Harlee Dean situation takes unexpected turn amid reported Sheffield Wednesday interest

Sheffield Wednesday’s reported monitoring of Harlee Dean’s up-in-the-air situation at Birmingham City has taken another unexpected turn.
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It has been reported elsewhere that the club are continuing to keep a close eye on the defender after he did enough to impress in his loan spell at Hillsborough in the second half of last season.

Injuries prevented Dean clear run at the Owls’ season run-in though he was able to play in nine of Wednesday’s matches including both play-off semi-final clashes against Sunderland.

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Sheffield Wednesday are said to be keeping a close eye on Birmingham City defender Harlee Dean.Sheffield Wednesday are said to be keeping a close eye on Birmingham City defender Harlee Dean.
Sheffield Wednesday are said to be keeping a close eye on Birmingham City defender Harlee Dean.
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In conversation with The Star during that run-in he had claimed he had been told he would be available on a free this summer and seemed convince he would leave the St Andrews club in the off-season after a public back-and-forth with manager Lee Bowyer signalled his days there were over.

He also said Wednesday was a club he would consider joining.

Dean said in April: “I know I’m not going to be at Birmingham next season, I’m going to be available on a free, so whenever that comes in the summer that’s what happens – we’ll deal with that then.”

But last week Dean was pictured in pre-season training with the Blues amid reports Bowyer had not yet reported for duty. Birmingham are the subject of a takeover bid by controversial former Watford owner Laurence Bassini, who had been widely expected to bring Mark Warburton to the club in Bowyer’s place.

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Warburton is known to be a big fan of Dean’s having worked with him at Brentford and having had tried to buy him previously, prompting talk his appointment would likely breathe new life in Dean’s Blues career.

But over the weekend that speculation was cut dead when Warburton – who left QPR at the end of the last campaign – was unexpectedly named as David Moyes’ new first team coach at West Ham United.

Wednesday have already signed five players in what will continue to be a busy summer window.

Defenders Ben Heneghan and Michael Ihiekwe have already joined Dominic Iorfa in the senior defensive ranks and though further defensive reinforcements are forecast it remains to be seen whether their reported monitoring of Dean develops any further.