Sheffield Wednesday were interested in signing the former Hull City midfielder Jackson Irvine in the summer transfer window, according to The World Game.
But the Australian website claims a move to reunite Irvine with his national team colleague, Massimo Luongo, ‘didn’t pan out’.
It adds that the agent of the 27-year-old, who scored or assisted 30 goals in 152 Championship games across spells at Burton Albion and Hull, is ‘casting the net far and wide to find him a new home’.
And the Australia assistant manager Rene Meulensteen believes that Irvine would be a ‘good pick-up for a top Championship club’, as quoted by The World Game.
“The coronavirus isn’t helping because clubs aren’t in a great position financially right now,” he said.
“But it’s important for Jackson firstly, and of course the national team, that he finds a new club and gets going again.
MORE SHEFF WED STORIES
“Every day and week he doesn’t play it’s not good. We need to get him something quickly. This is when agents earn their money.
“I personally think he’d be a very good pick up for a top Championship club that might even end up being promoted still, and I could see him doing well in the Dutch Eredivisie or the top league in Belgium.
“He’d be a good asset for a lot of teams.”
Could Wednesday go back in for the freed Hull man?
Ironically, an injury to Luongo has left Wednesday short on numbers in the centre of the park and that could make Irvine, who can sign for a club outside of the transfer window, a viable option once again.
Like Luongo, Irvine has also been used at centre-back before now, while his primary strengths are aerial duals, ball interceptions and defensive contributions, according to WhoScored.
At 6ft 2, the £2 million Hull recruit would also add a physical presence an Owls midfield which comprises the more diminutive Barry Bannan, Joey Pelupessy and Alex Hunt.