Exclusive:Sheffield Wednesday edging in on signing of 184-appearance Championship midfielder
Sheffield Wednesday’s busy Summer transfer window continues apace - with a great deal of work still to be done.
Sheffield Wednesday are edging in on the free transfer addition of a former Millwall midfielder with 184 appearances under his belt at Championship level, The Star understands.
The Owls have been the most active EFL side in the summer transfer window so far as its ambitious new hierarchy go about rebuilding a squad that was battered by the failings of the club’s previous ownership. Eight players are already in the door in a spread balance of positions and profiles, with somewhere in the region of 20 new faces possible before the transfer period ends on September 1.
The Star can reveal that one player Wednesday have a strong interest in is departed Millwall man Billy Mitchell, who left his boyhood club at the end of his contract at the turn of the month, with local reports suggesting the Lions had tabled three contract offers in an attempt to keep hold of him. As recently as July 7, Southwark News reported that manager Alex Neil had said ‘never say never’ on the prospect of re-signing the 25-year-old, but also suggested the Lions’ focus was elsewhere after strengthening the midfield area with the signings of Jenson Metcalfe and Mathis Servais.
Further reports down south have suggested that Championship side Watford have harboured an interest in Mitchell along with clubs in the Scottish top tier. The Star understands that Wednesday are making headway on their negotiations with the holding midfielder and while a deal is not complete, the Owls are believed to be hopeful of continuing their progress on a signing that would bolster one of the many positions that require reinforcements.
A regular in Bermondsey, boyhood Lion Mitchell played 29 times in a Millwall side that qualified for the Championship play-offs last season, missing a run of games towards the end of their season with a rolled ankle. He has played 196 times in total for Millwall at senior level and of course counts returned Owls hero Barry Bannan among his former teammates, with the Scot having sealed his arrival back to Hillsborough last week.
Wednesday have already brought in Ricardo Santos, Jordi Liongola, Sil Swinkels, Callum Slattery, Harry Gray, Louie Barry and Joe Lumley alongside that of Bannan in what has already been a rampant window. The Owls take on Preston North End in a behind-closed-doors friendly across the Pennines on Saturday before jetting off to Europe for a training camp in Budapest and another private friendly against Stoke City in Vienna. Should a deal for Mitchell move on and complete, it could be that he features.