Sheffield Wednesday favourite to leave as Blackpool beat Barnsley, Rotherham United and Oxford United to deal

The fan favourite midfielder has made 22 Championship appearances for the Owls this season and has attracted interest from EFL clubs with regularity in recent transfer windows. With Byers keen to stay on at S6, Wednesday's initial stance this month was to stave off any interest but as reported by The Star this week, that stance has eased and bids have been welcomed from a host of clubs.

Now The Star understands that a deal to take him to Blackpool is close to completion. The deal is believed to be a loan until the end of the current campaign that would see him to the end of his contract and effectively to a likely exit from a three-year association with Sheffield Wednesday.

There were no shortage of takers. Wednesday's fellow Championship relegation battlers Rotherham United are understood to have shown an interest as are Oxford United, while Barnsley are believed to have launched a bid to take him on a free transfer with add-ons. Byers' free agent status at the end of the season means interest from these clubs can easily be revisited.

The London-born midfielder has 78 Wednesday appearances on his CV, scoring 14 goals and tallying six assists along the way. He arrived on free transfer terms from Swansea City to form an important part of the Owls' midfield in League One under Darren Moore and though he was out for the climax of last season played an important role in their dramatic promotion campaign.

Subject to any unforeseen late hiccups or changes of mind, he is set to join a Blackpool side eighth in the League One table and hunting promotion back to the second tier at the first time of asking. Former Wednesday recruitment chief David Downes, who left for Bloomfield Road in the summer, is believed to have had a firm hand in the deal. All deals must be complete by 11pm this evening, when the winter transfer window closes.