Former Sheffield Wednesday man Carlton Palmer has suggested that the Owls should re-sign Connor Wickham on a pay-as-you-play basis.
Sheffield Wednesday remain in the free agent market following the closure of the summer transfer window at the start of this month.
And despite signing 12 new players in the summer, Xisco Munoz is desperately in need of strikers, with Ashley Fletcher the only new addition to arrive up top.
There’s a few options on the free agent market, with one being a former Wednesday player in Wickham.
The 30-year-old has played for Sheffield Wednesday in three separate loan spells; for a brief spell in the 2012/13 campaign, another spell in the following campaign, and then another spell during the 2019/20 campaign.
Wickham had his moments for Wednesday with his time during the 2013/14 campaign being his most prolific; he scored eight in 11 in the Championship.
MORE SHEFF WED STORIES
He’s since struggled to make a mark though, representing a handful of clubs but failing to kick on with any.
Now after his Cardiff City release at the end of last season, Palmer has suggested that he’d be a good fit for Wednesday, telling Football League World:
“Connor unfortunately [the] age that he is at the moment, his best days are behind him.
“He’s still experienced and knows the way around the football pitch but not one club will entertain anything other than a short-term contract.
“As I said, he’s a veteran of the game. For me, he’s a short-term contract, even a pay as you play [type of player].
“Maybe going back to Sheffield Wednesday, who are struggling at the bottom of the Championship, they know Connor Wickham well.
“He knows the club well, maybe Sheffield Wednesday would be a good fit on a pay as you play basis.”
Wickham – still good fit for Wednesday?
Wednesday are no strangers to re-signing former players.
They’ve done so on multiple occasions in the past but Wickham doesn’t look like he’d be a good addition right now.
He’s still got a few years ahead of him and he could have a rejuvenation somewhere in the Football League, or overseas. But his recent injury record makes for grim reading.
It’d be a huge risk for Wednesday and Wickham wouldn’t give Munoz anything different to what he’s got already; Wednesday need a striker with pace and the ability to run in behind opposition defences.
Whilst Wednesday fans will surely have some good memories of Wickham, a return to Hillsborough doesn’t seem like it’d be beneficial for the Owls right now, contrary to what Palmer suggests.