Sheffield Wednesday may not be finished with their winter transfer business just yet.
The January transfer window ended last week, and it was an expectedly chaotic end to the window for Sheffield Wednesday.
Danny Rohl saw his side sign Kristian Pedersen and Ian Poveda on loan from Swansea City and Leeds United respectively, with the Owls making a total of four signings in the window; all of which were loan signings.
Sheffield Wednesday missed out on a striker, though. Rohl wanted Duncan McGuire but he sealed a move to Blackburn Rovers, although that move could yet fall through, and soon after the window shut, free agent striker Dwight Gayle was linked.
Danny Rohl open to free agent signings
And now, Rohl has given his verdict on the possibility of signing some free agents in the coming weeks.
He told The Star how his Sheffield Wednesday squad still has some spaces for new players to be registered, saying:
“We have left some spaces open. But that means that some players are not on the list – this is not a final decision, because when I select my squad I can always bring in those players not on the list. We’ll look at that matchday to matchday – we still have positions open.”
Rohl then hinted at potential free agent captures, adding:
“We’re looking around for what we can do, maybe, but also if you didn’t sign somebody in the January window, having the chance to sign somebody after the window closes of the profile that we need is not easy.
“But we have to try, we have to look, but if not then this is our group, and I’m convinced about my players. They have heart, but we know we need 100% – starting with Friday.”
Free agents not ideal, but needs must for Sheffield Wednesday
There’s a sense that McGuire signing would’ve really changed the complexity of Sheffield Wednesday’s final 16 games of the season.
Having a proven striker who is fit and ready to hit the ground running would’ve been a huge boost, but now Rohl might be forced to pick someone off the free agent’s list.
It’s not all bad, though. Names like Gayle are match-ready after recently being released by Stoke City, so he could be a good, albeit not overly-inspiring addition to the Sheffield Wednesday squad in the coming weeks.
He would certainly add a degree of experience to the ranks and if he could hit a handful of goals in the final months then he could go down as a bit of a Wednesday cult hero.
There’ll be other options and it’ll be a turgid task filing through all the names for Rohl and Head of Recruitment Kevin Beadell, but needs must for Sheffield Wednesday who remain eight points from safety in 23rd place of the table.