Sheffield Wednesday wanted midfield additions on deadline day, and they got two; Jeff Hendrick and John Buckley.
The pair have signed on loan from Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers respectively, with the pair becoming the Owls’ 11th and 12th signings of the summer transfer window.
In all, it was a busy summer transfer window for the club, albeit not a hugely impressive one in the end.
The capture of Buckley may prove to be their best bit of business and whilst Hendrick looks like a decent signing, few are expecting it to be blockbuster signing for Xisco Munoz, who now has a few decent options in the middle of the park.
In truth, there may have been better options out there for Munoz and Wednesday, with one potential option having been linked on deadline day; Alex Mowatt.
The former Barnsley captain is now at West Brom where he’s playing a back-up role. The Star reported on deadline day that he was a target for Sheffield Wednesday, though he remains at The Hawthorns following the closure of the summer transfer window.
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Mowatt is a very technically-gifted player. He’s somewhat like Barry Bannan in that he can play some very cutting passes going forward, of short and long-ranger; Mowatt is also prone to scoring from distance and a bit of a set-piece specialist too.
Mowatt’s best season was the 2020/21 Championship campaign in which he guided the Tykes to a top six finish in the Championship, scoring eight and assisting seven along the way, and prompting Valerien Ismael to take him to West Brom the following season.
So whilst Hendrick definitely adds experience and depth to the midfield ranks, he looks set to play a bit of a back-up role under Munoz.
Mowatt though might have been an improvement on Hendrick and indeed on the options Sheffield Wednesday already have in the middle of the park, so this one may feel like a missed opportunity for the Owls who face a very uphill battle this season.
Up next is a home game v Ipswich Town later this month, in what promises to be another very tough outing for the Owls.