Callum Paterson squad number news sends clear message from Sheffield Wednesday

That’s the clear message to have come out of Sheffield Wednesday after they confirmed that new signing Callum Paterson had been handed the number five shirt at the club for the coming season.

The Owls have made no secret of their desire to add firepower to a forward line that lost several big names last season. Paterson is the latest addition to an arsenal including Josh Windass, Elias Kachunga and Jordan Rhodes, with Adam Reach used as a supplementary front man in the last few weeks.

Eyebrows were raised when Rhodes was not awarded the number nine shirt after the departure of Steven Fletcher and the shirt remains unfilled despite Windass, Kachunga and Paterson have joined latterly.

The striker search continues.

Garry Monk’s men have been heavily linked with a loan move for out-of-favour West Brom forward Kenneth Zohore in recent weeks although reports suggest the two clubs are at an impasse with regard to the Owls’ wage contribution.

“It’s a one at a time sort of process,” Monk said on how his search for new blood is progressing. “That’s how we’ve worked and seen how much we can get done.

“We’re working in what I see as as smart as we can with the restrictions we have. The want is there, of course, but I have to see as we go what we can and can’t do. Those conversations are ongoing, but there’s nothing at this moment in time in terms of targets.

“At this moment of time it’s a case of sitting with the club and seeing what we can and can’t do.

“As a manager, you want to add as much as you can,” he said. “We know we’re going to need it.

“We don’t have the biggest of squads but we have a competitive squad.

“We need to add but whether we can or not is another thing. I have to accept that and understand that, we all do.

"I’m sitting with the club continuously and working through that to see what we can and we can’t do.

“There are other conversations going on now that Callum is in and we are seeing if we can potentially do something going forward.”

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