Sheffield Wednesday have offered contract to mystery free agent - deadline set on decision

Owls boss Darren Moore revealed to The Star on Tuesday that the club intended to scour the free agents market to find a solution to their current injury crisis in defence, with Dominic Iorfa and Sam Hutchinson out long-term.

It now appears Lewis Gibson will return to Everton with his loan switch cut short. Fill-in defender Marvin Johnson will miss the next few weeks with a hamstring issue.

In a revealing pre-Accrington Stanley press conference, Moore revealed a contract had been offered to a mystery free agent.

“I’ve gone hard to bring in a defensive player,” he said. “I’ve missed the deadline for this weekend because the individual is thinking it through. He has two other options on the table.

“He’s one that is available that could step in now. He has the weekend to think about it and if we get to after the weekend he hasn’t taken up the opportunity to join us we’ll draw a line under it.

“Other than that, there is another possibility but I don’t think the individual is fit enough to come in straight away and it would take us weeks. It’s very difficult.

“The one we’re after is someone that could step in and play immediately.”

It was made clear that the free agent is not Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, who has been training with the club for several weeks, and that it is a defender of ‘good calibre’.

“I don’t want to give details because I don’t want to wet the lips of supporters,” Moore continued. “We’ve gone really hard for him and the individual is thinking now.

“The beautiful thing is that if he was to come in now, he’d be able to come in and perform. That’s where we’re at.

“He’s a good calibre, a good fit and would be excellent in terms of where we are now.

“I tried to get him in for this weekend. He’s thinking about the offer we’ve put to him, but I’m putting a line under it come Monday at 5 o’clock because if not we have to move on. Hopefully it will be good news.”