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West Bromwich Albion have been dealt a devastating blow in the search for their next manager…

What’s the word?

According to Express & Star journalist Joesph Masi, front-runner David Wagner will not take the vacancy at The Hawthorns, with the German set to take charge of Swiss outfit BSC Young Boys instead.

It has been a dramatic 48 hours or so in the Midlands after the Baggies hierarchy interviewed several candidates, including the former Huddersfield boss, who steered the Terriers to the Premier League in 2017.

He emerged as their first-choice candidate but his switch to England has collapsed as the 49-year-old wants to remain close to his family in Germany.

Back to square one, again

Only a few days ago, reports emerged suggesting that Albion owner Guochuan Lai vetoed a move for former Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder despite the Yorkshireman being keen on the role. It’s thought that the rarely-seen chief was put off by his relationship with the board at Bramall Lane, where he publicly clashed with owner Prince Abdullah bin Musa’ad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

Now that Wagner is now also out of the running, it leaves West Brom back where they first started when Sam Allardyce announced that he would not continue in the dugout for next season. The German was by no means a popular candidate but this situation has left many supporters absolutely reeling.

In response to Masi’s initial tweet, there were plenty of the Baggies faithful expressing their discontent at how the club was being run. Even though this was a small sample size, it really does highlight the mood in the Midlands right now.

For example, one fan claimed it was a “new low” as “we can’t even get a manager that nobody wants”. Another added that it was “absolutely farcical”. with a further supporter describing the situation as a “mess”.

It’s the last thing Luke Dowling and co need heading into a new campaign, where they must see a reaction on the pitch to win back many of these supporters following relegation.

His plans in the transfer market will only be hampered further until the club sorts out who will take charge and, as those supporters claim, it’s an absolute mess right now.

Understandably, plenty of the Baggies faithful will be fuming.

AND in other news, Shock West Brom managerial rejection emerges, but it could be a blessing in disguise…

Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville lavished praise on West Ham United centre-back Craig Dawson during the 1-0 defeat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. 

The lowdown: Last man standing

With central defensive options Issa Diop, Kurt Zouma and long-term absentee Angelo Ogbonna all sidelined, Dawson was the only recognised choice in David Moyes’ much-changed side to face their London rivals.

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Making up a new-look back three alongside Aaron Cresswell and Ben Johnson, following a drab first half without action in what has previously been a pulsating London derby, the second 45 kicked into gear early on and the Hammers were called into defensive action.

However, the 31-year-old had proved to be more than a match for the attack on more than one occasion prior to being dismissed for hauling down Romelu Lukaku inside the area with just minutes remaining on the clock.

The Evening Standard rated his performance as ‘superb’ being undermined by the red card, with big name Sky pundit Neville joining in on the praise during West Ham’s encounter.

The latest: Neville impressed

Speaking as a co-commentator during Sky Sports’ live coverage, Neville was left in awe of the experienced Englishman’s actions at the 50-minute mark.

“Brilliant from Dawson. All the talk before the game was about Dawson being the only centre-back. He’s the only one they needed in the last minute or two. Two really good blocks.”

Ultimately it wasn’t Dawson’s error that cost the visitors a valuable point as Jorginho missed the resulting spot-kick before moments later Christian Pulisic netted beyond Lukasz Fabianski with West Ham without a recognised centre-back.

Overall the ex-Watford man completed seven clearances, seven blocked shots and won 1/1 (100%) of his aerial duels in a 7.30 rated display despite the red card (Sofascore).

The verdict: Outstanding before dismissal

Dawson has been nothing short of a revelation since arriving at the London Stadium and this was another flawless display from the experienced former England Under 21 international before being given his marching orders late on.

So far this season the Rochdale-born ace has made 44 appearances for Moyes’ side, scoring four times for the Irons as he proves to be equally adept in either penalty area and will be a huge miss whilst suspended.

Albeit the Hammers would’ve welcomed back any of Diop, Zouma and Ogbonna with open arms prior to this clash, Dawson has once again proven that he can be relied upon to marshall a backline successfully – even taking into account the dismissal.

In other news: Agreement reached: ExWHUemployee also has some promising player news for West Ham supporters! Find out more here.

West Ham are leading the race to sign Sam Johnstone this summer, according to emerging reports…

What’s the word?

That’s according to ESPN, who claim that the Irons are the front-runners to land the coveted West Brom goalkeeper due to manager David Moyes previously working with the 28-year-old at Manchester United.

The Red Devils are also said to be interested in bringing him back to the club. with David de Gea’s future in doubt, whilst Spurs are thought to be admirers, too.

Albion are said to value their no.1 shot-stopper at around £18m after an impressive season between the sticks for the Midlands strugglers.

An eye on the future?

It wouldn’t be the biggest surprise to see Moyes sign a new gloveman in the summer as by the time the new season swings around, first-choice goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski will be 36 and his backup, Darren Randolph, will be 34.

Despite his side possessing the worst defensive record in the Premier League, Johnstone has actually been a commanding presence in goal for the Baggies and without him, they’d probably be officially relegated already. At 6 foot 4, he has proven to be one of the division’s best shot-stoppers – hardly a surprise given they face so many attempts each game.

As per FBRef, the £32.5k-per-week Hawthorns star makes 4.27 saves per 90 minutes, the most in the Premier League. And his success-rate of 71.2% ranks slightly ahead of Moyes’ current no.1 (68.5%).

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Johnstone has earned high praise throughout the campaign, as a result of his fine performances.

“He’s one of the best [goalkeepers],” explained manager Sam Allardyce to talkSPORT. Whilst Glenn Hoddle told the Evening Standard: “I have seen him four times this year and he has been outstanding.”

He has kept some big names at bay with his imposing stature between the sticks, too – mooted Irons target Danny Ings couldn’t score past him despite two shots, and in that game, Johnstone rated as SofaScore’s top player and similarly, not even Edinson Cavani could find the net either, with the shot-stopper among Albion’s best-performers again.

Recently he was called up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad but did not feature on the pitch, though that is an encouraging sign for him ahead of this summer’s European Championships.

Also lauded as a “diamond” to work with by Steve Bruce, Johnstone would be an interesting candidate to push Fabianski and become Moyes’ next first-choice.

It’s a move that former Hammers man Frank McAvennie would like to see happen too. Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast this week, he said: “I think it would be really good business,” before adding: “It’s right up West Ham’s street.”

GSB, Moyes and the club should absolutely seal a swoop for Johnstone this summer. At £18m, it could prove to be a steal.

AND in other news, West Ham could find perfect Rice replacement in “exceptional” £30m-rated beast…

Wolves midfielder Bruno Jordao is expected to seal a loan move to Grasshopper Club Zurich on deadline day, according to a new report.

The Lowdown: Jordao struggling at Wolves

The 23-year-old joined Wanderers from Braga B back in 2019 but he is yet to make any kind of impression at the club.

Jordao has only made five appearances for Wolves to date, having been loaned out to Famalicao in 2020/21, and he played his first Wanderers game of this season in the FA Cup third round clash with Sheffield United earlier this month.

It now looks as though another loan move is on the cards for Jordao, with the deadline day clock ticking down.

The Latest: Loan move expected

According to The Daily Mail, the 5 foot 11 midfielder will join Grasshoppers on a temporary basis prior to the deadline on Monday.

Jordao’s current Wolves deal expires in the summer of 2024, but with each passing month, the more you wonder if he will see out his time at the club.

The Verdict: Possible summer exit?

The signing of Jordao has unquestionably been a failure, with the Portuguese ace never managing to settle and being badly hampered by injury problems, in fairness.

At 23, he can no longer be seen as a young prospect though and he needs to be playing regular football at a key point in his career, making his Grasshoppers move feel logical.

It could be that Lage has seen enough regarding Jordao, potentially selling him for good in the summer transfer window and hoping this temporary stint will do enough to put him in the shop window.

In other news, another late Wolves transfer claim has emerged. Read more here.

Journalist Liam Kennedy has told The Transfer Tavern that he expects Newcastle United to ramp up their interest in Leicester City’s Hamza Choudhury as they close in on a deal for Joe Willock.

Willock, who is set to join Newcastle from Arsenal for around £20m, and Choudhury are both midfielders manager Steve Bruce wants in his squad.

According to The Athletic, Choudhury is a player prominent in Bruce’s thoughts and was targeted by the Magpies back in January.

Ultimately, with the Willock saga coming to an end, Kennedy believes Newcastle will now turn their attention to another midfielder like Choudhury. The Shields Gazette reporter said to TT in a chat:

“When Newcastle United are freed of the burden of Joe Willock, then I think you’ll see the likes of Hamza Choudhury and others, with the meagre budget that they have but loan spots to play with as well, I think you’ll see Newcastle United ramp up their business in that department.

“Choudhury will be in that conversation, no doubt.”

Choudhury certainly does look like a realistic option for Newcastle as they look to add some more energy and tenacity to their midfield.

The 23-year-old was barely used by manager Brendan Rodgers in the Premier League last season, so a move to St. James’ Park, in search of more game time, may be something that interests him.

Aston Villa must go back in for Norwich City star Emi Buendia this summer amid a major transfer update from Sky Sports.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks and months have suggested that the Argentine is a target for Dean Smith’s side, with Buendia helping to fire the Canaries back into the Premier League for next season.

Sky Sports have now claimed that both Villa and top-flight rivals Arsenal are ready to renew their interest in the diminutive playmaker, with both clubs making enquiries about potentially signing him this summer.

The report added that Smith “has a long-standing interest in Buendia since first switching to Villa from Brentford”.

Imagine him and Grealish

The £20,000-a-week earner has enjoyed a tremendous season for the Canaries, scoring 15 goals and providing an incredible 17 assists in the Championship alone.

His teammate Max Aarons has raved about Buendia’s abilities, saying: “He’s not really a player who will get on the ball and take you on as a full-back. His game is more about getting into pockets, playing neat passes and creating things.

“When you’ve got someone, who wants to run at you, then it’s easier to lock them down whereas someone like him is quite intricate so it’s hard to get near him. He’s tenacious and very strong. He’s got a lot of attributes.”

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Dubbed as a “very special talent” by Norwich’s Ben Gibson, Buendia would bring the kind of creativity and goal threat from midfield which Villa probably thought they were getting from Ross Barkley when they signed him on loan from Chelsea last year.

Partnering him alongside Jack Grealish would give Villa a legitimate twin threat which could provide constant ammunition for Ollie Watkins to convert into goals. The club captain has 12 assists to his name this season, while the ex-Brentford striker has 16 goals, illustrating how fruitful they can be in tandem with one another.

Adding Buendia’s creativity into the mix is truly a mouth-watering prospect.

Meanwhile, Villa are eyeing a summer move for this Scottish star…

Queens Park Rangers have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring Stefan Johansen to the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Lancashire Telegraph, who claim that Blackburn Rovers are extremely interested in a deal for the Fulham central midfielder in the summer transfer window, with Tony Mowbray believed to want something of an overhaul in the position at the club ahead of next season.

It is reported that Rovers wanted Johansen prior to his loan move to QPR back in the January transfer window, although their interest in the 30-year-old is significantly greater this summer.

Mark Warburton and his side are thought to have been working tirelessly on a deal to bring the Norway international back to the club on a permanent basis in the past few weeks, however, Scott Parker’s departure from Fulham, in addition to Blackburn’s interest, is reported to have slowed QPR’s progress over the transfer.

Fans will be gutted

Considering how impressive Johansen was for QPR last season, should Mark Warburton’s side miss out on a deal for the midfielder this summer, either due to Fulham’s new manager wanting to keep hold of him or because of Blackburn’s reported interest, fans of the Rs will undoubtedly be gutted.

Indeed, over his 21 Championship appearances for QPR last term, the £1.8m-rated man scored four goals, registered two assists and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 0.8 interceptions, 1.1 tackles and 1.6 key passes per game.

These returns saw midfielder Ronny Deila dubbed an “unbelievable” player earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.00, ranking him as QPR’s sixth-best performer in the second tier of English football.

As such, with Warburton hoping to build a side in the summer transfer window that is capable of going on to mount a promotion push next season, the addition of the £8k-per-week Johansen certainly would have boosted the Rs’ chances of going on to achieve this feat.

However, with so much uncertainty surrounding the deal at present, whether or not the Norwegian will be making a return to the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium this summer is very much up in the air.

In other news: Warburton may have just made grave QPR transfer error over “hungry” £1.8m-rated dynamo

In terms of incoming transfers, Liverpool were not very busy during the previous summer window, only managing to bring in defender Ibrahima Konate, with a number of players leaving the club.

However, even before the upcoming January transfer market, it seems as though the Reds are already eyeing up potential deals they could make in the next summer window.

What’s the news? 

According to Spanish media outlet RAC1 (via Liverpool Echo) the Merseyside club are interested in signing Inter Milan midfielder Marcelo Brozovic.

That’s if he fails to renew his current contract at the Italian club by the time it expires next summer when the Reds could sign him on a free transfer.

Extra quality

Inter originally signed Brozovic on a loan deal from Dinamo Zagreb back in the 2015 January transfer window before securing him on a permanent basis in the 2016 summer window.

Overall, the 28-year-old, who is currently valued at £36m according to Transfermarkt, has made a total of 252 appearances for the reigning Serie A champions, scoring 25 goals and providing 34 assists along the way. With that in mind, it’s hardly surprising that he was described as a player of “incredible quality” by Roberto Mancini.

So far this season, Brozovic has played in all of Inter’s eight league games in which he has managed to rack up an average of 1.8 tackles per game, 1.1 clearances per game, an impressive passing accuracy percentage of 92% as well as one key pass per game, showing how well-rounded the player is in defence and attack.

In terms of a potential move to Liverpool, we feel that if the Merseyside club were able to sign him on a free transfer next summer, this could be a great bit of business. It would nearly mirror their move for Thiago Alcantara back in the 2020 summer transfer window as an experienced and technical midfielder in his peak years moved to Anfield.

Speaking of Thiago, we feel that the idea of him and Brozovic linking up for Jurgen Klopp’s side could be something that would excite a lot of Liverpool fans and give the team a different dynamic to the likes of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson who may not be as attack-minded as the aforementioned stars in terms of creativity and their technical ability.

Specifically, Brozovic has a higher creativity rating (76) than both Fabinho (51) and Henderson (68) according to SofaScore, with Thiago’s standing at 74, much closer to Brozovic’s.

Moving forward, we feel that Brozovic’s situation at Inter is something Liverpool should be monitoring to see if they could eventually identify an opportunity for them to sign the player on a free transfer in the summer.

In other news: Liverpool dealt big injury blow ahead of Atletico clash, Klopp will be gutted – opinion

Joining Sunderland would attract Rotherham United midfielder Matt Crooks, according to Steve Howey.

The Millers midfielder offers a lot of versatility as he is comfortable playing both a defensive midfield role, as well as further forward. Last season he found the back of the net on seven occasions, as well as laying on three assists for his teammates.

Crooks is hot property this summer with a number of clubs interested in his signature. According to the Rotherham Advertiser, Rotherham want a seven-figure sum for their prized asset and despite a lot of interest in the player, Howey reckons Sunderland would be an attractive proposition for the 27-year-old.

“If there’s one thing that Sunderland have got going for them, fair enough, they might be paying fortunes, but they’ve got a magnificent stadium, fantastic fans and to play at the Stadium of Light in a packed house, which could be what it’s going to be, you know, that for me would certainly be a turn on, if you want to look at that”.

Facing another season in League One, Sunderland will be looking to get their recruitment spot-on this summer to help mount a serious promotion push, with Howey reckoning that if the Black Cats could get a couple of quality players through the door, it could be the start of something special.

“You know for a fact, you could be at the start of something which could be an amazing journey for someone to progress on if you just get a couple of quality players in”.

In perhaps one of the stranger moves of transfer deadline day, Sheffield Wednesday secured the signing of Saido Berahino, with the 28-year-old linking up with Darren Moore’s side on a 12-month deal.

Following largely unsuccessful spells at Stoke City, SV Zulte Waregem and RSC Charleroi, English football fans would perhaps have been forgiven for forgetting that the centre-forward existed, however, the Burundi international’s move to Hillsborough could well be the transfer which finally gets his career back on track.

Moore could be Berahino’s key

The Sheffield Wednesday manager and Berahino have actually worked together before, with the 47-year-old having been the West Bromwich Albion club captain when the striker joined the club’s academy as an 11-year-old.

Berahino himself also revealed that Moore played a key role in his development as a player while part of the Baggies youth setup, something which could explain why the Owls boss decided to take a chance on the 28-year-old this summer, as he is more aware than most of the raw ability the forward possesses.

While his talent may have not been on display all that much in recent seasons, it is undeniable that an on-form Berahino is a centre-forward who knows how to find the back of the net, something the £1.35m-rated man demonstrated while playing for West Brom.

Indeed, over his 32 Premier League appearances back in 2013/14, the young striker bagged five goals and registered two assists, as well as scoring a further four goals over two EFL Cup fixtures.

However, it was the following season in which Berahino really burst onto the scene, scoring a rather astonishing 14 goals and providing one assist over his 38 Premier League appearances in 2014/15, in addition to five goals and five assists over four FA Cup matches and one goal in three EFL Cup games – taking his total to 20 goals and six assists for the season.

As such, while it will not be an easy task, if Moore can be the manager to finally help the player Liam Ridgewell once dubbed a “huge” talent refind this form – something which, considering their history, Moore is better placed than anyone else to achieve – the 28-year-old could well prove to be one of the signings of the season, as a fit and firing Berahino easily has the ability to catapult Wednesday to promotion.

In other news: “Very, very good”: Carlton Palmer makes claim on key Sheff Wed ace, it’ll excite fans