Hotel breakfasts, disappointments and killer cuppas: Inside Sheffield Wednesday's January transfer window

A post-11pm confirmation of the loan addition of experienced Denmark international Kristian Pedersen completed a quartet of new additions to a squad Danny Röhl warned from the outset he wished to refresh as the Owls set about making their last changes to their changing room options ahead of a Championship survival rear guard and a vital trip to Huddersfield Town on Saturday.

It was a long and winding window that started brightly, waded through the mire of disappointment and ultimately finished with two deadline day signings. Prospective additions were given presentations by Röhl - either by Zoom or in person where geography would allow - where the German sought to have them see beyond the league table and wow them with detail. Players were shown what they'd be asked to do and were given bullet-point persuasions of where Röhl and his coaching team could improve them, with video analysis and clips presented. It served as an opportunity for the Owls boss to get a taste for the player, too.

There's a whole lot that's gone on in the last month. Featuring some details you may not have heard before, let's take a run-through of the talking points in Wednesday's January transfer window.

No time for a(nother) number nine

The headline topic for many is their failure to bring in a goal-getting number nine after the chasing of highly-rated Arsenal youth prospect Mika Biereth and Orlando City striker Duncan McGuire. While those were the two potential deals played out in the pages of The Star, it is understood that others were sought. A report in the Daily Mail suggested West Ham youngster Divin Mubama was of interest to the Owls among others but that injuries in the Hammers squad prompted an about-turn in the Hammers' thinking along with the departure of Said Benrahma to Lyon. Approaches for other Premier League youngsters were made in a highly competitive market.

The Star understands that Biereth (pictured below) had been identified as a prime target by Wednesday early doors in the window and that following encouraging discussions with Arsenal, there were high hopes the Danish youth international would sign on after the cancellation of a successful loan with Scottish Premiership outfit Motherwell. That was before interest from Austrian title-chasers Sturm Graz, who had a pre-existing relationship with the Gunners. In a subsequent interview, while not explicitly naming Wednesday, Biereth spoke about the desire to head to a club towards the top of their league at which he would likely receive more chances to score.

McGuire's mini-saga came and went in a flash, interest reported from Wednesday Stateside ahead of other clubs before Blackburn Rovers came in strong with an Adam Wharton-shaped boost in their bank account. The fees are unknown - sources close to the deal suggest some of the figures presented out in the US media were 'highly inflated' - but Owls were initially seen as favourites as they were able to offer a straight permanent transfer while others, including Rovers and Danish side FC Midtjylland, preferred loan options.

Flown over having been given the go-ahead to complete a deal with Blackburn, his representatives received word from senior Rovers figures to explain that a deal was to be cancelled while still on a Transatlantic flight. It was still off when they landed at Manchester between 6 and 7am and McGuire travelled to Sheffield, having breakfast at the Kenwood Hall Mercure Hotel while waiting on word from either party. While The Star understands talks were had, it is at this stage unclear to what extent talks with Wednesday went on deadline day itself. With up-front fees from Wharton's deal to join Crystal Palace cleared, Blackburn were able to complete the transfer.

These were reports that raised eyebrows given Dejphon Chansiri's recent insistence that he would not put 'additional funds' into the club. The Star has no reason, however, to believe the interest in McGuire (above) wasn't genuine at least before the fees discussed were raised. As it turned out, only loans were completed in the window and the spread of funds once thought of for the Orlando deal were for whatever reason seemingly not used elsewhere.

The forward line was strengthened earlier in the window by the addition of former Chelsea starlet Ike Ugbo on loan from French side Troyes after the negotiation of his loan termination with Cardiff City. He has to date made three appearances for the Owls - two as starts and both as a 'number nine' - and has looked bright. But for the width of a post, he may well already have a couple of Wednesday goals to his name.

Lighter in midfield

Deadline day brought the surprise, rapid-fire departure of fan favourite George Byers (pictured below) to Blackpool in a loan deal that will take him to the end of his contract at S6, a story broken by The Star. Byers, a sideline figure for the most part in recent weeks due to suspension, illness and the advancement of rival figures in the battle for minutes, was set to remain a Wednesday player until 48 hours or so before the deadline before something changed.

There was interest from Rotherham United, Oxford United and from Germany among others in the 27-year-old. Barnsley made an approach to take him on a free transfer and though an attractive proposition, Byers' camp decided against that given he will become a free agent in the summer. Former Owls recruitment chief David Downes, now at Blackpool, is understood to have played an influential part in the deal, which delivered a decidedly mixed reaction from the fan base.

That it came after the exits of both loanee John Buckley back to Blackburn - injured with a shoulder injury that will see him return sometime on either side of the turn from February to March - and Tyreeq Bakinson on loan to Charlton Athletic earlier in the window left Wednesday fans short in the middle of the park. Röhl spoke a number of times about the desire to readdress areas of the squad he felt were bloated in numbers and felt midfield was one. Attempts to negotiate the possible return of injured loanee Jeff Hendrick to Newcastle United fell on deaf ears - no cut clause in Wednesday's favour had been included in a deal done late in the summer window.

Wednesday did search for a 'mobile number six' in their quest for added strength in midfield. A deal to secure the permanent transfer of West Ham United youngster Conor Coventry (below) was so close that details of a medical were being discussed, The Star can reveal. The deal collapsed on lunchtime of January 11 while Röhl was undertaking media duties ahead of the Owls' trip to Southampton.

London boy Coventry signed for Charlton, with factors including location and guarantees of playing time understood to have been at the heart of the decision. With Wednesday drawing in as favourites for the transfer Michael Appleton, later sacked as Addicks boss, met with Coventry's parents at their family home and drank tea during a conversation that is said to have played an important part in the deal.

Cardiff City's Andy Rinomhota was spoken about later in the window but it is unclear to what extent talks went before he signed for Rotherham United. Reports linking Newcastle man Isaac Hayden with the Owls in this window are believed to have been wide of the mark. The renaissance of Liam Palmer as an effective holding midfielder and the return to fitness of Momo Diaby do go some way to levelling the numbers with the three exits confirmed.

Keeper capers

The signing of the very highly-rated England youth international James Beadle on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion seems some time ago but was a savvy piece of business for a side that wants to welcome attackers onto their goalkeeper in order to create space to cut through playing out from the back. A successful loan with League One promotion hopefuls Oxford United was cut short by the Seagulls once the opportunity to pair Beadle with his former Amex goalkeeping coach Sal Bibbo became an option. The Yellows, it is understood, were less than impressed.

It came at a time in which long-time Wednesday stopper Cameron Dawson was in fine form and raised eyebrows given the presence of AC Milan keeper Devis Vasquez as back-up. Beadle is seen as one of the foremost goalkeeping talents in the country, however, with more than one insider describing his likely voyage through the EFL loans system as one capable of following the rapid rise of James Trafford, now at Burnley.

There was no cut clause in Wednesday's deal with Milan on Vasquez and an exit had to be negotiated. The Star is told that the Beadle deal was only ratified once it became clear the Italians were confident of being able to move the Colombian on to another loan. He eventually joined Serie B side Ascoli. With Beadle cup-tied and Dawson injured in Saturday's FA Cup draw with Coventry City, Pierce Charles stepped in to make his senior debut and impressed. Consideration to try to move him out on loan was put on pause after Dawson's knee issue and could be revisited should a high-flying non-league club require a keeper in the coming weeks.

What else of the incomings?

Deadline day arrived in the fog and confusion of the McGuire deal, with designs on strengthening key areas including attack and midfield. They achieved that endeavour at least partially with the additions of Ian Poveda and Kristian Pedersen, both on loan from Championship clubs - Leeds United and Swansea City respectively.

Poveda, a supremely talented former England youth international reared in academies at Arsenal, Chelsea, Barcelona, Brentford and Manchester City before stepping into senior football with Leeds United, was of interest to Birmingham City before settling on a deal to join Wednesday around 4pm. The Blues, led by Poveda's former Blackburn Rovers manager Tony Mowbray, head felt they would sign the Colombian international but had to move players out of the club and failed to do so, despite offering players to clubs around the Championship - including forward Scott Hogan to Wednesday themselves.

The deal to take Poveda, out of contract with Leeds in the summer, was originally designed around a permanent deal but was switched to a loan sometime after he arrived in Sheffield. He completed a medical sometime after 9pm.

Kristian Pedersen was the final addition of the window, signing on loan from Swansea City to reunite with his Wednesday assistant coach Henrik Pedersen for a third time after the pair worked together when the senior Pedersen was manager of HB Køge and then assistant at German side Union Berlin.

The Star understands a deal to sign a mystery younger option on loan was explored and had the Owls hopeful at one stage, but that the coaching team had few qualms in plumping for the one-cap Denmark international after a recommendation from one of their own, despite fan concerns over recent playing time. The signing of Pedersen not only provides a challenge and a more defensive-minded alternative to Marvin Johnson on the left of defence, but will allow Akin Famewo to be used as an out-and-out centre-half to beef-up numbers in the middle.

The links away

Perhaps the busiest Wednesday pages in The Star this month were those linking players away, with a host of names approaching the end of their contracts with the club and with Röhl eyeing a turnover of players perhaps even more dramatic than the four-in, four-out they ended up with.

Two names seemingly way down the pecking order are Reece James and Lee Gregory, both of whom had interest from clubs in League One and League Two and who had genuine offers of wage contributions. Negotiations ultimately fell flat with Wednesday asking for contributions some sources described as 'unrealistic'. Derby County, who had earlier been knocked back in their attempts to sign Michael Smith, came in strong twice for Gregory but given their cap on spending agreed with the EFL in the wake of administration couldn't get particularly close to a deal.

An ambitious League Two club who The Star cannot name are said to have been left frustrated with negotiations around wage contributions in a loan or permanent deal for James, whose situation was not helped by the late arrival of a left-back. Although minutes have been hard to come by in recent weeks, James has been a regular on the Owls bench on matchdays.

Smith was the subject of a loan offer from Derby that was swiftly knocked back with the Owls preferring a permanent transfer. Other clubs are believed to have made enquiries as to his availability and The Star can reveal a short-lived, cursory approach from Ipswich Town before the Tractor Boys completed a deal to bring in fellow target man Kieffer Moore on loan from Bournemouth.

Marvin Johnson's name hit the headlines midway through the window after a transfer bid was launched by Ipswich. Reports of a £1m bid are understood to have been incorrect, with Röhl himself confirming The Star's report that an initial approach was based around a free transfer offer - though add-ons were mooted. The two clubs remained in contact but Johnson's form, along with Wednesday's valuation of the 33-year-old, always made a deal unlikely. A bid for Josh Windass from MLS outfit Real Salt Lake is believed to have been given short shirft.

Where does it leave them?

Röhl cut a highly frustrated figure in several media engagements as the transfer window drew on and it's no stretch to surmise he would have liked to have done much more business in the month. Deals got close and deals fell down for a myriad of reasons and the German has suggested the club will take stock and conduct a review of the club's performance - for good and for bad. From the terraces looking in, the lack of a proven, goal-getting number nine is the sticking point for many and there are concerns over depth in midfield.

It remains to be seen how the 25-man squad list shapes up and whether senior players will have to miss out given Momo Diaby was unregistered pre-Christmas and an even number of players were moved out and brought in. Despite being 19, James Beadle will have to be registered as he is a loan signing, The Star understands, while there is the question mark of whether Juan Delgado will be included on the list given the long-term nature of his injury.

Wednesday's freshened-up squad will make the trip to Huddersfield on Saturday hoping to get their post-January campaign off and running at the first attempt. Whether new faces Ian Poveda or Kristian Pedersen are ready to take their places in the matchday squad remains to be seen.

Buckle up, in many ways the season has only just begun.