Sheffield Wednesday boss Garry Monk sums up January transfer window and explains why they didn't do business with England's 'superclubs'

Wednesday head into their South Yorkshire derby clash with Barnsley on Saturday with all three players available, Monk’s wish to add firepower to his goal-shy squad granted after a competitive window.

On the window, which also saw two youth players added along with the departures of reserve defenders Ashley Baker and Jordan Thorniley, Monk said: “The priority was to strengthen those attacking areas and we’ve managed to get the three lads in, which is important.

“With what happened to Steven [Fletcher], there was an even bigger need for that and while you’re always looking around for where you can strengthen, that was the priority and I was pleased with that.”

Wednesday had fleetingly been linked with the likes of Rhian Brewster and Eddie Nketiah, from Premier League giants Liverpool and Arsenal respectively.

The Gunners’ Emile Smith-Rowe signed for Huddersfield, Liverpool’s Ryan Kent went to Hull and Manchester City starlet Ian Poveda signed for Leeds.

Asked why Wednesday were less likely than others to bring in loanee starlets from the nation’s ‘superclubs’, Monk told The Star: “There are various reasons.

“It’s not about whether they’ve come from those clubs, it’s about what you need and they can come from anywhere.

“Having relationships with those types of clubs, of course that’s a part of it. I have relationships with those clubs and know people at those clubs, people in the recruitment department know those people and those relationships are there to be used if possible in periods.

“If it suits you and suits them, then great. But it’s not by design, it was about what we were trying to target, what was available and what was doable.

“It’s something that those big clubs want and then of course there are clubs like ourselves in the Championship and below look to those type of clubs to see if we can tap into that and offer development as well.”