Sheffield United & Sheffield Wednesday's Championship rivals confirm sensational transfer 12 hours after deadline
The deadline has long passed but one of Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday’s rivals have welcomed a fresh face through the door.
West Bromwich Albion have signed striker Adam Armstrong on loan from Southampton following EFL approval - with confirmation coming more than 12 hours after Monday’s transfer deadline.
Armstrong was subject to late interest from a host of Championship clubs on deadline day, following reports he was to be made available by Southampton after falling out of favour under new manager Ivan Juric. Sheffield United’s automatic promotion rivals Leeds United were named as a possible destination for the 27-year-old, while Middlesbrough - who Sheffield Wednesday hope to battle for a play-off spot - were also linked.
Local media from both ends quickly ruled out a last-ditch move and so as the clock ticked towards Monday’s 11pm deadline, Armstrong looked set to remain at St Mary’s. But the Telegraph’s John Percy reported late on Monday night that West Brom were hopeful of completing a last-gasp move, with the Southampton Daily Echo claiming a deal had been agreed before time was up.
Both sides were made to wait nervously overnight, having pushed through the paperwork, with confirmation coming more than 12 hours after the deadline had passed. A fresh update from the Daily Echo around Tuesday lunchtime confirmed Armstrong would join West Brom for the remainder of the campaign, with approval arriving from the EFL. The Championship promotion hopefuls are said to have paid a loan fee for the striker, as well as committing to pay the majority of his Premier League wages.
West Brom sporting director Andrew Nestor said: “We are pleased to welcome Adam to The Hawthorns for the rest of the season. He has extensive experience in the Championship and a proven goalscoring record. Adam is an ideal fit for our squad and very much suits our style.”
United pushed through a few late deals of their own on Monday, most notably the signing of Crystal Palace defender Rob Holding on loan for the rest of the season. He became Chris Wilder’s fifth first-team signing of the window, joining Ben Brereton Diaz, Tom Cannon, Hamza Choudhury and Harry Clarke.
The Blades also managed to get late deals done for winger Christian Nwachukwu and striker Jefferson Caceres, who signed from Bulgarian side Botev Plovdiv and Peruvian outfit FBC Melgar respectively. The young pair were picked up as products of the club’s new data-driven transfer strategy which involved the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Wednesday were much quieter on deadline day, with no fresh faces through the door. The Owls did do business in the final few days of the window, however, signing 32-year-old Adam Armstrong while also securing the services of winger Ibrahim Cissoko on loan from Strasbourg.