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David Norris was impressed with Harvey White during his loan spell with Portsmouth last season and has urged the club to re-sign him this summer.

The teenager made the loan switch from Tottenham for the remainder of the campaign in January as Pompey looked to get their promotion bid back on track.

And whilst their hopes of making the top-six bid proved a failed one, White made a big impact in what was his first taste of regular senior football.

White had made just two first-team appearances at Spurs prior to his Fratton Park move, but quickly became a regular under Paul Lambert and then Danny Cowley as Portsmouth finished eighth, two points off the play-offs.

The 19-year-old ended up appearing in all but five of Pompey’s final 26 League One matches, and even scored his first professional goal in the victory at Oxford.

Norris was asked whether the former side should bring the midfielder back next season, and he exclusively told The Transfer Tavern:

“I think they should. I heard he did very well. It was his first loan, which can always be a little bit of a worry, players find their feet coming away from clubs to lower leagues might need a loan move or two to settle down.

“But from what I heard and what he’s done, he did very well. He didn’t look out of place, looked hungry and can pass the ball as well.”

Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa has taken the first step to signing Hertha BSC star Matheus Cunha this summer as a fresh transfer update emerges.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days have suggested that the Brazilian is a player who the Whites are interested in bringing to the Premier League this summer, and it appears there has now been movement in that pursuit.

According to German publication Bild (via Sport Witness), Bielsa’s side have already expressed their interest in signing the forward, and that a move could be on the cards after the 22-year-old received approval from Hertha to leave.

Imagine him and Bamford

The £27m-rated Brazilian has shades of Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino about him, with that impressive knack of getting his teammates involved, and it’s something which has been highlighted by the Bundesliga’s official website.

“Much like the former Bundesliga star, Cunha honed his skills on the streets of Brazil, giving him a one-up on defenders. He can beat them with his speed, skill or intelligence to drift from his marker, having practiced in every position across the front line.

“And much like Firmino, Cunha – even when leading the line – can be found dropping into midfield to pick up possession and link up play with teammates. It’s part of the reason why he’s such a hard attacker to defend against because more often than not, he’s not where you expect him to be.”

And that ability to drop off in between the lines, is what makes his potential partnership with Patrick Bamford a truly exciting one.

Dubbed as “something special” by former Hertha head coach Bruno Labbadia, the £55k-a-week earning Cunha averages an impressive 1.8 key passes and three dribbles per game, and clearly has that creative quality that Bamford could thrive off – to put those stats into context, only Raphinha averaged more key passes than Cunha in the entire Leeds squad, while no-one, not even the Brazilian, could manage his dribbles per match.

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Just like Raphinha however, Cunha is direct and pacy, and that’s exactly what Bielsa wants from his side given the intense pressing game that they play and how they are so deadly in transitions and counter-attacks.

Cunha’s partnership with Bamford could be a tantalising one, and the Hertha star also seems to have the kind of attributes that make him tailor-made for Bielsa.

Meanwhile, Leeds have been handed a major boost…

PSG are reportedly keen on making Moise Kean’s loan stay permanent this summer, which would be a huge mistake by Everton sporting director Marcel Brands.

According to Fabrizio Romano, PSG are negotiating with Everton to sign Kean on a permanent deal after his successful loan spell and Everton are open to selling him this summer.

The 21-year-old joined the Toffees from Juventus in the summer of 2019 in a deal worth £25.1m and looked to be an exciting signing, considering he had hit eight goals in just 21 appearances for the Italian giants.

However, he struggled to impress in his first season at Goodison Park, managing just four goals and two assists in 37 appearances, although the vast majority of his appearances would come from the bench.

He was subsequently sent on loan to PSG for the 2020/21 campaign, where he has been a key figure in Mauricio Pochettino’s side this season, contributing 17 goals in 41 appearances in all competitions.

Only Kylian Mbappe has scored more goals for Les Parisiens this season, which emphasises just how dangerous he can be when given regular opportunities in the first team.

Kean was only 19 when he joined Everton and had very little time to adapt to Premier League football, especially with last season being so stop-start due to the season’s suspension.

Therefore, he deserves a real chance to show what he can do in this Everton side, and it would be a mistake to let him go so early in his career, especially when he has shown what he can do with a top side PSG. Everton fans would rightly be fuming if the club sold such a star asset to another club without giving him a second chance to prove himself after his excellent season in Paris.

Former PSG star Pauleta was full of praise for Kean earlier this year, saying:

“He’s a very talented player, a very physical young player.”

Everton managed just 47 goals in the Premier League this season, with 16 of those scored by Dominic Calvert-Lewin, so you could definitely argue that they could do with another goalscoring striker in their side next season and Kean could be the ideal man to step up.

Therefore, Brands shouldn’t allow him to leave this summer, as it could prove to be a huge mistake in the future.

And, in other news… Ancelotti should end 11-year Everton association and axe £25k-p/w flop this summer

Ezgjan Alioski’s potential move to Galatasaray this summer isn’t yet guaranteed, with the Turkish giants also interested in Patrick van Aanholt.

The Lowdown: Alioski expected to leave

Alioski is widely expected to leave Leeds United at the end of the season, having made 168 appearances for the Whites and being a key man for a number of years. He has scored 22 times and registered 18 assists for the club.

Galatasaray have emerged as the strong favourites to acquire the 29-year-old’s signature, with some reports claiming a deal has already been agreed.

There could be a potential twist in the saga, however, following the emergence of a fresh report on the Turkish outfit.

The Latest: Van Aanholt also a target

According to Sporx [via Sport Witness], Galatasaray also see Crystal Palace left-back Van Aanholt as a possible option, with the Dutchman ironically linked with Leeds in the past, too.

The Turkish giants are set to decide between him and Alioski in the coming weeks.

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The Verdict: Replacement still required

Whatever the eventual outcome, it appears highly unlikely that Alioski will end up staying put at Elland Road, so a replacement will be needed.

Leeds could do with bringing in a similarly experienced figure – someone who is actually a natural left-back, such as Nicolas Tagliafico, who has got three assists and averaged two tackles per game for Ajax in the Eredivisie this season.

Alioski did admirably in an auxiliary role, but signing someone who knows the position inside out could help make the Whites an even more balanced outfit.

In other news, Leeds are believed to be interested in signing a Premier League attacker this summer. Find out who it is here.

Ex-Leeds United hero Noel Whelan has tipped Rodrigo to shine in a No.10 role next season, dropping deeper but still scoring plenty of goals.

The Lowdown: Signs of life from record signing Rodrigo

The Spaniard arrived for £27million from Valencia last summer, making him the most expensive signing in the club’s history.

Rodrigo has endured a difficult first season at Elland Road, partly due to injuries, but he finished the campaign well, scoring four times in as many games at the end.

The Latest: Whelan talks up role change

Although Rodrigo has often been used as a No.9 by Marcelo Bielsa, someone who believes who could thrive more in a deeper role is Whelan.

Speaking to Football Insider, the former Leeds striker tipped him to be hugely effective in that position, putting his all-round game to good use:

“There are a lot of different aspects to his game. We saw that against Southampton with that pass over the top to Bamford. That was very much a number 10 type of pass.

“That’s the kind of brilliance you expect to see from your number 10. But then you see the goals he scored at Burnley, a natural finish after a great first touch.

“Then again yesterday, he was in the right place at the right time. He had that hunger and instinct to get in the box and on the end of a cross.

“There is a possibility that he could play a number nine role, yeah. But I think with [Pablo] Hernandez going, that number 10 role is his.

“He could still get into double figures from that position, easy. Even when he has an interview he says he’s a number 10 rather than a number nine.

“He’s very good at finding pockets of space and linking up play. He does have that forward-thinking attitude and instinct where he wants to get into the box. But he’s got too much intelligence just to be a number nine.”

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The Verdict: Big things next season?

There is no denying that Rodrigo’s first year at Leeds has been disappointing, but these last few weeks have shown the quality he possesses.

Using him as a No.10 could be a shrewd move by Bielsa, allowing him to dovetail with Patrick Bamford and wreak havoc with both his creativity and eye for goal, having averaged 1.2 key passes per game in the Premier League.

It is hard to envisage anyone ousting Bamford as the main striker for the time being, so this change in role could also guarantee Rodrigo more regular playing time.

In other news, one Leeds player has been named in a pundit’s Team of the Season. Find out who it is here.

Sheffield Wednesday will be without Darren Moore in the dugout once again this weekend after developing further health complications following his recovery from a positive COVID-19 test.

The Owls manager missed three matches before returning on Tuesday night for their 2-0 defeat to Swansea City and he will now miss this afternoon’s crunch match against Bristol City.

Although he won’t be at the game, he will undoubtedly be making the decisions from home and feeding information to his assistant Jamie Smith. There’s one call he must make ahead of kick-off, though…

On the Chalkboard

Moore tinkered his defence after their collapse against QPR last weekend, moving Sam Hutchinson into the backline at the expense of Osaze Urhoghide, and that opened up a space in midfield for Liam Shaw.

The 20-year-old will soon depart Hillsborough for Scottish giants Celtic, so it seems a little strange to turn to him when the likes of Izzy Brown, Callum Paterson and Andre Green are on the bench.

In the end, it was a decision which failed to pay dividends as Shaw’s first start in seven games lasted just 64 minutes. He was rated amongst the Owls’ worst performers with a grade of 6.6 by SofaScore and the Owls academy graduate certainly struggled to combat the threat on offer from Swansea, who sought to dominate possession through the middle.

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From 39 touches, nearly one every other minute, Shaw lost the ball 11 times. He was also dribbled past on one occasion and he failed to contribute a single tackle, interception or key pass, via SofaScore.

The midfield gem has previously been described as “very, very promising” by Tony Pulis, with Garry Monk also praising his potential. “He has got the capability of playing everywhere,” explained the former Owls boss.

This does make him an intriguing option to have at Wednesday’s disposal and one that the club will undoubtedly rue losing this summer, but there are also some doubts over using him. Considering that Shaw has already packed his bags, there seems very little point in gifting him game-time in these remaining five matches – Moore won’t have him next season, so why let him contribute?

Owls legend Carlton Palmer recently told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that he “might as well go” now.

“It’s a problem, I’ve always said that. I said when you sign a pre-contract for a club, you might as well go at that point,” said the 55-year-old. “You’ve got a big-money move coming up, you’re not going to want to get yourself injured, you’re not going to put yourself on the line – Darren Moore needs everybody who’s committed to the club.”

Moore and Smith must therefore axe Shaw from their starting XI this afternoon.

AND in other news, Imagine him and Iorfa: Sheffield Wednesday eye League One gem…

Leeds have been handed a transfer update in their chase for Nottingham Forest starlet Brennan Johnson.

What’s the story?

Reports from The Athletic back in January claimed that Johnson is attracting interest from the Premier League, with Burnley and Brentford keen, and Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds also having said to have watched him this campaign.

Now, The Athletic have delivered an update on the 19-year-old’s future, revealing: “With two years left on his contract, Forest do have some security. The club are understood to value Johnson at around £10m, which is a sign of the potential they believe he has.”

Leeds’ own Dele Alli

Johnson’s former boss at Forest, Sabri Lamouchi, hailed him not just as an “unbelievable player” but one with the “right mentality” too, and that will surely be music to the ears of Leeds and Bielsa.

The teenager has enjoyed an impressive campaign on loan at Lincoln City in League One, scoring ten goals and providing a further twelve assists in the league.

With that canny knack of finding himself in the right place at the right time, there’s a lot to like about Johnson’s game, and there are some very promising similarities between him and how Dele Alli emerged onto the scene.

His boss at Lincoln, Michael Appleton has raved about the fearlessness of the versatile attacker, something very much akin to Alli when he was at MK Dons – the England international predominantly played in central midfield, but could also play out wide and as a number ten too.

He said: “Brennan has been great. He has a lot of pace and gives us directness when we look to counter. He has played in numerous positions for us. He has played as a nine, as a ten, as a central midfielder. He has never moaned and just gets on with it.”

In fact a tweet shared by his dad, David, pointed out the kind of comparison between Johnson and Alli.

While Johnson is more comfortable playing out wide than Alli is or was, it’s that ability to break into the box and time his runs to either get on the end of things, or set others up that really stands out.

Just like Johnson, Alli was also prolific with both his goals and assists in his real stand-out campaign with the Dons during the 2014/2015 season, scoring 16 times and setting up nine others.

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Given that Spurs themselves signed the midfielder for just £5m at the time back in the summer of 2015, and now Johnson is available for £10m, Leeds could very well sign their own Alli – both in terms of price, and more importantly, the value and impact he brings on the pitch.

Meanwhile, Leeds could make an exciting swoop for this Bundesliga star…

Manchester United have made a move for Crystal Palace recruitment specialist Jamahl Jarrett.

The Daily Mail shared the news on Friday, which led to numerous Eagles fans sharing their thoughts on the off-field development on social media.

According to the report, the Red Devils are set to bring in Jarrett, currently assistant head of academy recruitment at Selhurst Park, to be their lead southern scout.

Jarrett has been with Palace for 10 years, six of which have been in a full-time position.

But it now seems as if he will end his association at Selhurst Pak by making a move to the Old Trafford outfit.

The 32-year-old is highly thought of and was the co-founder of South London club Lambeth Tigers in 2010, where he has since helped more than 250 youngsters go on to join high-level youth set-ups around the country.

Palace fans react

@cpfc_xtra shared the Daily Mail’s report on Twitter on Friday. This is what some Palace supporters had to say in reply to the proposed move, with one describing it as ‘hilarious’.

“Bit late for April Fools….”

Credit: @_YTCP_

“I’m not surprised he wants to leave, Roy hasn’t used any of the youngsters regularly (AWB excepted and injuries forced that on him). Our promising lads just move on as soon as they can.”

Credit: @Cpfc1905Dh

“We have a recruitment specialist?!!!! Hilarious.”

Credit: @audreysprayer

“Didn’t even know we had a recruitment specialist”

Credit: @CPFC_GH

“So basically he’s gonna be getting all the best players from South London and taking them to United?”

Credit: @joelcpfc_

“why would players move across the country at such a young age for a worse academy?”

Credit: @ElGaeito

In other news: Many CPFC fans buzz at club’s summer plans, find out more here. 

Ex-Celtic player Frank McAvennie has blamed Peter Lawwell for the hold up in hiring Eddie Howe.

Howe has already agreed a deal in principle with Celtic and he has already held a face-to-face meeting with Dermot Desmond, but he has made certain demands to the club before he takes over. There has been a hold up in the appointment and McAvennie has blamed Lawwell’s presence for it.

Lawwell could be Celtic’s ‘stumbling block’

McAvennie was recently talking to Football Insider and he talked about Howe and why the Hoops are yet to appoint the Englishman.

He said: “If Eddie Howe said he’d take the job but they wait until the end of the season to announce it, fine, he’ll be doing the talking now.

“Eddie, he’ll be like Brendan Rodgers and Martin O’Neill, he’ll want to run the club from top to bottom.

“That might be a stumbling block, especially with Peter Lawwell there at the moment because he likes to be hands-on.  It might get easier to negotiate a deal once he’s gone. It depends if a manager can accept that. I don’t think a good manager will work like that. I don’t think it’s right.”

Dominic McKay’s early arrival can help Celtic

While Lawwell is retiring at the end of the current campaign and Celtic are undergoing a transition, next CEO Dominic McKay is about to arrive at Parkhead well before his scheduled arrival.

This should be considered a good sign for Celtic and might be an indication of the fact that they are trying to act early. And if Lawwell’s presence is indeed hindering Howe’s arrival, McKay’s early move will certainly smoothen things out quicker.

In other news, ‘I am a wee bit of a Celtic man’ – Key man gushes over ‘fantastic’ talent due for Hoops return

Southampton’s slump continued on Sunday as they were beaten 2-1 by Brighton at St Mary’s, in another game that highlighted Ralph Hasenhuttl’s need for a Plan B with the Saints.

The Austrian rested key players in the midweek defeat against Manchester City at the Etihad and whilst his side played some decent football, they were beaten 5-2, and the hosts could and should have scored more.

He clearly recognised the importance of the game against the Seagulls on Sunday and was able to welcome back key players such as Kyle Walker-Peters, Ibrahima Diallo and Takumi Minamino against Graham Potter’s side.

However, his side were outplayed by a team who have struggled to score goals all season and the defeat now drags Southampton back into the relegation mix-up as we approach the denouement of the season.

It had seemed as if the 2-0 win against Sheffield United recently would not only ease relegation fears but also give Southampton a platform to seriously improve their form, but they have now lost 10 of their last 12 fixtures in the Premier League.

The Austrian has stuck with his 4-2-2-2 or 4-4-2 approach for the majority of the season, with his wingers playing more like ‘wide 10s’, but, perhaps with the exception of Stuart Armstrong, none of the players he has selected in his position regularly this season have been able to contribute effectively in the attacking third.

Moussa Djenepo has one goal and no assists, Nathan Redmond has one goal and one assist, whilst Theo Walcott had two goals and two assists before his injury.

This highlights that the players in this position are not contributing nearly enough, which puts the pressure on the likes of Che Adams and Danny Ings to score the goals, and with the 28-year-old currently sidelined, Hasenhuttl is nearly completely reliant on Adams for goals in his side.

Whilst the 24-year-old has scored three in his last three, he is very inconsistent in front of goal, whilst James Ward-Prowse adds the obvious threat from set-pieces.

Southampton have been in the Premier League for nine seasons now but Hasenhuttl has to try something different, whether that be with the tactics, formation or personnel, otherwise it is difficult to see where the wins are going to come from at the moment.

Even at Man City, where they played four centre-backs, he stuck with the 4-2-2-2 formation, with Mohammed Salisu at left-back and Jack Stephens in midfield, which is a worrying microcosm of the Austrian being seemingly unwilling to try something different this season.

Too often we have seen the Saints start games well and drop off in the second half when opposition managers figure out how to get the better of Southampton, and it is for that exact reason that Hasenhuttl needs to develop a Plan B, or he could potentially see his side dropping back into the Championship.

And, in other news… Semmens must avoid VVD repeat with £13.5m-rated “role model” who Hasenhuttl loves