Sheffield Wednesday could send Gabriel Otegbayo out on loan

Sheffield Wednesday are considering a possible loan move for young defender Gabriel Otegbayo, according to The Star.

Sheffield Wednesday had one of the busiest summer transfer windows in the Championship.

Danny Rohl wasted no time shaping his ranks to his liking after committing his future to the Owls. This was his first real chance to make the team his own, with a number of players moving on at the end of deals to pave the way for new additions.

As the start of the new campaign approaches and pre-season draws to a close, decisions will be made on who could leave Hillsborough in the coming weeks.

The youngsters are likely to be lined up for loan exits and one candidate for a temporary move is Gabriel Otegbayo.

The defender joined from Burnley in March after a successful trial and after impressing through the youth ranks, he earned his chance with the Sheffield Wednesday first team this summer. Played against top level opposition in RB Salzburg and Werder Bremen.

Now The Star claim that a loan move for Otegbayo could be considered.

Should the right opportunity arise, Wednesday will look to send him on to find minutes away from the Championship club, who has performed well since signing earlier this year.

A deserved chance?

The last few months have been all about risk for Otegbayo.

He made the most of the opportunity to impress Sheffield Wednesday during the trial and has maintained those levels in his appearances for the U21s. So much so, he has earned the chance to work with Rohl’s team ahead of the new campaign.

That experience in and around the first team, as well as against high caliber opposition in pre-season, will be welcome for the Irishman’s development and confidence.

After taking those steps forward over the summer, it only makes sense to build on that momentum and give him a chance to continue when the new season begins. A loan move to the first team would give him just that, rather than returning to youth level for the start of the campaign.

A move away from the league could be ideal for Otegbayo, although it remains to be seen what the final decision is on Wednesday.

Subsequent departures

With a string of signings made and more additions wanted, it seems inevitable that there will be departures from Sheffield Wednesday in the final month of the transfer window.

Youngsters like Otegbayo may well leave. The likes of Rio Shipston, Sean Fusire, Sam Reed and others could be contenders for temporary outings.

There are some senior players who could also benefit from the moves.

Mallik Wilks is tipped for a departure, while a striker – perhaps Michael Smith – could be surplus to requirements if Rohl gets the talisman he wants. At the back, Michael Ihiekwe or Dominic Iorfa could face an exit if playing time is limited.