Latest on Will Boyle and Sheffield Wednesday shows challenge Owls face this summer

Yorkshire-born Cheltenham Town centre-half Will Boyle was reportedly a close target of Wednesday’s as far back as January alongside a number of clubs including Portsmouth and Oxford United.

Tall, left-footed, comfortable on the ball and with impressive aerial stats, Boyle seems to tick a lot of boxes when it comes to the Owls’ foremost transfer scramble after no fewer than five senior defenders will have left the club by the time the 2022/23 season comes around.

But it seems he will not be Hillsborough-bound in the next few weeks after a major update on his future was reported by Gloucestershire Live.

Those reports suggest 26-year-old Boyle, already confirmed to be leaving Cheltenham, is set to jump up a division – or two – and make a return to his first club Huddersfield Town.

The Terriers take on Nottingham Forest this weekend in the Championship play-off final for a place in the Premier League.

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Boyle earned rave reviews for his efforts wearing the Robins captain’s armband last season and was named in both the PFA and EFL League Two teams of the year in 2020/21. Under his leadership the club achieved their highest-ever league finish; 15th in League One.

It is suggested Boyle’s ability on the ball makes him an ideal squad option for Huddersfield boss Carlos Corberán alongside former Owls skipper Tom Lees.

The news suggests clubs higher up the pyramid are willing to dip into the lower league market for additions and the post-coronavirus football economy values free agents greatly.

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Add to that the fact that quality, ball-playing central defenders are a valuable commodity in the Football League, Wednesday’s recruitment team will be working overtime to attract players from their shortlist.

Boyle is one of a raft of defenders to have been linked with an Owls switch in recent weeks. Gillingham defender Jack Tucker is out of contract and has been mooted as a potential option, though the Owls reportedly face competition from Aberdeen and clubs in the Championship.

The Star reported earlier this week that Bradford City captain Paudie O’Connor is unlikely to join the Owls as things stand.