Sheffield Wednesday now set to miss out on ‘immense’ free-agent striker to EFL club
It seems that Sheffield Wednesday's desire to sign an available striker has come to an immediate halt.
Sheffield Wednesday appeared to be in urgent need of a new striker during the January transfer window, as only Anthony Musaba has not scored at least five goals so far this season.
The Owls made a tremendous effort to sign Duncan McGuire from Orlando City, but unfortunately were not successful as Blackburn Rovers seemed to have secured his signature. However, due to an administrative error, he was eventually compelled to return to the MLS after the deadline had already passed.
Danny Rohl, the manager of Sheffield Wednesday, has expressed disappointment in not being able to secure a new striker for the team. However, he has suggested that they may explore the free agent market instead. There have been rumors that the club is interested in signing Dwight Gayle, who is currently a free agent after being released by Stoke City.
It appears that the Owls have not expressed any interest in acquiring Gayle's services and are now likely to lose out to Derby County.
BBC Derby reporter Dominic Dietrich has reported that negotiations are ongoing between the Rams and the 34-year-old player for a potential free transfer.
Derby County's discussions with Dwight Gayle have been ongoing to secure his transfer. James Collins is expected to be out of the game for several months. #DCFC
The main striker for Derby, James Collins, will be out of action for a considerable amount of time and as a result, the team is actively seeking a replacement to fill his position. This move is crucial for their hopes of securing a spot in the Championship competition without having to go through the playoffs.
Additional Tales From Sheffield Wednesday
Should Sheffield Wed Sign Dwight Gayle?
Sheffield Wednesday did not seem very interested in acquiring Dwight Gayle since they took a considerable amount of time to make an actual attempt to sign him.
The experienced player had a remarkable history in the Championship. However, his unsuccessful stint at the bet365 Stadium may not be as appealing to Danny Rohl's team.
The ex-Newcastle United forward has scored a total of 62 goals in 145 games in the Championship throughout his professional career. In particular, he scored 23 goals in just 32 matches for Newcastle United and 24 goals in 40 games for West Brom during the 2018-19 season.
Nevertheless, he could solely score three goals in 45 league games for Stoke before he was terminated earlier this year.
It's a good acquisition for a League One team, but perhaps too much of a gamble for Sheffield Wednesday.
Currently, the Yorkshire team has no alternative but to depend on their struggling group of forwards. It's possible that if Gayle had scored a few crucial goals to keep them in the second division, he might have been a gamble worth making.
