Sheffield Wednesday to fight Birmingham City for Leeds United international

Colombian international Ian Poveda is a player Wednesday are understood to have tracked for several weeks and the Owls are believed to be in the mix for his signing heading into the final hours of the transfer window. Birmingham City are also believed to be hopeful of convincing him to sign on at St Andrews. The Star is told of issues at the Birmingham end that are complicating their end of the deal.

Should the battle go the way of Wednesday, the deal could well be a permanent transfer, it is suggested. Owls boss Danny Rohl has made clear the club are looking to sign bright young players and that both loan and permanent deals are on the table. Poveda, 23, who spent time at Arsenal, Chelsea, Barcelona and Manchester City in a glittering youth career, signed for Wednesday's Yorkshire rivals Leeds in 2020 but has spent the last two seasons on loan at Blackburn Rovers and Blackpool. He has played 30 times for the Whites, 14 of those appearances coming in the Premier League.

It is the Blackburn link that may well prove to be a problem for Wednesday in their match-up with Birmingham, who have Poveda's former Rovers boss Tony Mowbray at the helm. Poveda, an England youth international, made his senior international debut for Colombia earlier this year. With both camps likely to be able to offer game time - something Poveda has found hard to come by in recent weeks at Elland Road - Wednesday will seek to convince Poveda to make the switch to Hillsborough and join Rohl's movement towards a young and dynamic first team identity.