Kane Taylor profiled as Sheffield Wednesday express interest in Aston Villa youngster
Sheffield Wednesday are determined to add more players to their ranks ahead of the start of the coming season.
With less than two weeks to go until their first outing of the 2026/27 campaign, Sheffield Wednesday are in desperate need of more reinforcements.
Despite bringing in nine new faces already this summer, Saturday's 6-0 defeat to Stoke City in Vienna highlighted Wednesday's need to add more depth and quality to their squad.
The Owls have worked at a frantic pace to put as many building blocks in place as possible ahead of the new season, but Saturday's defeat underlined why it is fair to say they could still require another nine or ten players.
The latest name to have emerged on the Owls' radar, as revealed by The Star on Saturday, is Kane Taylor. The midfielder is the latest Aston Villa youngster to have been identified as a target, following the earlier arrivals of Sil Swinkels and Louie Barry, as well as the club's ongoing pursuit of Tommi O'Reilly.
With Taylor understood to be a target, The Star has taken a closer look at the youngster amid Wednesday's interest in securing his signature.
Who is Kane Taylor?
Taylor is a 21-year-old central midfielder who is currently under contract at Aston Villa. He is in his second spell at Villa Park, having previously spent time in the club's academy before a stint at Manchester City.
Although primarily a central midfielder, Taylor is also capable of playing at centre-back and left-back, highlighting his versatility.
What has he done so far?
After progressing through Aston Villa's academy system, the Birmingham-born midfielder moved to Manchester City in 2019 before signing a scholarship at the Etihad Stadium in 2021. After making a handful of appearances for City's Under-18s in the U18s Premier League during the 2020/21 season, he became a more regular fixture the following campaign, making 14 appearances across all competitions, including four for the U21s in Premier League 2.
Taylor kicked on again in 2022/23, firmly establishing himself as a regular for City's U21s by making 16 appearances in the Premier League 2. Although primarily used as a left-back at that stage, the 21-year-old also made five appearances in the UEFA Youth League.
The 2022/23 campaign also saw him help City's U18s win the U18 Premier League National Final, registering an assist in a 2-1 victory over West Ham United at the Etihad Stadium.
The 2023/24 campaign, which proved to be his last at City, was his most productive in Manchester as he made 28 appearances across the Premier League 2, the UEFA Youth League and the EFL Trophy. He scored eight goals and registered six assists, with the bulk of his game time coming in midfield for the first time.
His move into the engine room, as the statistics reflected, allowed Taylor to express himself more freely and become even more effective. His performances for City earned him a return to Villa in August 2024, and he made 21 appearances for the U21s in his first season back at Villa Park, scoring twice.
With no sign of a first-team breakthrough under Unai Emery, Taylor was sent out on loan for the first time in January, joining League Two side Oldham Athletic for the second half of the 2025/26 campaign. Despite making just six starts for the Greater Manchester outfit, he made 16 appearances in total, scoring two goals and registering one assist.
What has been said about him?
Following Taylor's first senior goal in Oldham Athletic's 3-1 victory over Colchester United on Good Friday, Latics boss Micky Mellon praised the Aston Villa loanee for the patience he had shown while waiting for his opportunity.
"It was a fantastic header from Kane Taylor to score a very important goal, and I'm really pleased for him," said Mellon. "He's a terrific player who's had to be patient because the team's been doing well, but he's trained properly every day and waited for his opportunity.
"When it came, he took it, which is exactly what you want from your squad."
Why do Wednesday want him?
Being interested in a player is no guarantee that a deal will be completed, and Taylor is one of a number of options Wednesday are running the rule over. However, it is no secret that their midfield lacks depth.
Barry Bannan, Billy Mitchell and Callum Slattery make up the Owls' senior midfield options, underlining the need for additional depth in that area of the squad. Wednesday are keen to build a balanced squad this summer, meaning there is still room in the midfield department for another youngster or two.
Additionally, Taylor's versatility would offer Wednesday an alternative option at left-back. In the modern game, multi-functional players are highly valued, making his ability to play in several positions an attractive asset.