Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl has revealed the club's transfer focus for the January transfer window; emulating recent success by shopping for Premier League loan players.
The Owls signed two young players on temporary deals from the Premier League in the summer window, with goalkeeper James Beadle joining from Brighton, and central midfielder Shea Charles from Southampton respectively.
Both have enjoyed strong campaigns so far for Wednesday, and that's provided Rohl with the confidence and belief that they can scout, negotiate and complete further deals for talented top-flight youngsters who can arrive at Hillsborough and make a big impact.
Crucially, an EFL registration embargo which would have limited the Owls' January capabilities on the recruitment front has now been lifted, meaning the club is free to do business in the winter window with no restrictions.
"To get Premier League players would increase our level"
Danny Rohl
It's typical for managers to return to the same markets that they've found success in prior, and for Rohl, the Wednesday boss has developed a clear knack for signing starlets from the Premier League.
With the Owls harbouring aspirations for a play-off push in the second half of the season, January provides the opportunity for the next batch of top-flight youngsters to come and help play their part in that pursuit.
Speaking in an interview via The Star, Rohl said: "I have spoken before about what we need. It is not about signing players for the squad, we must sign impact players, different players. This is what we have to try.
“Of course, this is a big, big part (adding Premier League loans). I said this in the summer that we need such a player from the Premier League clubs to improve the squad. It’s not always just about convincing the players, you need the full package to look at. To get players from the Premier League clubs would increase our level.
“To get these close games on your side you need some high end quality in these phases of the game and this is what we need to work on. We will do this in the next weeks and then we will see what we can do.”
Charles and Beadle success will surely hand Rohl significant credit among Premier League clubs
danny rohl
Having a manager who is able to convince and sign hot prospects to sign from the Premier League and come and play for him shouldn't be taken for granted, and it's a valuable asset that has played a vital role in many Championship promotion-winning squads.
Top-flight clubs are often extremely protective of their young talents, and if a club or situation doesn't feel like the right one for a certain player, they won't commission a loan to them.
What Rohl is achieving with his current Premier League loan players will surely instill confidence and trust in him among managers in English football's top division, and those same coaches will start bookmarking Hillsborough as a foundry for improvement for their starlets to go to.
In central midfielder and Northern Irish international Charles, the 21-year-old has arguably been Wednesday's best player so far this season. He's been commanding Rohl's midfield superbly, winning his duels, making vital interceptions and recoveries, and is the Owls' battery in the middle of the park.
|Shea Charles' 24/25 Championship stats as of matchday 17 - per FotMob|
|Appearances|Goals|Assists|Avg. rating|Duels won|Recoveries|Interceptions|
|---|
|14|1|1|7.4/10|96|94|20|
As for 20-year-old Beadle, the England youth international has firmly established himself as the number one goalkeeper this season, reprising the role which he'd occupied during his first spell on loan with the club during the second half of last season.
The strides that both of these players are taking in their development will not be going unseen across the Premier League, and will provide Rohl with the confidence that should Sheffield Wednesday find themselves in a battle to sign a certain top-flight player in January, that he and the Owls will have plenty of credit in the bank to win the deal.
Di'shon Bernard looking dejected for Sheffield Wednesday Related
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