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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 The famous shield remains but the letters ‘LUFC’ have been replaced by ‘Leeds United’ and ‘100 years’, written on golden banners above and below the crest respectively.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…

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.

With Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side heading into Wednesday evening’s Scottish Premiership fixture with something of a decimated squad, the 56-year-old manager will undoubtedly be contemplating a number of different options for his starting XI against Ross County.

Indeed, all of Kyogo Furuhashi, Albian Ajeti, Jota, James Forrest, Mikey Johnston, Giorgos Giakoumakis and Christopher Jullien are unavailable for selection this evening due to injury, leaving Postecoglou extremely short of attacking options for the Premiership clash.

As such, it would appear highly advisable for the Bhoys boss to turn to one of the club’s more exciting up and coming talents against the Staggies – in the shape of 19-year-old Adam Montgomery.

Postecoglou must unleash Montgomery

While it is true that Montgomery is typically a left-back, the Greek-Australian manager has previously entrusted the teenager to do a job on the left-hand side of his front three, playing him in the role in the club’s impressive 3-2 win over Real Betis in the Europa League earlier this month.

Indeed, over his 65 minutes on the pitch that night, the Scotland U21 international enjoyed 49 touches of the ball, completed 20 passes, won five duels, made two tackles and drew two fouls for his side, with Football Scotland awarding the youngster a six in their player ratings, as well as stating that he “worked tirelessly” on the left flank.

As such, with Forrest once again looking to be out of action on Wednesday evening, as well as Postecoglou being left with very few options on the left of his front three, the 56-year-old simply must unleash the player who Kieran Tierney dubbed a “good talent” against Ross County.

The £135k-rated man would very much appear to be the best choice for the role considering Celtic’s rather unfortunate circumstances.

In other news: Ange must now unleash “first-class” 19 y/o Celtic prodigy who’s “got a finish on him”

Niko Kovac has emerged as a potential candidate for the vacant manager’s role at Everton.

The Telegraph’s Jason Burt says that the 50-year-old’s name is ‘being pushed’ as the Toffees assess their options, and the Croatian is apparently keen to have a crack at the Premier League.

Everton sacked Rafael Benitez in the wake of Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Norwich City. It is their second managerial search in the space of eight months after Carlo Ancelotti left in June.

An overview of Kovac

Kovac has managed three clubs – Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayern Munich and AS Monaco. The Croatian succeeded Jupp Heynckes at Bayern after taking Eintracht from relegation territory to the top half.

However, he was sacked by the Bavarian giants in November 2019, 16 months after taking charge, following a 5-1 defeat at the hands of his former club. He had managed to win a league-and-cup double in his first season at the helm in Munich (via BBC Sport).

Kovac’s next stop, in the summer of 2020, was Monaco, but he was dismissed earlier this month with the team sixth in Ligue 1.

Fan feed The Toffee Blues relayed Burt’s claim, and here’s what these Everton supporters made of it, with many in favour of seeing Kovac getting the Goodison Park gig.

These Everton fans call for Kovac

“Get it done lads”

Credit: @ericowens27

“This is more like it…. So probably won’t happen”

Credit: @thatphillad

“I’ve decided Kovac is my #1 choice”

Credit: @efc18789

“I can get behind this”

Credit: @AmateurGus

“Him or Favre & I’ll be happy”

Credit: @MattyHughes10

“Get him”

Credit: @kmcgrath28

In other news, many Everton fans reacted with disbelief to this club announcement

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.

Leeds United quartet Diego Llorente, Junior Firpo, Dan James and Jack Harrison are all available for the Premier League clash with Burnley this weekend.

The Lowdown: Injury-plagued season

Having finished ninth in their first campaign back in the top flight in 2020/21, the Whites have experienced a much tougher time of things this season. They currently sit perilously close to the relegation zone, with a mix of poor performances and countless injuries impeding Marcelo Bielsa’s side.

However, with Sunday’s visit of Burnley looming, it looks as though their fitness woes may finally be subsiding.

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The Latest: Hay delivers much-needed injury boost

Taking to Twitter on Friday, journalist Phil Hay confirmed that Llorente, Firpo, James and Harrison were all in contention to play this weekend after recovering from injury.

He tweeted this encouraging 11-word update: “Firpo, James, Llorente, Harrison are all fit and available for Sunday.”

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The Verdict: Turning point in the campaign?

While Bielsa and his players deserve some criticism for their league position, there is no doubt that injuries have been a core aspect of their struggles this season. It is so difficult to find a rhythm when so many important figures are sidelined so often (Kalvin Phillips and Patrick Bamford spring to mind).

This latest update is a further sign that influential players are returning, giving the manager more options and keeping his squad healthy, allowing for greater rotation.

The hope is that the Burnley game will signal the start of an upturn in fortunes, enabling Leeds to pull away from the relegation battle and push towards mid-table once again.

In other news, Hay has also made a key claim regarding one Leeds star. Find out who it is here.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been dealt an injury blow ahead of their upcoming Premier League fixture.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Tim Spiers, with the journalist revealing in a post on The Athletic that Daniel Podence will be unavailable for selection for the visit of Burnley as he has fallen ill.

Spiers went on to state that Ruben Neves will also miss Wednesday evening’s fixture as the central midfielder is suspended for one game after picking up five yellow cards.

Concerning the current state of the Wolves squad, the journalist said: “Daniel Podence will miss Wednesday’s game against Burnley. He’ll still be isolating after last week’s positive test. Ruben Neves also misses the game through suspension.”

Lage will be fuming

Considering how impressive Podence was over his 76 minutes on the pitch against West Ham United last time out, the news that the winger will be sidelined for the Burnley clash is sure to have left Bruno Lage fuming.

Indeed, the rampant attacker has registered more goals (2) than his positional rivals, Adama Traore and Trincao, proving how much of a miss he’ll be in the final third.

Furthermore, in the 1-0 win against the Hammers, the £22.5m-rated man set up Raul Jimenez for Wolves’ winner, made three key passes, had two shots on target, completed one dribble and made one tackle, with these returns seeing the Portugal international receive a SofaScore match rating of 7.0.

However, following Spiers’ latest update, Lage will have to make do without the services of the £60k-per-week forward for the visit of Burnley, something that – coupled with Neves’ unavailability – will undoubtedly come as a major blow to the 45-year-old’s chances of picking up all three points from the clash.

In other news: Spiers drops behind the scenes Wolves update ahead of Burnley, fans will be buzzing

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. 

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. 

Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa could extend his stay at Elland Road beyond next summer, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Bielsa’s tough spell

The Argentine is an iconic modern-day figure at Leeds, guiding his team back into the Premier League and playing exciting football along the way.

It is a tough period for Bielsa at the moment, though, with 7-0 and 4-1 defeats suffered against Manchester City and Arsenal respectively over the past week.

The Whites manager’s current deal expires at the end of the season and there is currently no sign of him signing a new contract.

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The Latest: Journalist makes big claim

Despite that uncertainty, O’Rourke believes that Bielsa could stay at Elland Road, as he told GIVEMESPORT that being given funds for new signings will increase the chances of the Argentine staying put.

The journalist said: “Yeah, I think it’s something that maybe could tempt Bielsa to extend his stay in Yorkshire, he would love the opportunity to spend more money in the transfer market.”

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The Verdict: Encouraging news

Bielsa may be experiencing a hard time currently but he remains the man to take Leeds forward, so this is an encouraging update. The success he has achieved speaks for itself and he has been hailed as a ‘genius’ by Mauricio Pochettino.

The 66-year-old is having to tackle an injury crisis and a poor run of results at the moment but there is no need for an overreaction in terms of calling for him to leave next summer.

Leeds did superbly to acquire Bielsa’s signature in the first place and they should look to keep hold of him until he decides to call it a day – once key players return and January signings potentially come in, there should then be an upturn in fortunes for him and his team.

In other news, an encouraging Leeds transfer rumour has emerged as January approaches. Read more here.