A deal to bring Tony Pulis to Sheffield Wednesday is ‘nearing completion’, as reported by the well-connected Alan Biggs on Thursday.
Pulis would succeed Garry Monk as Wednesday manager and be tasked with steering the Owls away from the Championship’s bottom three.
With the transfer window closed and seven weeks to go until the next one, the Welshman will have to make use of the free-agent market if he wants to strengthen the squad he inherited from Monk – who was also his Middlesbrough predecessor.
As it happens, there are a handful of players on it that Pulis has – reportedly at least – tried to sign beforehand.
Could any of these do a job for Wednesday?
Tom Huddlestone
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Without a club since leaving Derby County at the end of last season, Huddlestone is a player whom Pulis is said to have pursued on more than one occasion – at both Stoke City (Telegraph) and West Bromwich Albion (Sun). The defensive midfielder boasts physical and technical qualities of which the Owls are currently short – that said, he has appeared just twice since October 2019 and turns 34 next month. Another former Hull City midfielder, Kevin Stewart, was also a rumoured target for the Baggies, who were put off, allegedly, by his £5 million asking price (Sun).
Ahmed Musa
Pulis was apparently ready to step up his interest in Musa towards the end of his West Brom tenure in August 2017 (Birmingham Mail). A move failed to materialise, however, with the Baggies turning instead to the now-Sheffield United winger Oliver Burke. The Nigerian was sold to Al-Nassr by his then employers Leicester City for around £15 million a year later – representing a loss of around £2.5m for the Foxes. 25 goals or assists in 57 games later, Musa is free to a good home and the 28-year-old’s pace, trickery and versatility could make him a useful addition to the Wednesday attack. Given his release came after the window closed for English clubs, the Owls would have to wait until January before they could play him.
Diafra Sakho
It was claimed that West Brom got as close as agreeing a fee for Sakho when Pulis was in charge and the Senegalese was a West Ham United player (Sky Sports). For whatever reason, the move never happened. Sakho, now 30, was sold to Rennes for £9m later that season, but is now without a club after spells at Bursaspor (loan) and Neuchâtel Xamax. Goals have been in short supply post-West Ham, but Sakho’s pace and presence could come in handy at Hillsborough.
