Neil Thompson offers update on transfer activity at managerless Sheffield Wednesday

The Owls are approaching the midway point in the January transfer window and, as is the case at many clubs, activity has been limited both in terms of incomings and outgoings.

Wednesday parted company with sacked boss Tony Pulis 16 days ago and the search for a new manager goes on.

The correct appointment is understood to be the central focus of Wednesday chairman Dejphon Chansiri and his advisors at current, though both Pulis and previous manager Garry Monk stressed the importance of the current transfer window in continuing to improve the squad.

Caretaker boss Neil Thompson refuted rumours of an imminent departure for Wednesday outliers Jordan Rhodes and Matt Penney last week and said that while transfer activity appears to be quiet, the club’s recruitment team continue to identify potential targets behind the scenes.

“I’m sure they are,” he said. “That’s something, obviously, that I’m sure the chairman and the recruitment department are looking at. And I’m sure if I’m still doing this job I may look at that, I may not. We’ll wait and see.

“We maybe need one or two bodies in to strengthen the squad, I think that’s been publicised.”

Thompson has not been a central part of the recruitment conversation and has instead been tasked with focusing on coaching matters, a programme that has been decimated by the club’s current struggles with a coronavirus outbreak.

Asked whether he was at all concerned about a potential lack of movement on transfer activity, Thompson told The Star: “It’s not something I can be concerned about.

“The players had done great with what we’ve got, we’ve got results and we do have the whole of January, if we are going to bring people in, we’ll bring people in.

“That’s something we’ll deal with accordingly.

“It’s like it is with anything in terms of signing payers, it takes time.

“I’ve been head down in the football at this moment in time. I’ve had brief discussions [with Owls recruitment staff], but that’s been about it.”

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