Sheffield Wednesday "cannot afford to sell" star who could leave them "exposed" | OneFootball

FLW's Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit believes defender Di'Shon Bernard is the one player the club cannot afford to lose in January.

This article is part of Football League World’s 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

It is fair to say that Sheffield Wednesday have had a mixed record in the transfer market over the years, but the signing of defender Di'Shon Bernard has been a huge success.

Bernard arrived at Hillsborough on a free transfer last summer following his release by Manchester United, and he played a crucial role in Wednesday's remarkable Championship survival last season.

There were fears among Owls supporters about Bernard's future in the summer as he came to the end of his contract, but after a lengthy wait for an agreement to be reached, he finally put pen to paper on a new deal in July.

Bernard has remained an integral part of the Wednesday defence this season, and he has helped them to climb the table, but it has not all been positive for the 24-year-old, who has received two red cards in the first half of the campaign.

However, Owls manager Danny Rohl defended Bernard after his second dismissal of the season in the 2-0 home win over Stoke City on Saturday, and he predicted that the defender would go on to play in the Premier League one day.

"Yes, it is two yellow cards. A red card here is two games which is hard especially with the speed of the games now (busyness of the schedule). But Dish will learn from this," Rohl told The Star.

"When we speak about development and improvement, this is exactly what he must and will improve upon. I am sure it will take him to the next level, he has everything he needs for the next league."

Sheffield Wednesday told not to sell Di'Shon Bernard in January

When asked which player the club cannot afford to sell in January, FLW'sSheffield Wednesday fan pundit Patrick McKenna said that Bernard would be the hardest player for the Owls to replace, and he urged owner Dejphon Chansiri to reject any bids for the defender.

"In regard to a player that would fall into the invaluable status that we cannot afford to sell, I would say Di'Shon Bernard," Patrick said.

"He is our standout defender, I think the signing of him has been one of the best ones in recent years.

"Defence has been a bit of an Achilles heel for us this season, but even with this, Bernard has still shone on a few occasions.

"He is our most assured centre-back, he is quite intelligent in his play, he has that knack of how to make an interception at the right stage and how to step in and not give a foul away.

"He is the most comfortable with the ball at his feet as well, and you need a player with that level of coolness within your centre-back positions these days.

"He's still quite young, so it's a case where you want him to stay on and shine in this division, and if we do go on to sell him in a few years, we can sell him for a much higher price.

"Having been with us a relatively short space of time, we probably wouldn't get as much for him now as we would if we sold him in a few years time.

"I'm just worried that if we did lose our last centre-back that it would be really detrimental to the team, and then if we didn't replace him with a similar player, it would leave us a bit exposed at the back, which is not something we can afford.

"If there are any bids that come in during this transfer window, we will have to rebuff them and ensure we keep hold of him."

It is difficult to disagree with Patrick that losing Bernard in January would be a huge blow for Wednesday.

Given that Bernard only signed a new contract at Hillsborough in the summer, it seems unlikely that any clubs will make a bid for him next month, but if he continues to impress, it will not be long before he starts to attract attention from elsewhere.

Chansiri has been accused of not protecting the club's assets in the past, but if he holds firm on Bernard for now, he will not only remain a key player for Rohl's side, but the Owls may also be able to secure a much bigger transfer fee for him in the future.