Middlesbrough’s hopes for a bidding war between Sheffield Wednesday and Aston Villa fell flat.
Clubs and players across the land will be thankful the transfer window is over, especially Jordan Rhodes who has had to endure a month’s worth of speculation over where he would end up.
The Scotsman had it very publicly known that he was not wanted at Middlesbrough, although there seemed no shortage of Championship teams willing to take him.
Middlesbrough’s Jordan Rhodes celebrates their second goal
Boro’s high asking price though left only two teams by time the final week of the transfer window came around, with Aston Villa and Sheffield Wednesday both considering signing the forward.
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Days before the deadline The Sun reported Wednesday were considering a £8 million move for the striker, hoping to beat Villa to his signature.
What Wednesday decided to do instead was wait, and their patience paid off in stunning fashion.
A game of brinkmanship ensued, with the Owls gambling successfully that Villa’s interest was waning.
By time deadline day came around, Villa’s attention had turned to Brentford striker Scott Hogan, whose proposed move to West Ham had fallen through.
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By teatime on deadline day Hogan was at Villa’s training ground signing papers and doing a medical, which left Wednesday as the only buyers for Jordan Rhodes.
This left Middlesbrough in a tough spot, wanting to be fair to the player, and they ended up caving and letting him go out on loan to the Owls.
Middlesbrough’s Jordan Rhodes in action with West Ham United’s Adrian
Wednesday saved themselves millions in the short-term, and could stand to gain more than six times the amount Rhodes, if the striker can lead them to promotion.
This allows Wednesday to fit the fee in under the league’s Financial Fair Play rules, under next year’s budget as opposed to into this season’s.
Rhodes could still be expensive in the summer, every bit as much, but if Wednesday are a Premier League team by then, spending £8-10 million on a permanent deal for his services will suddenly seem like a snip rather than a large expense.
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