ten), and that was a real indication of how hard he found it to just get himself into the game, with Fulham’s back-line doing well to stop the supply line into him.

And then, when he did get the ball, he struggled to do much with it, failing to complete any of his three attempted dribbles – a far cry from the whopping 15 that he completed against Sheffield United earlier in the week.

Whether it was because of the slight injury that Bruce confirmed in his pre-match press conference was plaguing the Frenchman, he just seemed well off the pace, and was far too easily bullied off the ball, losing six of his nine total duels on the day.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/newcastle-steve-bruce-premier-league-transfer-gossip-rumours-news-st-james-park-joelinton-shelvey-max-aarons” title=”Read the latest Newcastle transfer rumours and news!”]

And, writing in his post-match player ratings for The Shields Gazette, Liam Kennedy gave him a five and said: “Nothing working for him. Everyone has those kind of afternoons. His runs were blocked, his skills anticipated and struggled to make the ball stick up top.”

Saint-Maximin is far better than what he showed on Sunday, and the hope will now be that he doesn’t pack his bags to leave St James’ Park over the course of the summer.

Meanwhile, Newcastle could hire a dream Steve Bruce replacement in this man…

Liverpool have been handed a potential blow to their summer transfer plans after Brighton and Hove Albion reportedly slapped a £50 million price tag on Ben White.

What’s the story?

According to the Daily Mail, the Seagulls are hoping to fend off interest from several of the Premier League’s top teams following the centre-back’s call-up to the England squad for Euro 2020.

The report claims Jurgen Klopp’s charges, Manchester United and Arsenal are all keen on the 23-year-old after his impressive maiden top-flight campaign ended with a place in Gareth Southgate’s 26-man squad.

Klopp may be gutted

White made 39 appearances in all competitions for Brighton in 2020/21, playing a pivotal part in their respectable 16th placed finish.

He was the subject of a series of bids from Leeds United last summer, reaching the £25m mark after enjoying a successful loan spell at Elland Road the previous campaign.

However, Brighton held firm and kept hold of their prized asset, allowing the south coast side to enjoy their academy graduate on the biggest stage.

White’s splendid displays earned many plaudits throughout the recently concluding campaign, including that of his former manager Marcelo Bielsa.

“Ben White has shown he is a Premier League player. All of us here admire him as a player, ” said Bielsa.

“We respect him and love him as a human being. He was an excellent professional, as well as a teammate. I hope his career allows him to grow because he deserves it.”

It should come as no surprise then that the youngster has caught the eye of some of England’s most successful clubs, but it’s unlikely that he’ll be leaving the Amex Stadium over the coming months.

The financial impact of the ongoing pandemic means many sides are working on a limited budget this summer, and splashing out £50m on a defender with only one Premier League season under his belt may be a risk Liverpool want to avoid.

Liverpool’s centre-back’s all suffered serious injuries last season, highlighting the need for reinforcements in that area of Klopp’s first-team squad.

Nevertheless, the arrival of Ibrahima Konate for just £34m, added to Brighton’s huge asking price, may mean that a move for the £51,000-per-week White is off the cards at this moment in time.

And, in other news…Edwards masterstroke: LFC could seal their next Coutinho in “exceptional” £17.5m gem 

According to a report by Football Insider, a Tottenham takeover is on the cards and even more likely than ever after the European Super League disaster – with chairman Daniel Levy now facing a ‘huge fight’ to keep his job.

Tottenham takeover claim lifts lid on Levy blow

Indeed, as per the outlet, this comes after a reported £800 million deal with unnamed investors fell through last year for a 50 per cent stake in Tottenham.

It is also reported by Football Insider that Levy was a key figure in the failed talks, and a financial source even accused him of not wanting to cede control in the day to day running of Spurs.

In an update, they report that a takeover is more likely now than in previous years and the European Super League saga has only increased that possibility further.

Alongside the larger possibility of a takeover, FI also claim Levy is facing a ‘huge fight’ to keep his job after the ESL travesty and tarnishing of the club’s reputation.

Transfer Tavern take

Tottenham signed up to the closed Super League alongside an English ‘big six’ of Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Man United and Man City – with the club receiving swift backlash for their involvement.

Eventually, all English sides pulled out of the controversial arrangement after large protests from the fans and media alike – leaving a bitter taste.

In a potentially big blow for Levy, it appears that this decision could fall heavily on him judging by this FI report – perhaps he will be the next big figure to leave following the PR catastrophe after Ed Woodward resigned at Manchester United.

Supporters were seen protesting before the Southampton game against ENIC Group and Levy – evidence that the ESL saga has only worsened an already rocky relationship with supporters.

In other news: Tottenham source explains why Mourinho was really sacked, find out more here.

Jamie Carragher may have coined the game as “awful”, but in the end, Leeds will certainly be happy with taking a point from their Premier League clash against Manchester United on Sunday.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side came into the game off the back of two impressive results against Liverpool and Manchester City respectively, and followed that up with another solid display at Elland Road to avoid defeat against another one of the proposed European Super League’s breakaway clubs.

Kalvin Phillips enjoyed a superb game at the heart of midfield, stopping Bruno Fernandes from really dictating things for United, and it was something he said was part of his assignment after the game: “We do it all game to be fair, we have different markers every game. My task was Bruno. So, I tried to keep him quiet and luckily he didn’t pop up with a goal.”

But while Phillips was undeniably outstanding and was named by the club as the man of the match, Luke Ayling arguably outshone him, and emerged as Bielsa’s real hero from the clash against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

As per Sofascore, he won 11 duels on the day, the joint-most of any Leeds player, tied with Phillips, and also made a whopping seven tackles too – Ayling has been a reliable figure for the Whites this season, but he more than out-performed himself, with his season averages seeing him win 7.2 duels and make 2.8 tackles per game in the top-flight.

The right-back was a key reason behind why Marcus Rashford had an awful time down the United left, losing possession 20 times (the second-most for them) and recording the lowest match rating of any player on either side with a 6.3. Ayling was touch-tight whenever he needed to be and stopped the England international from picking up a full head of steam and running at him.

As well as being defensively solid, Ayling was also involved a lot in the build-up play for Leeds, with his 78 touches the most of any player for Bielsa’s side.

And, in his post-match player ratings for Leeds Live, Beren Cross gave him a joint-high nine, adding: “Exceptional match from one of a few who seemed to read the match expertly. Snuffed out a lot of danger and won his duels in the most part. Some big tackles.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Latest Leeds transfer rumours and news”]

While Phillips may be the name in the headlines, Ayling produced a monstrous display to help keep out United.

Meanwhile, Leeds could sign their own Andy Robertson in this starlet…