Garry Monk has admitted that some of Sheffield Wednesday’s young prospects could leave the Owls on loan ahead of next month’s transfer deadline.
The Wednesday manager gave debuts to defender Ciaran Brennan (full) and midfielder Conor Grant in Tuesday night’s EFL Cup win at Rochdale, while Liam Shaw and Alex Hunt also started alongside the former, with Charles Hagan and Liam Waldock on the bench.
In total, Monk made 11 changes from Saturday’s Championship success at Cardiff City, in an attempt to keep his senior players fit for the upcoming visit of Watford in the league.
And, though the 41-year-old is still keen to add to his options in the final weeks of the summer transfer window, he is ready to persist with youth if signings fail to materialise.
“Of course, in normal situations those guys (the young players), we’d probably look for loans with them, to develop them even more. But it’s a case of needs must this season, as well,” Monk told BBC Radio Sheffield. “But I’m delighted with them, I think there’s a decent enough crop that can develop under us and then we’ll have a look at them as we move forward, what’s best for them, but right now they’re contributing and that’s what you want at a football club.”
MORE SHEFF WED STORIES
Asked if loans could still be on the cards for Brennan, Grant and co, Monk replied: “It all depends where the squad ends up by (the end of) this window.
“Of course, I’ve said to you my want is to strengthen, but as I said that’s an ongoing situation and we’ll see what happens with that. There’s nothing imminent at the moment but while it’s not it’s (about) developing these younger lads.
“There’s going to be a lot of younger lads regardless of what the squad looks like, that are going to be in the first team this season, contributing.
“But I’m talking more about the ones that are coming up behind that, ideally, there would be loans but we’ll keep looking at it and get them on the pitch and keep developing them.”
Wednesday continue to be linked with a move for the West Bromwich Albion striker Kenneth Zohore, with Yorkshire Live reporting that talks about a loan deal were due to take place this week.
Middlesbrough are among the other clubs said to be rivalling the Owls for Zohore.
But Neil Warnock’s side are now closing in on a move for the former Arsenal striker Chuba Akpom, according to On Sports in Greece.