Financial disparities, failed loans and a Flint: The inside story of Sheffield Wednesday’s transfer window

And Sheffield Wednesday will see off the rest of the 2022/23 season with Aden Flint as their only winter addition after the door closed on a January transfer window that seemed to run and run.

It felt at times that nothing was happening – but all in one place, you soon realise there were plenty of talking points along the way.

Here’s the inside story of the headline tales.

Remember the lads that went back to their parent clubs?

It feels an age ago now, doesn’t it?

The Star revealed towards the outset of the window that Mark McGuinness would be recalled by Cardiff City to aid their relegation scrap.

It was an on-off paperwork circus halted by the Bluebirds’ embargo that went on and on a fair bit and ended as expected. There’s plenty been written on this so we won’t bore you again. He’s since slotted into the first team.

We also brought you the news of Alex Mighten’s return to Nottingham Forest, which came as more of a surprise given Moore’s assertions to the contrary a little earlier in the month.

That one was at the Owls’ behest, with the club shelling out a decent proportion of his wages for a bit-part return. It left the Owls looking for at least two incomings. They ended up with one.

Flint returns..

Luke McNally was understood to be Wednesday primary defensive target for much of the window before Burnley decided they’d sooner farm him out to the Championship.

When he signed for Coventry and Michael Hector’s initial talks with the club blew a raspberry, interest in Flint was ramped up.

The giant defender had been of interest to Moore’s Owls as far back as Summer 2021, we understand. With Stoke keen to get rid, a deal was done fairly smoothly.

How the Hector trial came and went..

The Star broke news that Wednesday were considering bringing Michael Hector back to the club and within a couple of hours Darren Moore went one further, revealing the Jamaican international was back training with the club.

It was a trial period that didn’t last long. It’s understood Hector trained from Friday through Monday before the Owls headed off to Cheltenham for a match that was postponed, not to be seen again. What changed?

In short; exploratory talks made clear the distance between the two parties’ financial assessment of the situation felt too far apart to see a way forward.

And when Charlton Athletic offered a way back in – closer to his family in London, vitally – he took it. He trained twice with the Addicks and was announced on Tuesday evening, with Dean Holden warning fans would have to be patient when it came to his building-up of fitness.

Did Wednesday miss out? It seems harsh to call it that way given it the mini-saga ended at least partly on the Owls’ terms.

What happened with Sinclair Armstrong?

A rumour that came and went in hours, it emerged QPR attacker Armstrong was of interest to Wednesday on loan terms.

Our understanding is that indeed that was the case, though the Rs had changed their mind on a potential deal once it became clear their striker Lyndon Dykes would miss a wee while having been hospitalised.

As far as we can tell, that more or less ended Wednesday’s pursuit of attacking additions. It wasn’t an area they were bothered about bloating for the sake of it.

Come on then, explain the Stephen Welsh tease..

Wednesday’s interest in Celtic youngster Welsh was very real and became the main story on deadline day as they huffed and puffed and ultimately came up short of breath – and a second defensive addition of the window.

The Star reported the player was keen, Celtic appeared to be open to it, but then shortly after a press conference in which Bhoys boss Ange Postecoglu hinted they'd be open to loaning out some non-regulars, it was made clear to The Star that the deal was called off at Celtic’s end.

As with Armstrong in the attacking stakes, Wednesday worked on scoping out further options but didn’t go for hell for leather in a desperate scramble for another defender.

It’s the area of the squad that perhaps needed one more body most pertinently.

That Callum Paterson thing went on a bit, didn’t it?

It did. And really, there was no need for it to roll on and on in public in the way it did.

Hearts set about their pursuit of the Owls jack-of-all in an incredibly brash and public manner, as is their right given FIFA laws over pre-contract dealings between players and clubs in different countries.

It irked Moore perhaps more than he let on and after a conversation with Jammies boss Robbie Nielson, everything seemed to cool a touch.

Hearts claimed to have tabled bids for the Scotland international but nothing came of it. Attention now switches to the summer, when Paterson is out of contract. A new deal at Hillsborough is not beyond the realms of possibility.

How does it leave them, then?

The brass tax of the matter is that Moore didn’t get his wish – he made crystal clear on several occasions that he wanted to end the window stronger than he started it both in terms of numbers and quality. For whatever reason that hasn’t happened.

There’ll be big tests ahead for what is a tight-knit group in some areas of the squad, especially in busy game weeks.

But Wednesday’s existing squad is on the most impressive unbeaten run in the country and has shown a capability to produce sustained, title-worthy form while dealing with the adversity of injuries in key areas.

There’s a fair argument to suggest regardless of the riches thrown around elsewhere and despite a slow finish to the window, Wednesday’s is the squad best equipped to go up.

We’ll find out in the coming months.

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