It has been a decent first half of the season for Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship, but they are facing a crucial January transfer window.
After narrowly avoiding relegation last season, Wednesday have made clear progress this season under Danny Rohl, and while a play-off push may be a step too far at this stage, a top-half finish could certainly be on the cards.
Rohl oversaw a big rebuild of his squad in the summer, with 11 new players arriving at Hillsborough during the course of the transfer window, and many of those new additions have made an impact this season.
Sheffield Wednesday summer signings
Player
James Beadle
Ben Hamer
Yan Valery
Max Lowe
Svante Ingelsson
Nathaniel Chalobah
Shea Charles
Olaf Kobacki
Jamal Lowe
Charlie McNeill
Ike Ugbo
However, with the squad still lacking depth and quality in certain areas, Rohl will be keen to enter the transfer market once again in January, and he may also look to sanction the departures of some of those who are not in his plans.
With January fast approaching, we looked at two deals that would represent the perfect start to the window for the Owls.
In: Louie Barry
louie barry
Rohl will be delighted to see players from across the team contributing with goals, but the lack of a proven goalscorer has been a problem for Wednesday this season.
Ike Ugbo was expected to be the man to score the goals after his £2.5 million move from Troyes in the summer, but he has failed to deliver since joining the club on a permanent basis, and while Jamal Lowe and Michael Smith have performed well, they are not prolific at Championship level.
One man who could be the ideal solution for the Owls is Aston Villa forward Louie Barry, who has starred on loan at Stockport County this season, and he would certainly be the kind of "impact player" Rohl says he is looking for.
Barry spent last season on loan at Stockport, scoring nine goals and providing four assists in 22 games to help Dave Challinor's side to the League Two title, and after returning to Edgeley Park in the summer, he has taken his game to a whole new level in League One.
Villa are said to be preparing to recall Barry in January to send him out on loan to the Championship, and Wednesday are believed to be one of the clubs interested in him, but they will face strong competition for his signature from the likes of Middlesbrough, Leeds United, Sheffield United and Coventry City.
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It's going to be a nervous period for the Owls until they get some certainty on the midfielder's future.
Out: Callum Paterson
Callum Paterson
Callum Paterson made the move to Hillsborough from Cardiff City in September 2020, and he has played in a host of positions for Wednesday over the last four years, including right-back, centre-back, central midfield, out wide and up front.
After returning from injury towards the end of last season, Paterson played an important role in his side's survival, and the Owls activated their option to keep him at the club for another year this summer.
Despite being kept on by Wednesday, Paterson surprisingly found himself out of favour at the start of the campaign, and it was claimed in August that the 30-year-old was free to leave if the club received a suitable offer.
Paterson has forced his way back into contention a little over the past few weeks, but he has still been limited to largely substitute appearances, and it seems likely that Rohl will again be open to allowing him to depart in January.
Of course, given his age and contract situation, the Owls will not be able to secure a sizeable transfer fee for Paterson, but receiving some money for the Scot is better than losing him for free in the summer.