All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Reports in Spain over the weekend claimed that West Ham United are set to sign SSC Napoli defender Nikola Maksimovic in a free summer transfer, in a potential dreamland scenario for David Sullivan a year after his efforts fell on deaf ears.

The Diego Armando Maradona Stadium natives are said to have accepted that the Serbian will be leaving the club at the end of the season, after unsuccessful discussions over a new contract.

Maksimovic is due to be a free agent in June when his £38,000-per-week terms expire and he is reported to have already reached an agreement with West Ham.

David Moyes is said to be a big fan of the 29-year-old and put his services before the Irons hierarchy over other potential targets, as he looks to strengthen his defensive options at the London Stadium.

The agreement between Maksimovic and West Ham is thought to be binding and that barring any late hurdles arising, he will become the Premier League side’s first signing of the next transfer window.

The Hammers had sought to acquire Maksimovic ahead of the 2019/20 campaign but Sullivan and Moyes saw the club’s efforts fall short, with talkSPORT reporting in September that Napoli rejected a £14m bid while Calciomercato.it claimed an improved €25m (£21.5m) offer was also rejected.

Moyes had allegedly urged Maksimovic’s transfer in the summer as he sought an alternative option after Burnley’s relentless refusal to sell James Tarkowski, yet faced a similar hurdle in his pursuit of the 6 ft 4 brute who has been likened to his compatriot Nemanja Vidic.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/the-latest-west-ham-news-and-views” title=” The latest West Ham news and views!”]

A year of waiting may now see West Ham land their man without paying Napoli a penny, and be able to put those funds with the £15-20m reserved from Sebastien Haller’s January transfer to Ajax in efforts to improve Moyes’ offensive arsenal.

Moyes has long been expected to covet the arrival of another senior centre-back in the next off-season, despite Craig Dawson now being only one start away from triggering a permanent £2m transfer from Watford.

The Hornets loanee and Maksimovic joining West Ham on full-time deals would see Moyes’ centre-back group expand to six, with Angelo Ogbonna and Issa Diop two experienced heads plus the versatile Aaron Cresswell and January signing Frederik Alves in line to be unleashed with Fabian Balbuena due to leave.

Where Maksimovic would sit in that pecking order remains to be seen, but what is seemingly clear is that Moyes is a big admirer of the £13.5m-rated enforcer and what he can offer West Ham if the Napoli centre-back is on his way to the Premier League this summer.

Being a free signing less than a year after West Ham saw an alleged £21.5m bid turned down will also be a dreamland scenario for Sullivan, who will no doubt be loath to pay out big on a player who turns 30 in November and will thus have little resale value.

The Irons are already likely to be hit heavily in the pocket this summer should they look to offload Felipe Anderson and Andriy Yarmolenko as has previously been speculated, while Haller’s winter exit saw the east London outfit accept a £25m loss on their record signing.

AND in other news, a West Ham winter target is set to be available for £17m this summer…

Dean Windass has played down Everton’s chances of finishing in the top-four in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast.

Since replacing Marco Silva back in December of 2019, Carlo Ancelotti has done an exceptional job, and given Toffees fans genuine hope of bringing Champions League football to Goodison Park for the very first time, something which would surely impact their summer transfer business.

Following their slender victory at struggling West Brom on Thursday evening, Everton moved up to fifth in the Premier League table, and are just one point behind fourth-placed Chelsea, who they face at Stamford Bridge on Monday.

That win at the Hawthorns was their third on the bounce, which includes a memorable victory at Anfield last month, but whilst Windass doesn’t think the Toffees will make the top-four, he said finishing in the European places would still be an excellent achievement.

He told Football FanCast:

“I don’t think they will [finish in the top-four]. I think they’ve had a fantastic season and European football would be massive from Ancelotti, and I think next season they will be strong. But if they get into the Champions League then what a massive achievement.

“But Ancelotti isn’t daft, he knows they can’t rely on Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison, he’s got to get other players in next season to push on. If they can get one or two top players that he’ll want to bring in, they’ll have a chance next year.”

Considering Everton have failed to make the top-six since 2014, it’s been quite some turnaround by Ancelotti.

And with the likes of James Rodriguez, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison in their ranks, there might well be some exciting times ahead at Goodison Park, especially with Everton still left in the FA Cup.

Southampton could lose midfielder Mario Lemina on a permanent basis this summer.

Lemina is currently on loan from Southampton at Fulham and the midfielder had spent the 2019/20 campaign on loan at Turkish club Galatasaray. It now seems as though Saints could be set to lose the former Juventus man permanently in the summer.

Fulham have growing belief about Lemina signature

The Sun have recently reported about Fulham’s stance on summer transfers and they say that the Craven Cottage-based side now have a growing belief that they can keep the players who are currently only there on loan, Lemina included.

Lemina is one of four loanees that the relegation battlers have a permanent option on, and there’s an increasing likelihood of that route being taken.

The report claims the London outfit expect to keep those players if they avoid relegation, which appears increasingly likely given their changing fortunes compared to the likes of Newcastle and Brighton.

The 27-year-old Gabonese midfielder has made 20 appearances in the top flight this season for Fulham and he recently scored for them against Liverpool in a 1-0 win.

Lemina could still be a first-team option for Saints

As things stand, Southampton have three out-and-out options in central midfield, but Will Smallbone finds himself on the sidelines because of an injury. Ibrahima Diallo is also injured and he can also play in central midfield (as per Transfermarkt).

Southampton may need extra depth in midfield and Lemina can add that, if he does return to the club.

We feel it could be a mistake to let him leave for good, given that Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side have been so harshly struck by injuries this term.

In other news, many Southampton fans have been talking about the injury to Danny Ings – read more here.

Steve Bruce should urge Newcastle United to return with an improved offer for Matheus Nunes after Sporting CP turned down the Premier League side’s initial loan-to-buy bid.

What’s the word?

According to O Jogo, the Toon have made an official approach to sign Nunes on loan in the January transfer window in a deal featuring a £10m obligation to buy at the end of the season.

Sporting are said to have immediately rejected the proposal as they are unwilling to do business in the winter market. The Jose Alvalade Stadium natives also feel the sum tabled did not reflect the true value of the 22-year-old.

Bruce is widely known to be in the market for a new box-to-box midfielder this month, with Leicester City’s Hamza Choudhury linked amid claims United currently lack options who can offer the energy needed in the role.

The Magpies are having to look closely at the loan market to find the missing pieces to Bruce’s squad, with Mike Ashley said to be against sanctioning any major outlays as he continues in attempts to sell the St. James’ Park outfit.

Nunes is not a guaranteed starter under Sporting head coach Ruben Amorim, but has been given frequent minutes across all competitions this season to now be considered a key piece of the Leoes squad after a year spent in the Under 23s following his arrival in 2019.

Should Newcastle sign Nunes?

Bruce has a wealth of options to choose from as his holding midfielder at St. James’ Park in Jonjo Shelvey, Isaac Hayden, Matty Longstaff, Jeff Hendrick and Sean Longstaff and has, at times, chosen to field Miguel Almiron in a deeper role in his search for a permanent solution.

Yet the United boss is clearly not as fond of some of his options as he is with others, but is running out of time to sign a winter addition that can rival for minutes with the clock fast ticking down toward the February 1st 23:00 deadline.

Nunes may not have started frequently for Sporting this season, but has shown glimpses of his potential to demonstrate why Newcastle have allegedly bid to sign the £1,900-per-week prospect on loan with a £10m obligation to buy in the summer.

The 6ft Rio de Janeiro-born talent, who holds dual nationality for being in Portugal since he was a child, has brought a physical presence to Amorim’s midfield when fielded, be it in an advanced role or as the deep-lying option, but has also shown plenty of quality on the ball.

Nunes’ pass accuracy rating in Liga NOS fixtures this term has been at a higher level than Bruce has seen from all of his central midfielders in the Premier League, and offers a presence at the top of the pitch with a fair share of shots and chances created.

Defensively, the 22-year-old stands strong, too, with a high tackle success rate and a raft of interceptions, as he breaks up opposition play to set Sporting up on the right foot but with the ability to break from the back with it rare that Nunes loses possession when attempting a dribble, per WhoScored.

Nunes not being afraid to bring the ball up the field or get back to defend would suggest he has the legs to offer Bruce what the United boss is said to be looking for in the engine room.

He also scored his first senior goal in Sporting’s 2-0 win over rivals SC Braga earlier this month to help the Leoes contend for the Liga NOS title, while winning his first title in the 2020/21 Portuguese League Cup.

Sporting may be reluctant to lose Nunes this month, but that should not stop Bruce from urging Newcastle to return to Portugal with an improved offer as the GDU Ericeirense product may be an ideal solution for the Toon’s midfield issues.

AND in other news, Steve Bruce must axe an £8m-rated total dud holding Newcastle back…

Newcastle United are seen as one of the most likely alternatives for investor Joseph DaGrosa if Southampton do not lower their takeover asking price.

That is according to The Athletic, with both Crystal Palace and West Ham United also understood to be in the frame for his first investment in the Premier League if his proposed takeover of Southampton does not end up going through.

The American has told the Saints’ majority owner Gao Jisheng to lower his price for the club or he will look elsewhere, with the St. James’ Park faithful now being touted as a possible club that he may look at investing in.

DaGrosa could be a takeover alternative to the KSA consortium

DaGrosa could well be seen as an alternative to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group who are still seemingly looking to complete their proposed £300m deal with Mike Ashley.

There have been, and still are, many complications though that have scuppered this bid thus far, as the KSA’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) have not yet come back onto the table in order to try and revive the deal.

Whether DaGrosa would be willing to pay as much money or if he would be solely interested in investing in the Tyneside club is another question, but the Magpies are reportedly seen as a possible alternative investment for him if his prospective takeover of Southampton collapses.

In other news, find out what injury blow has been dealt by one Toon ace here!

Many Aston Villa fans were left baffled after finding out that Dean Smith has not put Ross Barkley in the match day squad to play Crystal Palace.

Before picking up his injury in the match against Brighton, Barkley played five times in the Premier League, scoring two goals and getting one assist. Villa have definitely lost a huge threat as he has averaged 3.4 shots, three key passes and 2.2 successful dribbles per game (WhoScored).

Smith had then said that the Englishman would be fit to feature, however it seems like the Boxing Day fixture has come too soon for the attacking midfielder. Smith hasn’t yet commented on the omission, so for now fans are left to speculate, with some even taking aim at the manager’s decision.

The side haven’t struggled without Barkley, proven by the dominant 3-0 win over rivals West Brom last weekend, but that hasn’t stopped fans taking to Twitter to question his omission and show their bemusement during the build-up and first half of Saturday’s clash.

Villa fan reaction to Barkley omission:

From: @Aitken26A

“Why not just put him on the bench”

From: @BillBones84

“When Smith says “not risked” does it just mean he’s injured? Because the excuse that he wasn’t risked because of the cold the other day was ludicrous.”

From: @AVFCCharlie

“Still not Barkley? Getting concerned now”

From: @MikeMacey5

“Surprised there’s no Barkley. My only worry about El Ghazi is his consistency.”

From: @stewartcole79

“No Barkley again?”

From: @YusufYasser1

“Where is Barkley”

In other news: Aston Villa fans flocked to this update by Gregg Evans, find out more here.

Manchester City return to Premier League action on Wednesday night, as they take on Brighton and Hove Albion at the Etihad.

Pep Guardiola’s side cruised through to the FA Cup fourth round after a comfortable 3-0 win against Birmingham City at the weekend and the Spanish manager was able to rest some of his key players ahead of the game against Graham Potter’s side.

City are also beginning to welcome back some of the individuals that tested positive for the current viral outbreak but the likes of Nathan Ake and Aymeric Laporte are injured, whilst Sergio Aguero is self-isolating.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Guardiola to line his side up against Brighton on Wednesday evening, with five changes from the starting team that beat Birmingham…

Ederson reclaims his place in between the sticks, although Zack Steffen showed himself to be a reliable back up in his recent appearances for the Citizens.

There are two changes in defence, as Kyle Walker moves back out to right-back, having started at centre-back at the weekend, with Joao Cancelo moving to left-back, as we saw regularly earlier in the season.

John Stones gets the start alongside Ruben Dias at centre-back, with the duo rapidly becoming the best centre-back partnership in the Premier League on current form.

Ilkay Gundogan returns in midfield, with the German international having been rested against Birmingham.

In order to accommodate the former Borussia Dortmund man, Kevin De Bruyne pushes forward into the false nine role, which he played so effectively in, in the 3-1 win against Chelsea recently, with Gabriel Jesus dropping to the bench as a result.

The Brazilian, who earns £90k per week at City, once again failed to find the back of the net at the weekend and considering this is a must-win game for the Citizens, they cannot afford to be wasteful in front of goal.

There’s one change on the wing as Raheem Sterling replaces Riyad Mahrez, with the English international missing the game at the weekend due to a lack of match fitness but he should be fine to feature against the Seagulls, whilst Bernardo Silva keeps his place after his impressive brace against Aitor Karanka’s side.

Three points against Brighton keeps the pressure on those at the top of the league, so Guardiola must select a strong lineup to ensure his side secures the win against a struggling Brighton side.

And, in other news, Guardiola must swoop for “unbelievable” £90m-rated beast; he can break Aguero’s Man City record…

West Brom would be “silly” to sack Slaven Bilic, says Marlon Harewood.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, the former Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers forward has backed the Croatian to turn things around at the Hawthorns, even claiming he would be the man to take them straight back up if they were relegated.

The Baggies find themselves winless since clinching promotion from the Championship.

Only Sheffield United are below them in the table having only secured three points from their opening nine matches. Albion are also the second-lowest scorers in the division and hold the joint-worst defensive record.

But, Harewood believes there isn’t a better option than Bilic to sort out the current mess despite the speculation over his immediate future. He told FFC:

“Well, me personally, it would be silly of them, the club owner to think about even replacing him because I love him. He’s a good man, and he always wants the best for his team. And I think he’ll try to find formulas. At the end of the day, he will try his best to sort it out.”The lads go on the pitch to work hard for him and to try and pull results out. And he will be doing his utmost best to try and turn things around because things are not going for him at the moment results-wise.”But he’s a good man. I hope they don’t see it that way and that they see it to the end to try and help him to pull it through.”

The 52-year-old, who has managed West Ham United in the Premier League before, has a win-rate just shy of 41% at Albion and has averaged 1.56 points-per-game but their form since the turn of 2020 has been rather underwhelming.

According to the Mirror, Bilic’s position at the club has become increasingly fragile with tensions rising between the Croatian and the Baggies hierarchy ever since the summer.

It’s thought that Lee Bowyer is in the mix should Guochuan Lai pull the trigger on his sacking anytime soon.

They play bottom of the table Sheffield United on Saturday, suffering a home defeat there could well seal his fate.

AND in other news, Lai on verge of making a game-changing West Brom decision…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former footballer and current pundit Carlton Palmer has discussed the future of Ralph Hasenhuttl with Southampton.

The Austrian manager is likely to attract interest from other clubs having enjoyed a superb run of form with the Saints, that currently sees them sit third in the Premier League ahead of this weekend’s fixture against Manchester City.

Southampton had a poor start to the 2019/20 season and it seemed as if the former RB Leipzig manager could lose his job with the South Coast club after the infamous 9-0 defeat against Leicester City, but the board kept faith in him and they have been on a superb run of form in 2020 thus far.

Hasenhuttl was touted as a potential replacement for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United recently but Palmer seems confident that his future lies with Southampton.

Here’s what Palmer had to say about the Austrian manager when asked by Football FanCast whether he thought he would stay with Southampton…

“Absolutely. They’re third in the Premier League, there’s nowhere for him to go right now. They’re playing really good football, they’re doing well. It’s a fantastic football club, I had a lovely time down there, the supporters are fantastic. I don’t see any reason for him to want to go, I really don’t. The club are doing very well, if they were to get a top-five/top-six finish, that would be some achievement for Southampton wouldn’t it?”

Palmer credits Hasenhuttl for the way Southampton are playing at the moment and suggests that even if there was interest from another club in the Austrian manager, he should be keen to stay with the South Coast club, because of how well they are doing in the Premier League at the moment.

If the Saints can win Saturday’s game against Manchester City, they will solidify their place in the top-four spots in the Premier League, so perhaps a spell in the Champions League is not too far away for the Saints, in which case Hasenhuttl would surely want to stay so he could continue his project with the club.

And, in other news… Southampton will surely rue not completing £15m deal for “terrific” winger dominating the PL

Everton travel to Southampton this weekend looking to extend their unbeaten start to the Premier League season, but Carlo Ancelotti will be forced to make changes to the side which drew with Liverpool in last weekend’s Merseyside Derby.

A reckless over-the-top foul on Thiago Alcantara from forward Richarlison saw the Brazilian shown a straight red card by referee Michael Oliver in the closing stages, ruling the 23-year-old out of Everton’s next three fixtures.

Richarlison has been in fine form this season with the Toffees’ joint-second-most assists (two) over five appearances, while contributing one goal and his side’s highest number of successful dribbles (16), second-most shots (16) and fourth-most key balls (four), per WhoScored.

Ancelotti will also be without captain Seamus Coleman after the Republic of Ireland international was forced off during the Merseyside Derby with a hamstring injury, while sensational summer signing James Rodriguez is a doubt after a knock sustained in a tackle with Virgil van Dijk.

With changes on the cards, then, here’s a potential starting line-up Ancelotti could favour against Southampton this Sunday…

Despite Jordan Pickford’s dangerous foul on Van Dijk which Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl has insisted deserved a ban, the England international will start between the sticks on the south coast after Ancelotti stated his support.

“I think yes [Pickford should have been sent off],” said Hasenhuttl via quotes by the Daily Mail. “You cannot go like this into a duel. This is an absolutely disastrous tackle to be honest.”

Pickford has started each of Everton’s last 119 Premier League fixtures, having never missed a minute of top-flight action since his £30million move from Sunderland in 2017, and impressed Ancelotti with his focus in training this week.

“I don’t consider taking him out,” the Italian said, via quotes by The Guardian. “I saw him in training this week and he was focused, he put in a good performance in training and he was concentrated. This is what I want to see from a player.”

Everton’s line of defence will feature changes, however, with Coleman’s hamstring injury presenting Ben Godfrey with his first start since joining the Toffees in a £20m deal this summer.

“Yes, he’s going to play right-back [on Sunday],” Ancelotti stated, via quotes by the Liverpool Echo.

Michael Keane, Yerry Mina and Lucas Digne will likely all retain their places in the starting line-up, with the England centre-half heading home Everton’s initial equaliser against Liverpool and the trio all helping the Blues to start the season with four wins from five.

Andre Gomes failed to impress during his time on the field against Liverpool last weekend, with the Portuguese only offering one key pass, one successful dribble from three attempts, and two tackles from three duels, per WhoScored.

However, with Ancelotti placing his trust in the midfielder to start against Liverpool immediately upon his return from injury, it can be expected that the Italian will favour an unchanged engine room with summer signings Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure stepping out to commence proceedings at St. Mary’s.

Allan has provided Everton’s most tackles (16) and second-most shots blocked (two) in the Premier League this term, per WhoScored, while Doucoure has provided their second-most interceptions (eight) and the highest number of successful dribbles (three) from the core of Ancelotti’s midfield.

With Richarlison suspended, Ancelotti has hinted that former Arsenal midfielder Alex Iwobi will step into the Everton starting line-up for his first top-flight kick-off since a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa in July.

“Alex is a player who works hard,” Ancelotti told the Blues’ official website. “He is fast and with his quality, he can help the team be better in certain situations.”

Iwobi, described as an “unbelievable talent” by former Toffee Joseph Yobo earlier this year, has shown in his brief outings this term that he can offer Ancelotti a stand-in for Richarlison. He has averaged a higher number of big chances created per 90 minutes in the top-flight (0.86 to 0.23) and for key balls (1.71 to 0.94), per SofaScore.

Ancelotti also has concerns over Rodriguez’s involvement in Sunday’s trip to Southampton, but has stated that the Colombian is “not definitely out” and will undergo a late fitness test to see whether or not the former Real Madrid playmaker can feature, according to the Liverpool Echo’s Phil Kirkbride.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin will once again lead the line for Everton upon their travels to the south coast, as the England international strives to score in six successive Premier League games and build on the seven already struck over the opening weeks.

Everton have won just once in their last four visits to St. Mary’s, coming in a 2-1 victory last November thanks to goals from Tom Davies and Richarlison.

AND in other news, Everton appear to have dodged a bullet in a £13.5m man courted by Marco Silva in 2019.