The Sheffield Wednesday manager Garry Monk says he hopes to have some transfer news ‘very soon’, but maintains there is ‘nothing imminent’ on that front.
Wednesday made five new signings ahead of the season’s start, but have yet to add to their side since then.
Monk has made no secret of his desire to extend the Owls’ recruitment drive and his lack of options was underlined by the starting XI he put out at Fulham on Wednesday, which contained four players aged 20 or under – including the debutant Liam Waldock.
But, asked why the arrivals have dried up at Hillsborough after his side’s 2-0 defeat in the EFL Cup third round, the 41-year-old told BBC Radio Sheffield: “There’s a lot of elements into it. It’s not just the case of, we want and it happens. There’s other clubs involved. You’re speaking to players, if that can happen. There’s a lot of information you have to gather, if it can happen, if it’s feasible, if we can do that or not. So it’s not just as simple as, we want it to happen and someone’s going to walk through the door.
“It’s probably like what every club’s doing, looking at all avenues within the market we’re looking at. I think you’ve seen what we’re doing. We’re looking at those frees and loans, those type of markets, or if there is something that we can do permanent, within our paramaters, we’ll do it. But it’s competitive. Sometimes when it’s competitive it gets more expensive and then you can’t quite compete with that.
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“But I’m very hopeful, with the information from the club. But there’s nothing imminent, that’s what it is. I promise you, I’ll tell you. I’ll be the first one to tell you. Of course, as a manager, I want that. The club are working hard to do that behind the scenes and hopefully we’ll have some news very soon.”
Wednesday are particularly light in attack, with Jordan Rhodes their only specialist centre-forward – although both Elias Kachunga and Josh Windass can fill in there.
The Owls have been strongly linked with a move for the West Bromwich Albion striker Kenenth Zohore, but interest from other clubs, as well as the poetntial costs involved – not to mention the Baggies’ failure to strengthen their own options – could derail any pursuit of the 26-year-old’s signature.
A new right-wing-back is also said to be on Wednesday’s agenda.
The former Wednesday loanee, Murphy. (Photo by Rich Linley – CameraSport via Getty Images)
But one player who it seems will not be arriving at Hillsborough this autumn is the former Owls loanee, Jacob Murphy.
Murphy impressed in Newcastle United’s 7-0 win at Morecambe on Wednesday, prompting his manager Steve Bruce to declare he “won’t be letting him out on loan”.
