Sheffield Wednesday in last throw of dice to keep Mark McGuinness - deadline slapped on Cardiff City decision

Owls boss Darren Moore spoke ahead of Saturday’s remarkable FA Cup win over Newcastle United to make clear the club would do all they can to keep hold of the Republic of Ireland youth international – and confirmed afterwards that paperwork had been sent to Cardiff to encourage a continuation of the deal.

The Star revealed on Thursday that Cardiff would be enacting a break clause in the season-long loan agreement in the coming days.

McGuinness was seen to be saying goodbye to players and staff after the match – and spent several minutes undertaking what could have been interpreted as a thank you to Wednesday supporters as he applauded all corners of the ground on his way off the field.

Speaking at the end of a memorable evening for his club, Moore confirmed that the agreement over any break in the loan deal could only ever be enacted after the FA Cup weekend.

“We’ve sent back the agreement papers and made it clear we’d like him to stay, but we have got to wait for that answer to come back from Cardiff in terms of what they want to do with him,” he said.

“We know he’s their player but I thought he was magnificent again tonight and all season he’s helped give us a platform. I hope he comes back for the second half and continues the job he has started here. If not, we thank him and thank Cardiff.”

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Reading between the lines – and though nothing is final until it’s final – Moore holds out minimal hopes of keeping hold of McGuinness, who won back-to-back player of the month awards at S6 and became a fan favourite for a string of hugely impressive performances.

Wednesday do not want to see any decision drag on long into the week so as to be able to move on with their season and plans for the trip to Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday.

Moore said: “If not by now, by Monday or Tuesday we’ll know. Latest.”

“We want to know because if he’s going to stay we want him to play on Saturday.”

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Cardiff are locked in a Championship relegation battle and are working under the terms of a transfer embargo. The departure of centre-half Sean Morison was confirmed last week, opening up a spot in the squad for McGuinness, who has been a colossus in his six months in South Yorkshire.

“They will have looked at him and the magnificent performances he’s had,” Moore continued. “They’ve got to consider him for their own purposes which I am sure they’re going to do, then they let us know. That can come at any time now. We will wait and see.

“He can go all the way. He played up against a top, top talent in [Newcastle forward Alexander] Isak and you saw his talent and composure. He can play in the Premier League, the sky is the limit for him.

“What I like about him is that he’s so level-headed. There’s a leader in the making there.”