Sheffield Wednesday’s head of recruitment David Downes continues to be linked with a switch to Blackpool.
It comes after Sheffield Wednesday’s promotion from League One and Blackpool’s relegation to it. Downes was one of many who played a key role in helping to guide the Owls back to the Championship after a two-year stay in the third tier, with Wednesday’s recruitment the envy of many in the division.
And that certainly seems to be the case at Blackpool. The Seasiders are returning to League One after two seasons in the Championship. They’ve recently reinstated Neil Critchley as manager and reports at the start of last month claimed that Downes had agreed to become the club’s new sporting director ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
Downes remains at Hillsborough for the time being, but it seems like those at Wednesday might be planning for his eventual departure with an emerging report from The Star revealing that ‘recruitment sources’ at the club have been told to report to boss Darren Moore and others within the Wednesday hierarchy – not Downes.
Wednesday’s summer plans
The Star’s report adds that, despite uncertainty over Downes’ future at the club, Moore and co are pressing on with their summer preparations ahead of a very tough-looking 2023/24 Championship season.
Wednesday recruited heavily over the previous two summer transfer windows, and largely to much success. There’s definitely some lessons to have been learned from their time in League One and their time with Downes fronting the recruitment drive, but on the whole, he and the hierarchy have done what was asked of them – bring Wednesday out of League One.
The club can’t waste any time in readying themselves for the next season though. They’ll be joined by Plymouth Argyle and Ipswich Town in the Championship, as well as Leeds United, Leicester City, and Southampton from the Premier League, making for an extremely competitive 2023/24 roster.