Darren Moore thinking of Callum Paterson as a Sheffield Wednesday player next season amid public Hearts pursuit

Be it Sylla Sow’s move back to Holland or the advances of Argentine club Atletico Talleres on Josh Windass last summer, it is becoming more common for Wednesday players to become the subject of transfer stories played out in the media by senior figures at opposition clubs.

And while that isn’t Moore’s style – he prefers to keep his cards close to his chest with regard to potential targets – he says he ‘understands’ the tactics used by managers speaking freely about his players in such a way.

Paterson has been a star performer in recent weeks and once again stood out in Wednesday’s win at Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday.

Moore said previously that a new contract is a possibility for the Scotland international, whose current deal is set to run out in the summer. Paterson is ‘open to’ talks to extend his time at S6, Moore said.

Hearts boss Robbie Nielson spoke again about Paterson over the weekend, making clear that the ball was in Wednesday’s court as to a potential transfer this month.

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Any notion of the 28-year-old leaving in January has been quashed by Moore.

Asked whether he sees Paterson as a player he would like to see stay on at Hillsborough into next season, he said yes. The Owls have so far been resistant in entering contract talks with a number of players in the final year of their agreements, with the manager preferring to concentrate on the here and now.

“All of them are under contract,” Moore said. “I said to Pato that despite all the talks around a contract and everything around it, it won’t deviate from him or his performances.

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“Every time he’s played he’s given us a platform from which to perform and I thought he was tremendous today. The one thing he was missing was a goal and he gives us tremendous work rate and a target to hit in front. He was excellent again.”