Gary Hooper has been linked with a £6 million move to the Premier League, so who should Sheffield Wednesday consider as potential replacements if he goes?
The Sun recently reported that Sheffield Wednesday striker Gary Hooper is attracting plenty of attention from the Premier League after a blistering start to the season in the Championship, with seven goals coming in 11 league games.
The Sun suggests that the Owls may, perhaps surprisingly, be willing to sell the former Celtic man if they receive a bid of £6 million, with the likes of West Bromwich Albion, Crystal Palace and Brighton all keen.
So if Wednesday do sell the 29-year-old, who should Carlos Carvalhal look to replace him with? HITC Sport has suggested four potential replacements, including a couple of ambitious targets for the Owls…
Bobby Reid
Bristol City’s Bobby Reid is the man who tops the Championship scoring charts along with Hooper, having also scored seven goals in 11 games for the Robins this term. Though he is traditionally a midfielder, he has been brilliant up front this season, so perhaps Carvalhal should consider going after him. His lack of experience as a striker however, would make a deal a gamble for Wednesday.
Jordan Hugill
Jordan Hugill enjoyed a breakout season for Preston North End last season, scoring 12 times in the league for the Lilywhites. His form at the start of this year has been decent with three goals coming so far. Wednesday’s style appears to be a lot more open than Preston’s, as Alex Neil’s men have lost just once and have conceded fewer goals, so perhaps the greater amount of chances he may receive if he ended up at Hillsborough may help Hugill take his game to the next level.
Benik Afobe
The Sun recently suggested that Wolves and West Brom want Benik Afobe after his difficult time at Bournemouth, and the Cherries are ready to let him go. The Sun adds however, that he would prefer a Premier League move, so it would be ambitious for Wednesday to try and pull off a deal for the man valued at around £12 million by Bournemouth. Based on his form with Wolves before his Dean Court move however, that would be money well spent if Wednesday did join the race and did make a bid.
Ademola Lookman
Based on Ademola Lookman’s potential, there is surely no way that Wednesday could even think about trying to pull off a permanent move for the Everton youngster. But with the former Charlton starlet struggling for chances, perhaps the Toffees will be interested in loaning him out in January. And if he heads to a Championship side, he would be guaranteed games without helping a club competing with his parent side. If he is available on loan, Wednesday simply have to make a bid – even if Hooper is still on their books.
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