Sheffield Wednesday are considering a potential loan exit for young defender Gabriel Otegbayo, according to The Star.
Sheffield Wednesday have had one of the Championship’s busier summer transfer windows.
Danny Rohl wasted no time in shaping the ranks to his liking after committing his future to the Owls. This has been his first real chance to make the squad his own, with a number of players moving on at the end of their deals to pave the way for new additions.
As the start of the new campaign nears and pre-season draws to a close, decisions will be made over those who could head out of Hillsborough in the coming weeks.
Youngsters may well be lined up for loan exits, and one contender for a temporary move is Gabriel Otegbayo.
The defender joined from Burnley in March after a successful trial and having impressed in the youth ranks, he’s earned his chance with the Sheffield Wednesday first-team this summer. He played against high-level opposition in RB Salzburg and Werder Bremen.
Now, The Star states a loan move could be considered for Otegbayo.
Should the right opportunity arise, Wednesday will look at sending him out to find minutes away from the Championship club having performed well since signing earlier this year.
A deserved chance?
The past few months have all been about taking chances for Otegbayo.
He made the most of his opportunity to impress Sheffield Wednesday while on trial and maintained those levels in his appearances for the U21s too. So much so, he earned the chance to work with Rohl’s squad ahead of the new campaign.
That experience in and around the first-team and against high calibre opponents in pre-season will have done the world of good for the Irishman’s development and confidence.
Having made these strides forward over the summer, it only makes sense to harness that momentum and give him a chance to kick on further when the new season begins. A first-team loan move would give him just that, rather than returning to youth level for the start of the campaign.
A non-league switch could be ideal for Otegbayo, though it remains to be seen what Wednesday’s final decision is.
Further departures
With a string of signings made and more additions wanted, it seems inevitable that there will be departures from Sheffield Wednesday over the final month of the transfer.
Youngsters like Otegbayo may well head out. The likes of Rio Shipston, Sean Fusire, Sam Reed and more could be contenders for temporary exits.
There are some senior players who may well benefit from moves too.
Mallik Wilks is tipped for a departure while a striker – perhaps Michael Smith – could be surplus to requirements if Rohl gets the talisman he wants. At the back, Michael Ihiekwe or Dominic Iorfa may eye an exit if game time is going to be limited.