'Surprised' Sheffield Wednesday star bullish in thoughts on transfer effort and title chances

That’s the message to have come out of the Owls camp this week as Darren Moore continued in his mission to finalise his squad.

Wednesday take on Moore’s former club Doncaster Rovers on Saturday with a host of possible new debutants, including number nine Lee Gregory, who scored a brace in a behind-closed-doors friendly with Manchester United under-23s, and new winger Sylla Sow, who is fresh from the Dutch Eredivisie.

Sow became the club’s 13th summer signing when he was confirmed on Tuesday evening and every indication is that Wednesday might not be done there.

One man deeply encouraged by the club’s efforts in the transfer window is club captain Barry Bannan, who has previously spoken of his delight in how the club appear to have turned things around since their relegation from the Championship.

Asked what he he thought of the squad transition, Bannan said: “I’m surprised with how we’ve got them to be honest. The signings have been really very good.

“That squad today wouldn’t look out of place in the Championship, there are a lot of Championship players there that have played there for years and not looked out of place.

“I’m over the moon that the gaffer has got these players in, along with the chairman.”

Wednesday have been installed among the early favourites to get promoted, a tag Bannan has no interest in shying away from. After the signing of his new contract, forward Josh Windass made a similar assertion.

“We’ve got to concentrate on ourselves,” Bannan said on the need to handle expectation.

“We always knew we’d be one of the favourites because we’re one of the biggest clubs in the league. We’re obviously going to be favourites with the squad we’ve got.

“But it’s about staying away from that and concentrating on ourselves. We have our own goals, which is to win the league. And I can’t see why we can’t win it.

“But it won’t get given to you. We have to go out and put the performances on every single week.”