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According to The Daily Mirror, West Ham United have shortlisted a brand new defensive target as news emerges on Manchester United starlet Di’Shon Bernard. 

The lowdown: Career so far

A product of the youth academy at Chelsea, Bernard moved to Manchester in 2017 to link up with the Old Trafford Under-18’s side.

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Since then the London-born central defender has progressed through the ranks in the North West and made a senior debut for the club in the Europa League in November 2019 under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The 21-year-old spent the entire 2020/21 campaign on loan at Salford City in League Two and could be set for another move in the upcoming transfer window…

The latest: Moyes is interested

As per the report from the Mirror, the Hammers and by association, manager David Moyes, are ‘plotting a move’ to sign the 6 foot 2 defender.

It’s claimed that the Scot is a ‘big admirer’ of Bernard who is currently on loan at Championship outfit Hull City.

Furthermore, the report states that the east Londoners are confident in their ability to get a deal done due to offering a ‘quicker pathway’ to first-team football for the colossus youngster who was described as ‘quick’ and ‘aggressive’ by Grant McCann.

The verdict: Next generation

Albeit still unproven in the Premier League, Bernard has enjoyed a positive season at Hull City, averaging 6.91 match rating over 2021/2022 whilst making 1.3 interceptions, 3.2 clearances per game and helping to keep eight clean sheets in the league (Sofascore), the talented defender appears to be ready for the next step in a promising career.

As both Craig Dawson and Angelo Ogbonna reach the twilight of their superb individual careers, Moyes will rightfully be thinking about the succession plan.

GSB have already acted to succeed one half of the partnership with the capture of Kurt Zouma and having never truly shown total faith in Issa Diop, it’s no surprise that the Irons’ boss may look elsewhere for reinforcements and Bernard could be the chosen one to bolster the London Stadium ranks.

In other news: Find out who the three worst West Ham players were against Burnley. 

Speaking to Tribal Football, journalist Rudy Galetti has shared an update on Tottenham Hotspur’s transfer plans involving Juventus star Juan Cuadrado.

The Lowdown: Paratici eyeing free deals…

Spurs and transfer chief Fabio Paratici have reportedly been eyeing up players on dwindling contracts as the club aim to back manager Antonio Conte with low cost, effective options.

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There have been many links to soon to be out-of-contract stars over the last few months with the likes of Paulo Dybala (Juventus) and Sam Johnstone (West Brom) coming up as most recent examples.

Ahead of Conte’s first full campaign in 2022/2023, this summer window could be crucial as the club and chairman Daniel Levy aim to back the Italian in transforming Spurs back into an elite Premier League side.

The Latest: Galetti makes Cuadrado claim…

Speaking to TF, journalist Galetti says Paratici and co are ‘chasing’ another imminent free agent in Cuadrado.

Tottenham have apparently made contact with the Colombian’s representative, Alessandro Lucci, with Conte ‘crying out’ for a new right-wing-back option amid his dis-satisfaction over Emerson Royal.

Despite the electric form of Matt Doherty, Spurs’ head coach still wants to strengthen on the right-hand side, resulting in the Lilywhites now ‘working hard’ to sign his former player in Cuadrado.

The Verdict: Good option?

Tottenham and Paratici spent a lot of January attempting to negotiate a deal to sign Adama Traore with Conte seeking a makeshift RWB option.

After Barcelona hijacked that move, you could say Doherty’s brilliant performances have arguably masked over Spurs’ transfer blunder, but Conte may need to re-visit the position again to add further steel.

Cuadrado, who could join for free if he doesn’t extend in Turin, may well be a shrewd option.

Indeed, the South American has averaged a higher league match rating (7.21) than any Spurs player over 2021/2022 bar Harry Kane (7.36) and Son Heung-min (7.38), according to WhoScored.

He’s a consistent threat in the attacking positions with only Son and Dejan Kulusevski making more key passes per 90 in the final third than Cuadrado this season (WhoScored).

The £152,000-per-week star may well be a suitable solution for Conte on the right.

In other news: Tottenham eye agreement ‘in the coming weeks’ as they make offer for exciting midfielder, find out more here.

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On Wednesday, journalist Phil Hay reported on Leeds’ new club badge which will be introduced in the 2019/20 season to celebrate their centenary, with the new design set to be worn on next term’s home and away shirts but reverted back to normal the year after.

The adjustments are minimal, as is probably preferable in order to avoid fan outrage. The famous shield remains but the letters ‘LUFC’ have been replaced by ‘Leeds United’ and ‘100 years’, written on golden banners above and below the crest respectively.

The Whites will be hoping that the new crest will be accompanied by a Premier League badge on the sleeve, as they enter an exciting final period of the campaign – automatic promotion is within touching distance for the Yorkshire outfit but they must be careful not to drop any more points from here.

Who do you want to see promoted this year? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have picked their 3 favoured teams in the video below…

West Brom announced themselves in the title race on Tuesday night with a last-gasp win at QPR and Leeds will be hoping they can leave the Baggies in the dust on Saturday by taking all three points from their clash with Bolton.

Journalist Phil Hay Tweeted his coverage of Leeds’ new badge on Wednesday, including an image of it. Here’s what the Elland Road faithful had to say about it on Twitter, with many supporters far from impressed…

Graham Smyth has dropped an update on the future of Leeds United winger Ian Poveda.

What’s the latest?

In a recent article for the Yorkshire Evening Post, Smyth revealed that the 22-year-old, who had returned to Thorp Arch from his season-long loan deal at Blackburn Rovers as a result of an ankle injury sustained last November, is now set to return to the Championship side on a trial basis this week.

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The journalist goes on to state that Tony Mowbray will then decide whether or not he would like the former England U20 international to rejoin his first-team squad for the remainder of the second-tier campaign – with Rovers still being in with a shot of securing a top-six finish in the league.

Raphinha replacement

While it is true that, after making 16 first-team appearances in 2020/21, Poveda has not progressed as many at Elland Road would have hoped this season – something that is largely down to his long-term injury – the youngster would nevertheless still appear to have a bright future with the Premier League side.

Indeed, despite Paul Robinson’s recent claim that the 22-year-old’s future at Leeds is “up in the air” at present, Victor Orta’s comments at the time of the winger’s loan switch to Ewood Park would appear to suggest otherwise.

Regarding the forward, the Spanish sporting director said: “We feel Ian can make an impact here in the future and we’ve been very impressed with how Blackburn have developed players such as Harvey Elliott at Liverpool. We hope Ian can get some game time and come back to us next season ready to fight.”

And, while it is undeniable that the £11k-per-week talent – who Robinson also dubbed an “exciting” player – initially struggled to find his feet at Blackburn, his performance in the fixture before he sustained his injury against fellow play-off hopefuls Sheffield United proved that the former Manchester City starlet is a “wonderful talent” – as Mowbray claimed.

Indeed, in Rovers’ 3-1 victory over the Blades, Poveda turned in a man of the match display, scoring one goal and registering one assist, as well as making two key passes, creating one big chance, completing five dribbles and winning eight duels – with these returns seeing the forward earn an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 8.5 – the best of any player to feature in the match.

As such, should the £1.8m-rated prodigy be able to refind this level of form upon his return to Blackburn over the remainder of the season, it would appear highly advisable for Jesse Marsch to consider reinstating the 22-year-old in his first-team squad ahead of the club’s 2022/23 campaign.

Indeed, with Raphinha being heavily linked with a £60m move away from Elland Road this summer, should Poveda go on to fulfil his undoubted potential next season, the Englishman could well go on to become the Whites’ next wide attacking sensation – potentially even turning into a player who is just as important to the club as the Brazilain currently is.

AND in other news: “Been told…”: Sky Sports journo drops huge Leeds update, supporters will be fuming

Everton have been linked with signing Jannik Vestergaard this summer, and now Paul Brown has weighed in on the potential transfer.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Star journalist, he wouldn’t be surprised if the Leicester City star did make a move to Goodison Park at the end of the season – as long as they remain a Premier League club next term.

Brown told GIVEMESPORT: “In that position, I wouldn’t be surprised if something like that might happen. But it’s very difficult to see who they could possibly target right now without knowing where they’re going to be.”

Supporters will be excited

There is no doubt that there are clearly changes needed to be made at Goodison Park, and it will be Frank Lampard’s job to make sure he identifies the key areas of improvement – with their defensive play a huge cause for concern this season.

Everton have found themselves in a vulnerable position in the Premier League, currently fighting against potential relegation to the Championship and it’s no surprise they are in this situation when you consider their defensive record.

Indeed, only the two teams at the bottom of the table, Watford and Norwich, have a worse goal difference than the Toffees, with 53 goals conceded and the joint third-least clean sheets in the entire division.

And, despite only playing 10 games for Leicester in the Premier League so far, Vestergaard has been consistent when on the pitch.

The 29-year-old has won the majority of his ground and aerial duels (62%), been successful in 100% of his dribbles and has made an average of 1.5 tackles, 3.5 clearances and 0.7 interceptions per game, proving he can make an effective defensive impact in his team.

Yerry Mina was linked with a move away from Goodison Park in January with both Newcastle and Flamengo interested, so there is a chance that there will be further interest this summer which would make way for Vestergaard to step into his role next season.

However, Frank Lampard must first focus on securing top-flight football, with the Toffees having seven games to save their season – currently sitting just one point off the drop zone.

Indeed, transfers will be the least of the club’s worries in the immediate future and if Everton were to get relegated their business in the summer could look very different.

AND in other news: Frank can finally axe “out of control” EFC flop by signing “outstanding” £18k-p/w star

Writing on social media, reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has explained why Tottenham Hotspur didn’t sign Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat.

The Lowdown: Spurs reach ‘agreement’…

As per reports, it appeared at one stage that the Lilywhites were all but certain to sign the Morocco international.

Indeed, claims from Italy suggested that Spurs had reached an ‘agreement’ to sign Amrabat with manager Antonio Conte personally ‘waiting’ for his arrival in north London (Corriere Fiorentino via Sport Witness).

Romano also stated that the player himself was ‘waiting for Tottenham’ and ‘wanted’ to join (YouTube via The Boot Room), with the reporter now explaining why the transfer didn’t materialise.

The Latest: Romano explains ‘collapsed’ 11th hour move…

Taking to Twitter, he claimed a potential move to Spurs ‘collapsed’ in the 11th hour.

“Sofyan Amrabat will not be allowed to leave Fiorentina in the last hours of the window,” he stated on deadline day.

“Erick Pulgar leaves to join Galatasaray, done deal – so Fiorentina need Amrabat to stay.

“Tottenham potential move has collapsed.”

The Verdict: Big miss?

The 27-cap midfield dynamo, called a ‘bargain’ player by ex-Palermo sporting director Rino Foschi, won’t exactly be a big miss for Spurs despite that plaudit.

Tottenham instead landed a 2018 World Cup gem in Rodrigo Bentancur and one who can add real steal to Conte’s midfield, as evident by his impressive average of 2.8 tackles per 90 in the Champions League this season (WhoScored).

That’s the joint most of any Juve player and it’s safe to say that his signing will boost Spurs in their hunt for a top four place.

In other news: Tottenham held deadline day talks in last gasp Paratici swoop for 176-goal attacker, find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Nicolo Zaniolo to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), who claim that Fabio Paratici and Antonio Conte are planning to send a club official to watch the AS Roma midfielder in action against Leicester City on Thursday night – when Brendan Rodgers’ side face Jose Mourinho’s men in the Europa Conference League semi-final first leg at the King Power Stadium.

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Further reports claim that Newcastle United and Manchester United are also tracking the 22-year-old, with whom the Serie A side may be willing to part this summer – as long as they were to receive a figure of £40m for his services, while the Italy international himself is believed to be demanding a deal worth £95k-per-week in a move away from the Stadio Olimpico.

He’s perfect for Conteball

With Zaniolo being a versatile, creative and forward-thinking midfielder – the type of player which, at present, Tottenham’s midfield is desperately lacking – it is easy to see why Paratici and Conte would be interested in a move for the Roma prodigy this summer.

While it is true that the 22-year-old has suffered a number of injury setbacks in his short career – something which has seen his game time limited this season – it is undeniable that the former Inter Milan starlet is a player who boasts a significant amount of both ability and potential.

Indeed, this is talent the £29.7m-rated dynamo has demonstrated over his seven Conference League outings this term, scoring four goals, registering four assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.3 shots, making 1.6 key passes and completing 0.7 dribbles per game.

These returns have seen the £75k-per-week sensation who Stefano Vecchi dubbed a “part-Gerrard, part-Lampard” midfielder average a quite breathtaking SofaScore match rating of 7.31, not only ranking him as Roma’s second-best performer in the competition but also as the joint 15th-best player in the tournament as a whole.

The Italian has also impressed over his 25 Serie A outings this season, scoring two goals, providing two assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking 2.6 shots, making one key pass and completing 2.2 dribbles – the joint second-most in the league – per fixture.

Furthermore, despite suffering two ACL ruptures and still being just 22 years of age, Zaniolo – who is comfortable when deployed in central midfield, attacking midfield, on the right-wing or up top – has already racked up 105 appearances for the Giallorossi, scoring 21 goals and registering 14 assists along the way.

As such, it is clear for all to see that the player who Cristiano Masitto labelled “ingenious,” “devastating” and a “game-changer” is very much all three of these things, while it is also evident that a talent with Zaniolo’s skillset would be something of a perfect fit for Conteball.

This, then, leads us to believe that Paratici must do all he can to get a deal over the line for the 22-year-old this summer, as £40m could very quickly look to be something of a steal for a prospect as bright as the Roma starlet.

AND in other news: Source: Close friend of Conte now drops significant Spurs exit claim, it’s a big twist

Newcastle correspondent Lee Ryder has stated that the club have agreed a deal with young forward Dylan Stephenson.

The Lowdown: ‘Big news’

Labelled as ‘hard-working’ by academy manager Neil Winskill, the teenager has impressed playing for the club’s youth teams over recent years.

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The 19-year-old has scored 32 times in total for Newcastle’s under-18s and under-23s, with 11 of those coming in 2021/22.

Reports emerged in the week that the centre-forward was set to pen a new deal at St James’ Park, something that Liam Kennedy described as ‘big news’.

The Latest: Ryder’s claim on Stephenson

Ryder shared a Newcastle notebook on The Chronicle on Saturday morning, addressing multiple Magpies updates.

One of those focused on discussions over new deals, with the journalist admitting that a deal for Stephenson has been agreed. The youngster looks set for a loan deal away from the club next season, with Hartlepool a destination already mentioned.

The Verdict: Exciting

Stephenson is clearly an exciting young talent, so knowing that he is going to commit his future to Newcastle is good news.

While the club now have the option to splash the cash in the summer transfer window following a change of ownership, it is positive that they still want to keep hold of their best young assets.

Hopefully Stephenson will continue to score goals for fun next season, which could result in a first-team breakthrough at St James’ Park.

In other news, find out which three positions NUFC will now ‘target’ this summer

Everton will travel to St James’ Park for their first Premier League clash after the winter break and their first league game since Frank Lampard was appointed as the manager last month.

However, the ex-Chelsea boss has been given a double injury setback to his tenure already.

What’s the word?

Lampard took to his pre-match press conference to give an update on both Abdoulaye Doucoure and Ben Godfrey, both of whom have been regular starting players in the Everton side this season.

The Toffees manager told the press:

“Ben came back from his scan this morning and will be a 4-5 week injury, we hope without any issues.”

“Doucoure is still 3-4 weeks.”

In late January, Everton confirmed in a statement that Doucoure would be out for a minimum of four weeks, and almost two weeks on, if Lampard’s comments are accurate, the midfielder’s timeframe of being side-lined hasn’t reduced, whilst the loss of Godfrey over the next five weeks weakens the squad further.

Frank will be fuming

The game itself is critical for Everton’s season, and a win could be the start of a turning point for the side who currently sit just four points off the relegation zone, so Lampard will be hoping he can emulate the successful team performance he led his new side to in the FA Cup last weekend, with the side winning 4-1 comfortably against Brentford.

The ongoing injuries in the squad will leave the manager fuming, as he navigates through a challenging time for the Toffees in the league with many congested fixtures, including an important FA Cup game against Boreham Wood in that time.

Lampard would surely be wanting as much availability in his team so that he has the opportunity to really get to know the players, their strengths and who will fit into his philosophy moving forward at the club.

Thus, injuries to first-team players has come at a vulnerable time for the squad and will surely have an impact on the new manager’s selections and plans in the remaining months of the season.

Everton made five signings in the January transfer window so the new manager will be hoping that his new acquisitions can come in quickly to make an impact on the team ahead of his task of pulling the side back into safety this season.

In other news: Demarai Gray must keep his place in the team

Celtic have shown an interest in midfielder Joe White, The Daily Mail’s Craig Hope report.

The Lowdown: White profiled

The 19-year-old is primarily an attacking midfielder who can also play in a deeper central role.

White, currently on the books at Newcastle, has been labelled as ‘very clever’ by Dave Wilkes and has been training with Eddie Howe’s first-team squad this season.

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Already sponsored by Adidas, White has made the bench for the Magpies on several occasions but is set to be out of contract at the end of the season.

It now looks as if he will commit to the Tyneside club for the long-term but then depart on a temporary basis before Monday’s deadline.

The Latest: Hoops interest

The Daily Mail shared a story on Thursday afternoon, claiming White has agreed on terms with Newcastle over a new long-term contract.

Reliable journalist Hope added that Celtic were one of the sides to have shown an interest in the teenager, who could now leave St James Park on loan ‘in the coming days’.

The Verdict: Unlikely?

Journalist Pete O’Rourke thinks the Hoops could bring in another midfielder before the transfer window closes, and White is clearly a player of interest to the Hoops hierarchy.

However, a loan move may not appeal to Ange Postecoglou as he looks to build for the future and has already brought in Reo Hatate, Yosuke Ideguchi and Matt O’Riley as midfield additions this month.

If White snubbed a new contract with Newcastle, then perhaps a move to Glasgow could have been of interest ahead of the summer, but it wouldn’t surprise us if the attacking midfielder went elsewhere until the end of the campaign.

In other news: ‘Watch this space’ – Exit for Celtic player could go ‘right down to the wire’ – Sky Sports man.