Sheffield Wednesday shift transfer stance on George Byers as club make approach

The London-born 27-year-old is a popular figure at S6 and has made 78 appearances at the Owls halfway stage of his third season with the club. No appearances have arrived in 2024, however, with suspension and more recently illness reported by manager Danny Röhl as the reason he has not played a minute of football in their last five matches. His most recent action for the club was in receiving a red card in defeat at Preston North End on December 29, for which he received a three-match ban.

The Star reported earlier this month that reported interest in Byers was at that stage likely to come to nothing with both player and club keen on keeping him at Hillsborough for what looks likely to be a fierce battle for survival. It is now understood that that stance has shifted and that Wednesday would be willing to listen to offers for the former Swansea City man, who is believed to be out of contract in the summer.

It is understood that at least one EFL club has approached Wednesday with a view to discussing a deal and while the status of that approach is as of yet unknown, should all three parties come to an agreement Byers could leave South Yorkshire before the deadline hits on Thursday evening. Wednesday are looking to oversee a turnover of players both in and out in what could be a manic final few days of the transfer window.

Röhl has spoken about a desire to guard against the possibility of contracted players having to be left off the 25-man EFL registration list and has touched a few times on the need to readdress areas of the squad in which they have an overload of options. Wednesday appear well-stocked in midfield, with Momo Diaby marking a successful return to the squad from long-term injury and Jeff Hendrick believed to be in the latter stages of a return from an issue of his own. Skipper Barry Bannan and Will Vaulks provide experience in the middle of the pitch while Josh Windass has ben used as an advanced midfielder in recent weeks.

A combative central midfielder who has on occasion worn the Owls captain's armband in the absence of more senior players, Byers has 14 goals and six assists in his 78 outings in Wednesday colours. He is one of a handful of the 2022/23 promotion-winning squad to be the subject of interest from other EFL clubs, with Lee Gregory, Michael Smith and Reece James also believed to have drawn admirers in this window.