Championship trial, League One talks, attracting ‘quite a bit of interest’ – Sheffield Wednesday departees honing in on new clubs

The Owls confirmed last month that Massimo Luongo, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Joe Wildsmith were to leave the club after failed contract negotiations, following released trio Sam Hutchinson, Chey Dunkley and Saido Berahino out of the door.

Wednesday manager Darren Moore has made headway in remoulding the squad with the addition of five new players. The recruitment push goes on.

Chey Dunkley is the only exited player to have sealed his next move – he’s signed for Shrewsbury Town – while Joe Wildsmith is reportedly halfway through the door at Derby County awaiting the final completion of the club’s takeover and subsequent lifting of registration embargoes.

And it has been reported this weekend that three more are pressing on with their futures.

Fresh reports suggest winger Mendez-Laing is another waiting on the final stages of the Derby takeover to come to fruition as Rams boss Liam Rosenior lines up a number of moves ahead of their attempted recovery from a turbulent summer.

It is understood that the 30-year-old was the subject of Championship interest early on in the summer but that doesn’t appear to have come to more than that with Derby his likely next move alongside the likes of Tom Barkuizen, James Chester and former Sheffield United man Conor Hourihane.

Derby’s takeover is expected to complete over the weekend.

Midfield enforced Luongo is reportedly on trial at Championship Reading – a club with off-field issues of their own at current – a switch that would toe in-line with his admission last season that second tier football is his ideal.

Luongo raised eyebrows with a cryptic social media post in the minutes after his exit was confirmed by Wednesday. He made 73 appearances in an injury-torn three seasons in blue and white.

And a BBC report suggests striker Berahino is attracting a great deal of interest, though it is suggested nothing is particularly imminent as time moves towards the start of the EFL season.

The Burundi international played only one season at S6, scoring eight League One goals in 29 matches.