‘Door open’ for Sheffield Wednesday transfer as Darren Moore opens up on potential of important deal

Talk of contract negotiations, ‘Plans As or Plan Bs’, potential transfer budgets and all else have been swiftly rejected by the Owls boss in media engagements.

And though he continued to play his cards close to his chest with regard to any conversations over the possible signing of current loanee Aden Flint, Moore did say there was a ‘door open’ on a potential deal.

He had commented on details in the loan deal having held up the move until well into January – suggesting there is no firm agreement between Flint and Wednesday with regard to next season.

Flint will be a free agent as things stand as his contract with Stoke City comes to an end.

“It’s a loan agreement, but his contract is up at the end of the season,” Moore told The Star. “Aden knows that with the level of performance he has been showing that it’s an open door here, really, at the end of the season. There’s nothing closed on it. His performances have been good.

“When he first came we trained him and played him a bit, took him out and now he’s good to go.

“He’s been vital, a wonderful cog to us. His experience playing against whoever, he brings a calmness and a steadiness to the players around him as well which shows that experience.

“For a big fella, and we all talk about his defensive duties, but with the ball at his feet given time and space, he can pick a pass.”

Pressed on the likelihood of talks around Flint becoming a permanent Owls addition, Moore said: “We’ll see, without putting pressure on the individual or us as a club.

“Credit to him, he wanted to come and play football and we needed him here in terms of needing a centre-half with Mark McGuinness going back.

“He fit the profile; we wanted that first time contact defender that we’ve seen so many benefits from this season. We had Icky, McGuinness, Heneghan and now Flint and you can see they’re worth their weight in gold.”

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