All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Charly Musonda was such a valuable signing to Celtic that the Bhoys tried to bring him to Parkhead twice.

In the summer of 2017, he nearly joined the Hoops on loan before his parent club decided to keep him at the club instead.

He became part of Chelsea’s Premier League squad and played nine times in all competitions for the Blues that term. In the process, he picked up an assist in Europe and also in the top-flight.

Though, after a lack of first-team opportunities Celtic ultimately got their man in January 2018.

After penning temporary terms, Musonda said: “I feel really good. Massive club, really looking forward to it. I’m very lucky to be here and I’m very happy to be here. It’s going to be unreal to play at Celtic Park. Hopefully I can do well for the team.”

Unfortunately, despite Brendan Rodgers’ desire to see him thrive, it was an unsuccessful stint in Glasgow for the Belgian.

Upon signing for an initial 18 months, the former Celtic boss cited Musonda’s “wonderful ability.”

Rodgers added: “I’ve known him for a few years. A big thank you must go to Chelsea. He’s a shining light in their academy.”

Musonda would eventually play just eight times for the Bhoys, being recalled in May after Chelsea lost their patience. He failed to score during his time in Scotland and it was unsurprising they recalled him; he wasn’t even in the squad during the end of his stay.

Since he departed Paradise, his career has fallen off the wagon in one of the worst ways possible.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-howe-favre-edouard-desmond” title= “Read the latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

The attacking midfielder headed to Vitesse in the Netherlands but after making four appearances early in the 2018/19 season on loan, he’s not been seen on the field of play since.

Musonda has been through his very own version of hell and he’s not in the clear yet either. He picked a cruciate ligament injury in his knee and hasn’t played for the best part of 19 months.

Speaking in December he said: “It’s been four years since I played back to back professional games, three years since I last played for my club, two of those last four years, I’ve been injured with the post cruciate ligament of my knee.”

The midfielder continued: “Doctors told me going through surgery after being out for so long would be the end, an impossible mountain to climb, were the exact words. This is my story and how I keep training and staying ready, despite the odds, one day I’ll be back.”

Now 24, Musonda has returned to light training with Chelsea and has hired his own personal fitness and conditioning strength. He is still yet to appear for the Blues since resuming light ball work in what has been a nightmare two years.

Is the end in sight for the midfielder? Time will tell. Described as a “big talent” by Rodgers, the £42k-per-week earner once had the world at his feet.

Another prodigy off the Chelsea production line, his lack of opportunities has been through complete misfortune, rather than some of the other reasons academy graduates have been handed throughout the years.

Just as his career was beginning to take off, it was effectively ripped away from him. Musonda undoubtedly deserves a second chance.

AND in other news, Big U-turn emerges in Celtic manager search, it’s great news for supporters…

Norwich City will look to continue their excellent run of form on Saturday as they take on Blackburn Rovers at Carrow Road in the Championship.

The Canaries will be aiming to extend their 10-point advantage at the top of the table before the players head into the international break.

Norwich were victorious against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday, coming away with a 2-0 win and an extra three points on their travels. Goals from Teemu Pukki and Kieran Dowell in the first 13 minutes sealed the points and they have now won nine games in a row.

It seems that Daniel Farke will still be without long-term absentees Michael McGovern and Sam Byram for this fixture. Other than that, the manager will have a full squad from which to choose.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Farke to line his side up against Blackburn Rovers, with two changes from the team which started against Forest in midweek…

Tim Krul unsurprisingly keeps his place in goal in the absence of McGovern and has been in fine form recently, keeping six clean sheets in his past eight games.

The Canaries’ defence also remains the same, with Ben Gibson and Grant Hanley forming an incredible defensive partnership as centre-backs this season. Loan signing Dimitrios Giannoulis has been a revelation so far, as well as Max Aarons, and both look set to retain their places as full-backs.

Oliver Skipp and Kenny McLean also find themselves on the team sheet in the defensive midfield positions. However, we may see a change further up, with Mario Vrancic replacing Lukas Rupp as their central attacking midfielder. Vrancic has been rested for the past few games, but has scored three goals and produced five assists this season.

Todd Cantwell continues on the left but there’s a change on the right, with Emiliano Buendia returning. The £19.8m-valued ace missed out in their 2-0 win on Wednesday after the birth of his newborn baby, but has been in incredible form so far, scoring 10 goals and producing 12 assists in the Championship.

The prolific talisman, Teemu Pukki completes the attack and he could be vital if Norwich are to continue their brilliant run of form. He has scored 22 goals this season and has found the net 11 times in his last nine games.

Many Wolves fans found themselves agreeing with Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson after he commented on Nuno Espirito Santo’s team selection during his side’s 2-0 FA Cup defeat to Southampton.

Speaking on Soccer Saturday (via Football Daily), the former Arsenal striker believed that the Black Country club had nothing to lose by going full strength in the FA Cup fifth round.

Nuno opted to go with a makeshift back three of Leander Dendoncker, Romain Saiss and Max Kilman in front of John Ruddy, resting goalkeeper Rui Patricio and captain Conor Coady in the process.

Wolves were comfortably beaten on the night and they only created one big chance during the 90 minutes and only had one shot on target (Fotmob).

Unsurprisingly, supporters overwhelmingly agreed with Merson, who believed that it was a wasted opportunity and that Nuno’s decision took away the chance of a solid FA Cup run.

Fans agree with Merson

“Stating the bleedin’ obvious! 100% agree. So disappointed in Nuno.”

Credit: @MattBunn78

“Cannot argue with the logic.”

Credit: @GAJC119

“Merson sums up what every Wolves fan was thinking in the week, tomorrow Nuno must win the game to justify resting those players”

Credit: @juranceb01

“I’m not the biggest fan of Paul Merson but I completely agree with him”

Credit: @Gavalar97

“Got to agree with him for once about us”

Credit: @Parton90716803

“If Paul Merson is calling you out, you know it’s time to pack your bags”

Credit: @robbowwfc

In other news, Wolves loanee admits time at Molineux is coming to an end.

Manchester City’s winning run came to an end on Sunday as they fell to a 2-0 defeat against rivals Manchester United at the Etihad.

An early penalty from Bruno Fernandes set Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side on their way, before defender Luke Shaw doubled the lead in the second half.

City certainly weren’t short on chances, however, and it is definitely fair to suggest that if they were a lot more clinical on the day, then their unbeaten run could have continued.

One man who was guilty of missing some of City’s best chances is Raheem Sterling. Although it was late in the game, he missed arguably the Citizens’ best opportunity to get back into the tie, when he failed to connect with Kyle Walker’s superb cross.

As per SofaScore, the former Liverpool man would earn a disappointing 6.0 rating for his performance, which was the worst of any player from either side.

During his time on the pitch, Sterling would have just 45 touches of the ball, which was the fewest of any Man City outfield player bar Gabriel Jesus, as he struggled to have much impact on the game.

He would also miss two big chances during the 90 minutes, whereas no other City player would have a big chance during the game, which emphasises how much he let his team down on Sunday.

The England international, who Owen Hargreaves dubbed “remarkable” earlier this season, would complete 26/33 passes at the Etihad, resulting in a 79% pass accuracy, which is some way lower than the 86.1% he has averaged in the Premier League this season.

To compound an awful display by the 26-year-old, he would fail to win any of his three duels during the game, and would lose possession 14 times, despite rarely being involved.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka clearly had the better of him at right-back, as he earned an impressive 7.5 rating for his display, and would make five interceptions and three tackles, whilst he wasn’t dribbled past once, which demonstrates how effective he was in nullifying the threat of Sterling.

Therefore, you can definitely argue that Sterling let Pep Guardiola, and Kevin De Bruyne down – with the Belgian playing an extraordinary eight key passes during the game – as he was unable to take the chances that fell to him, which, as a result, brought an end to City’s unbeaten run.

And, in other news… Forget Zinchenko: City can sign their dream Mendy successor in £34.4m gem

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Premier League midfielder Lee Hendrie has tipped Manchester City to go on and dominate if they can manage to acquire Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland.

Haaland has quickly become one of the best centre-forwards in world football, managing to score over 40 goals for Dortmund and RB Salzburg last season.

His levels have not dropped, with the 20-year-old already past the 30-goal mark in all competitions this term, and he is now being linked with a whole host of top European clubs, including Manchester City.

Premier League rivals Chelsea and Spanish giants Real Madrid are also said to be chasing Haaland’s signature but, according to the MailOnline, it is Pep Guardiola’s side who are leading the race for the Norway International.

If the Citizens manage to get this deal over the line, for Hendrie, it could be game-changing. He told FFC:

“I think he’d be absolutely outrageous at Man City because he plays between the lines of the box, he scores goals and he’s literally ruthless when he’s got a chance. His work ethic is second to none, it really is, and I feel playing in a team of that calibre, with the likes of [Phil] Foden and [Raheem Sterling], the list goes on, I just feel he’ll get so many chances.”

“I feel he’ll do a similar job to what [Sergio] Aguero does if not better because he’s a completely different player to Aguero. But he’s in the box and he likes to score goals and we’ve seen how consistent he’s been. I just feel that he’d certainly fit the bill for Man City for me. I think he’d be an unreal addition to that football squad and I feel they would go on and dominate.”

With Aguero’s contract up in the summer, Manchester City’s interest in Haaland comes as no surprise.

Guardiola may want a replacement and the former Salzburg No.9 would fit the bill perfectly when you look at his goal record. Competition will be fierce but, with their finances and position in European football right now, the Premier League favourites will surely fancy their chances.

A finance expert has dropped a transfer claim on Tariq Lamptey, who has previously been linked with a move to Everton despite his new deal at Brighton.

Speaking to Football Insider, Kieran Maguire has claimed that his new contract at the Seagulls would not be an issue if the Goodison Park faithful or other linked clubs in Manchester City and Arsenal would wish to sign him in the near future, and also revealed the new wages that he has heard Lamptey is on and an estimated transfer fee for the England U21 international:

“It’s estimated at £40,000 a week. That would be about right, as far as what I’ve heard.

“The only issue would be if there is a release clause in the contract.

“If you look at the benchmark, Aaron Wan Bissaka went from Palace to Manchester United for £45million, I would imagine that’s going to be the ballpark figure in terms of a transfer.

“The new deal is a non-issue. It protects the player in that it guarantees him money in the event of a serious injury. It also keeps him happier as he’s now seen as a key part of the first-team squad and he’s being remunerated as such.

“But that kind of money is chicken feed for clubs like Everton. So it will not be an issue at all as far as potential suitors are concerned.

“I don’t know if Chelsea have a buyback clause but I think they’re probably on a share of the profits.”

Lamptey worth the money for Everton

Given that he is English and just 20 years of age, a transfer fee of around £45m would not be a bad one at all to pay for Lamptey, considering the potential that he has to become a top-class right-back.

Noel Whelan has previously labelled him as a ‘very exciting’ player and it is not a surprise that the likes of the Merseyside club as well as Arsenal and Manchester City are reportedly interested in his signature.

With Seamus Coleman being 32 years of age now, Carlo Ancelotti’s team need to start looking at a replacement for the Republic of Ireland international sooner rather than later, and Lamptey may well be a good fit.

In other news, find out which Toffees man has been linked with a move away here!

It ended all square in the Premier League clash between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side will go away the happier of the two teams as they held City to a goalless draw in the first Manchester derby of the season, having conceded seven goals in their past three games in all competitions.

It was a relatively even first half with clear cut chances few and far between as Gabriel Jesus sliced his shot wide whilst Scott McTominay missed United’s best opportunity as he couldn’t reach a layoff from Victor Lindelof.

VAR was once again the centre of attention when Marcus Rashford went down in the box after a challenge from Kyle Walker, only for the decision to be overturned after it was revealed the striker was offside.

Despite the result, there weren’t too many positives to take away from a solid albeit unimpressive team performance overall, although Harry Maguire was the real standout.

Maguire has oft been criticised for his inconsistent run of form after he suffered a defensive meltdown during the humiliating defeat to Tottenham Hotspur towards the start of the season.

But the centre-back seems to have exorcised those demons as he kept Raheem Sterling in his back pocket for large parts of the game and made some key blocks to deny both Gabriel Jesus and Kevin De Bruyne.

SofaScore graded the 27-year-old as the best player on the pitch with a high 7.5 rating – he won 100% of his aerials, 100% of his tackles, made two interceptions, two clearances and blocked three shots, which shows that he was a ballast at the back as United kept their first clean sheet since the 1-0 win at home to West Brom.

The Manchester Evening News gave him a similar grade, claiming he ‘dominated the majority of his duels with Sergio Aguero absent’, whilst 90min were equally impressed, as they insisted he ‘did well overall and held his own in the odd one-on-one situation he was left in.’

Maguire has been a much-maligned figure in recent months after a string of incidents on-and-off the field, but it looks like he has begun to turn things around, if this latest showing is anything to go by, at any rate.

Valued at £45m via Transfermarkt, he was recently described as an “inspirational” player by Solskjaer and has started to show signs that he is rediscovering the form that saw him win a trio of awards during his time at Leicester City.

AND in other news, Man Utd striker Marcus Rashford was woeful against Man City…

West Bromwich Albion may have to use the transfer window well if they want to stay in the top flight and former Albion forward Kevin Phillips believes that Andy Carroll could be a good option for his former club.

What Phillips had to say about Andy Carroll

Speaking to West Brom news, Phillips said:

“If you could guarantee he was going to stay fit for the rest of the season, I would certainly consider it because he gives you a different style.

There might be a lot of people who say ‘oh this is going to be route-one football’ but it’s about winning a football match and if that means bringing in a 6ft 5 or 6ft 6 centre-forward and you play a different style of play, we know Andy Carroll on his day can be unplayable.

It’s just whether you can guarantee keeping him fit and for me, it’s a gamble. If you put all your eggs in one basket in getting him in and he gets injured in the first few weeks, you’re back to square one.

Ultimately, it might be a gamble worth having a little nibble at because they need to do something. It hasn’t quite worked for Karlan Grant. I know you’ve got Charlie Austin and Hal Robson-Kanu but someone like Andy Carroll – who obviously Big Sam knows – could be a good option. But I’m not sure that if he stays fit, Steve Bruce would let him go with the situation they’re in as well.”

Would this be a good signing for West Brom?

The forward has played 336 times in his career, scoring 79 goals and picking up 50 assists (Transfermarkt). He can be a target man, but this isn’t the best goalscoring record for a striker. The 31-year-old constantly struggles to play regularly and the Baggies should be looking for a forward who is performing well right now.

Carroll is also very injury-prone, so it would seem like a very risky signing, one that would just seem like the club are wasting money on wages, something they cannot afford to do in their situation.

In other news, West Brom fans hammered this man against Palace.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Hull City midfielder Dean Windass has been discussing the current injury crisis at Liverpool.

Jurgen Klopp has been without key first-team centre-backs Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk for much of the season after their respective injuries, whilst Joel Matip has continued to prove unreliable because of his injury-prone nature.

The Reds had seemed to be coping by promoting youngsters Nathaniel Phillips and Rhys Williams but are now without a league goal in 2021, which has seen them drop off the top of the table.

When asked about potential options for the Merseyside club to consider, Windass suggested Wolves centre-back Conor Coady as a player that perhaps should be targeted by the Reds during the current transfer window.

Here’s what Windass had to say when speaking exclusively to FFC:

“Would he go for Conor Coady at Wolves? [He’s a] scouser, he’s been released as a Liverpool kid. He would fit the bill, January till the end of the season, but then would he play when the two centre-halves are available?

“He plays a different system for Wolves, he plays as a sweeper really. When he’s played for England he’s done well. That would probably be on everyone’s lips, Jamie Carragher mentioned it, would he ever come back to Liverpool? Of course he would, it’s his home town club. That would fit the bill, but would Wolves want to sell him? I’m sure the kid would want to go.”

Coady has been extremely consistent with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side since their promotion to the top-flight, having featured in every single game for the Old Gold in the 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons, whilst he was also a regular in their Europa League campaign last season.

His performances in the top-flight earned him a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad and the £22.5 million-rated man has now earned two caps for his country.

With Wolves struggling this season, perhaps Liverpool could tempt the 27-year-old back to Anfield but as he captains Wolves and has four years left on his contract, he would not come cheap.

And, in other news… Liverpool can sign dream Henderson heir in £50m beast tipped to be an outstanding captain

Manchester United could look to make an offer for a "world class" player in a hurry after INEOS held internal discussions over his signature last week, according to an intriguing new transfer claim.

Man Utd transfer news

The summer transfer window may be closed, but that doesn't mean the Red Devils aren't continuing to be linked with potential new signings, having brought in the likes of Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, Manuel Ugarte and Joshua Zirkzee earlier in the year.

Brighton captain Lewis Dunk has emerged as a surprise target for United in the January window, as they look to test the Seagulls' resolve, although opinion may be split about whether the 32-year-old is the right target to bring in, given his age.

Adrien Rabiot is also seen as an option, with the France international now a free agent after his summer exit from Juventus, should Erik ten Hag feel that immediate midfielder reinforcements are needed after Casemiro's disastrous performance against Liverpool in the Premier League last weekend. Man Utd chiefs are said to have held internal discussions last week about whether to make a move.

In terms of the managerial situation at Old Trafford, Ten Hag's job looks to be safe for the time being, but pressure is mounting on him by the week. Former Germany boss Joachim Low has been mentioned as a potential successor to the Dutchman.

Man Utd could soon table offer for "world class" star

According to a new update from Le Figaro [via Sport Witness], Manchester United are considering tabling an offer for Rabiot, so it seems things have developed since the internal talks last week. Newcastle United are also eyeing a bid for the 29-year-old, but European giants Barcelona appear to be out of the race due to their financial issues holding them back, and both English clubs have now been told they need to hurry.

United supporters would surely jump at the chance to have Rabiot in their ranks, not least because of Casemiro's woes, gifting Liverpool two goals in their aforementioned 3-0 defeat at Old Trafford last Sunday. The Frenchman is still at peak age, and should remain that way for the foreseeable future, and the Red Devils have the funds to offer him big wages, which he is likely to demand after earning £162,000 per week at Juve.

A silky footballer who can shine in a deep role or as a box-to-box figure, Rabiot would strengthen Ten Hag's options in the middle of the park significantly, also helping Ugarte to ease into his new surroundings and not have too much pressure on his young shoulders.

Former Juve great David Trezeguet has described the midfielder as a "world class" player, which is big praise, while ex-France colleague Hugo Lloris once said of him: "Technically he's a very elegant player and he really can help us go far."

INEOS should've sold Man Utd dud who earns 10x more than Mainoo

He is their 4th-highest earner

ByJoe Nuttall Sep 8, 2024

Some may point to the fact that Rabiot turns 30 next year and not see him as a long-term acquisition, but with Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo exciting young options, he could be the ideal foil for them, also providing more legs than the increasingly problematic Casemiro.