All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

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Just two days after Steve Bruce arrived at Aston Villa, Jed Steer injured his Achilles. It was an injury that would see him miss 31 games, 258 days and the rest of the 2016/17 season.

The following campaign, he suffered a dislocated shoulder. Then, in a bid to get back to full fitness in pre-season, he made a horrendous error against Dynamo Dresden.

With the ball rolling towards him on the edge of the area the striker stole in and nicked the ball from him before scoring.

For Steer, it was yet more disappointment and it may have looked as though he’d never truly realise his potential.

Last summer, Bruce signed Atletico Madrid’s Andre Moreira on loan and then Orjan Nyland. As a result, it appeared Steer’s days at the club were numbered.

A host of injuries and the former Villa manager’s lack of faith in the 26-year-old told the tale. A loan spell with Charlton was to follow as he departed the club on a temporary basis for the sixth time since signing for the club in 2013.

Would Steer ever get a chance? It looked unlikely. Yet, after impressing in League One, Dean Smith recalled him over the winter.

Steer started the first game of the new year but Lovre Kalinic’s arrival meant he was shunted down the pecking order again. For the Villa stopper, it must have felt like an all too familiar feeling.

An injury to the Croat meant Steer found himself back in the fold. From that moment, he didn’t look back.

The ‘keeper’s turnaround since Kalinic’s injury is quite something. Even fans at the time weren’t convinced by his abilities, labelling his competition better. Revealing all on the forum Villa Talk, supporters had the following to say:

In recent months, Steer has proved them wrong. His display in the play-off semi-final against West Brom is all the evidence you need.

He’s gone from making a horrendous mistake in pre-season, to being the star of a penalty shoot-out and on the verge of a call-up to the Scottish national team.

His displays have been outstanding and without him they certainly wouldn’t be in the play-off final.

It may be a stretch to say he’s on target to become as good as Shay Given and Brad Friedel were with the club, but his penalty heroics will certainly ensure he goes down in Villa folklore if they return to the promised land of the Premier League.

In many senses, Steer has been the unlikely hero. Cast aside by Bruce, had Smith not walked through the doors last year it’s incredibly unlikely he would have become Villa’s main man between the sticks.

After coming back from two long term injuries, the former Norwich man has never looked stronger.

The ex-England youth international’s career has taken him to the likes of Yeovil, Doncaster and Huddersfield on loan. It’s been a topsy-turvy last six years for Steer but he now seems settled. As a result, he’s reaping the rewards.

He’s made fans eat their words too, because had Nyland or Kalinic been in goal, Villa would probably not be standing 90 minutes away from the top-flight.

To put things into context, before Steer played against QPR in a 2-2 draw at the beginning of the year, he’d made just one league appearance for the Villans. It really is the unlikeliest of stories from the 2018/19 season.

But football has a habit of throwing out things when you least expect it.

When Bruce decided to send him to the Addicks, it looked like his career was destined to be played out at the same level. However, he’s now on the verge of becoming a Premier League player.

It would be richly deserved too. He entered the season as their third choice keeper but his hard work has now made him one of the first names on the team sheet.

Smith has made some phenomenal calls since arriving in the Midlands but recalling Steer is one of his best.

Against Derby next Monday he’ll be key once again, and if he can produce a performance as he did last time out, it could well be Villa celebrating victory at Wembley.

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Everton fans have taken to Twitter to react to the news that Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Adrien Rabiot is in talks with the club as well as Manchester United, according to TF1 journalist Julien Maynard and later relayed by Get French Football News.

The France international is soon to be out of contract at the Parc des Princes and a number of clubs have expressed an interest in signing him on a free transfer.

Watch the video below to see the most insane overhead kick you will see this week…

Rabiot had fallen out of favour with the French champions and hasn’t featured for the Parisians since the middle of December, as club officials grew tired of his behaviour – he was fined after acting improperly after the Champions League defeat to Manchester United, and skipped a mid-season training camp.

He would be a major coup for any club this summer given his obvious pedigree in the game and his potential to improve on that at just 24 years of age, and the Toffees supporters are clearly interested in the news given the huge response on Twitter.

Let’s take a look at some of the best tweets…

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Leeds United fans on Twitter want Bailey Peacock-Farrell to leave the club after his latest comments regarding his contract situation.

The 22-year-old is entering the last year of his deal, and he has stated that he could leave the club if he isn’t given assurances about how much he will be playing.

“The aim for me is to be number one at Leeds and play at Leeds but, if that is not the case, I may have to look elsewhere,” the keeper told Sky Sports.

The youngster started out last term as the Whites’ first choice between the sticks, but after Kiko Casilla’s arrival in January, he struggled to reclaim his spot.

His replacement has had a torrid time as of late, including a terrible performance in the playoff semi-final, and that has sparked rumours that he is set to leave the club.

But supporters don’t want to see Peacock-Farrell return to a starting spot, and after his most recent comments, many have been calling for him to be sold.

Phil Hay recently speculated that Leeds would buy a new keeper if Casilla leaves this summer, but Leeds fans want to see their second choice sold as well.

Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying on Twitter…

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Tottenham Hotspur have turned down the chance to sign Edin Dzeko from Roma this summer, per Football Insider.

What’s the word?

The report claims that Spurs were offered the opportunity to make a bid for the former Manchester City striker in the summer transfer window.

Dzeko scored 14 goals in all competitions in 2018/19, laying on 11 assists, and his representatives are said to have reached out to Spurs to float the idea of securing his signature.

However, Spurs decided against making a move for the 33-year-old, and he is now set to move to Inter Milan instead.

Roma are said to value the Bosnia & Herzegovina captain at £18m.

The ideal Llorente replacement

It is not known how often Dzeko would have wanted to play in England if he’d moved to Spurs.

But, in terms of profile, he could have been the ideal replacement for Fernando Llorente, another brutish forward with the ability to pop up with important goals.

The Spaniard is preparing to leave north London when his contract expires at the end of this month, and Spurs need a back-up for Harry Kane.

Securing Dzeko for a fee below £20m could have been a smart piece of business. He has a proven Premier League record – he scored 72 goals in 189 appearances for City – and would have been a fine alternative to Kane.

It isn’t clear who chairman Daniel Levy will be acquiring to bolster Mauricio Pochettino’s forward line, but one thing is sure; he has missed a trick by not bringing in Dzeko for such a measly fee.

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On Monday, Aston Villa revealed that they had signed Kortney Hause on a permanent deal from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Hause initially joined Villa on loan in January and went on to make 12 appearances for the club in the second half of the 2018-19 campaign.

Clearly impressed with the versatile defender, Dean Smith’s side have taken up the option to secure his services on a permanent deal.

And it would be fair to say that the Villa fans are absolutely delighted with the transfer news.

Anwar El Ghazi – on loan from Lille last season – Jota and Wesley Moraes had already joined the Premier League club ahead of Hause’s arrival on Monday.

And Villa’s business is unlikely to stop there as Smith looks to put together a squad capable of competing in the top flight following last season’s Championship playoff success.

A selection of the Twitter reaction to Hause’s confirmed arrival can be seen below:

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Rangers will have to pay more for Ryan Kent’s loan this season than last if they want to land him this summer, as reported by website Football Insider.

What’s the story?

Having announced the signing of one Liverpool player on loan already this summer, Sheyi Ojo, the Gers have once again utilised Steven Gerrard’s Anfield links to bring an exciting talent to Ibrox.

Football Insider reckon the Gers are currently working on another loan deal that will see Kent return to Glasgow for the second successive season.

Watch the best fails from the world of indoor football in the video below…

However, it will come at a cost, with the website reporting that Rangers will have to pay a higher loan fee than the one shelled out last summer, which was “well in excess of £1million”.

With Liverpool recognising the development he has made as a player over the last 12 months, they now value a permanent transfer at around £10m-12m, according to the outlet.

Worth that kind of loan fee?

Rangers have limited resources in comparison to Celtic and so paying seven-figures for a temporary signing may not appear to make much sense at first glance, but Kent is the kind of difference maker they will need to make progress next season.

He’s a crowd-pleaser, a ball-carrier and someone who will be a consistent attacking outlet throughout a 90 minutes on the left, even when not directly contributing to goals.

It could be argued that it’s luxurious not to invest money in a player who can grow and stay at the club for a number of years, but the short-term is so important for Rangers that having one or two quality stars on loan at the club is necessary.

It’s likely that Kent will ensure he is worth every penny of any loan fee. He hasn’t let the club down yet and this is of course the summer deal that many fans want to see most.

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Celtic supporters have been left impressed by teenage talent Armstrong Okoflex after his performance in the club’s first pre-season match of the summer.

The Hoops turned out against Austrian minnows SC Pinkafeld on Wednesday evening, winning handsomely 6-1 despite going behind in the match during the first half.

Having equalised through the returning Leigh Griffiths by the interval, Neil Lennon’s team went on to score five second half goals, with the majority of the players on the pitch coming from the club’s academy and reserve teams.

Celtic fans aren’t happy about Arsenal’s bid for one of their key players…

It was a great chance for Celtic fans to see young players in action live on the club’s TV channel, with players such as Okoflex, Mikey Johnston and Calvin Miller impressing most.

Okoflex, who is still just 17 years of age, signed from Arsenal last summer but has not yet made his senior debut in a competitive match. He was named on the bench for Celtic’s final league game of the season in May.

He was one of the players who netted against the Austrians, making a clever run into the box and deftly finishing over the oncoming goalkeeper.

Watch Celtic Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Celtic fans are excited about his progress and took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his performance…

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Hibernian are entering a new era with businessman Ron Gordon and fans are excited about the future.

The Edinburgh club announced on Tuesday that Gordon is investing a seven-figure fee into the club and has taken control from Sir Tom Farmer and Rod Petrie at Easter Road.

Manager Paul Heckingbottom and other staff at the club will remain, ensuring continuity ahead of the new season.

The fans in the video below had some very strong words for Michel Platini who was detained over alleged corruption this week…

It’s a genuine new dawn considering Farmer and Petrie have been associated with the club for decades now.

With no debt, optimism in the dugout and a new cash injection, there will now be serious hope they can make significant progress in the 2019/20 season.

Having already added players such as Scott Allan and Christian Doidge to the squad, plans are well underway and supporters are looking forward to seeing their team back in action.

These fans have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts on the takeover and what it means…

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

There has been somewhat of a firesale at Elland Road this summer as Leeds have looked to remove the deadwood from their squad as well as cash in on some of their prized assets.

Up until now, a staggering eight players have departed from Elland Road permanently. Mallik Wilks, Aapo Halme, Paudie O’Connor, Pontus Jansson, Jack Clarke, Hugo Diaz, Liam Kitching and now Tyler Denton has joined that list.

What’s the story?

Despite all of these departures, Leeds still have a number of unwanted players they want to get off of their books.

Certain individuals look to be leaving imminently such as Caleb Ekuban, Yosuke Ideguchi and Vurnon Anita, but others such as Hadi Sacko, Samu Saiz and Laurens De Bock don’t seem to have an exit route planned out.

Could be problematic

Leeds could have some problems next season if they don’t manage to shift these players.

It’s already been established that they could be cutting it fine in terms of FFP, and having these unwanted players on their wage bill will certainly restrict them financially.

United want to tie Kalvin Phillips down to a new deal and getting rid of these players may free up some extra cash so that they can offer him a higher wage, after their first offer was rejected by the midfielder.

Not only could it cause problems financially, but it could also affect the squad harmony. Saiz is someone who could upset things as he is scheduled to return to training next week, and Bielsa can’t risk that.

Victor Orta and Andrea Radrizzani still have a lot of work to do as they need to finalise moves for a number of players who seemingly don’t have futures at the club.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Rekeem Harper’s future with West Brom seemed to be in doubt for a while.

After it was revealed he’d been offered a new deal in the club’s retained list, it took until beyond the 1st July, when players out of contract usually become a free agent, to finally put pen to paper.

The news will likely have come as a welcome relief to the club who are clearly keen to tie down their best young stars.

Unfortunately for Albion, the same couldn’t be said for Louie Barry who rejected a new deal, but Harper’s contract and the addition of Filip Krovinovic on loan could signal a key change that’s already happening under new manager Slaven Bilic.

Watch West Bromwich Albion Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

On the chalkboard

West Brom’s midfield last season was incredibly one dimensional, boasting players like Gareth Barry, Jake Livermore and Chris Brunt.

It was an area of the pitch that lacked much energy with all three players, barring Livermore now ageing individuals. Barry, at the age of 38, has now left the club, but the two latter names are still embedded within the squad.

Brunt has the ability to pick a pass, claiming six assists last term but beyond that, is nothing more than a steady player.

However, Harper’s new contract and the arrival on a temporary basis of Krovinovic is signalling a key switch.

All of a sudden there is a far more energetic and refreshing feel to the midfield, one which could arguably help drive the club forward in a new era.

Watch fans explain why the Football League is better than the Premier League in the video below…

It’s likely that Albion’s new Croatian will play as a number ten whilst their academy graduate could play behind him as a box-to-box midfielder.

As a result, the middle of the park could look far more vibrant for West Brom going into the 2019/20 campaign, particularly if Sam Field is also trusted.

Krovinovic is only 23 whilst Harper is still a teenager, meaning the wheels have already been put in motion for a changing of the guard from the older heads that dominated their failed promotion campaign.

Since Bilic has arrived, there has already been significant losses in regards to the playing staff but those of the experienced members that still remain are unlikely to influence things too much in the future.

Under the ex-Hammers man, a youthful approach looks to be coming to the forefront, and after giving a season to those who came down with the team from the Premier League, it’s now evident that a new form of approach is being taken.