Garry Monk’s quest to bring younger, hungrier players to Sheffield Wednesday should incorporate a newly-available Tottenham Hotspur midfielder – that is, at least, in this writer’s opinion.
Oliver Skipp signed a new four-year deal at Tottenham on Friday, but wants to leave on loan next season, according to his manager Jose Mourinho.
Skipp’s position, usually between the lines of defence and midfield, is one in which Wednesday are expected to strengthen in the summer transfer window.
The Owls have already allowed Sam Hutchinson, a mainstay in that particular role for much of the past six years, to leave at the end of his contract, while Kieran Lee could follow when his prolonged deal expires next week.
In the meantime, Sheffield Wednesday are being linked with a move for Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, the more attack-minded Manchester City midfielder.
But recruiting Dele-Bashiru should not end the Owls’ search for reinforcements in the centre of the pitch.
For starters, Monk has favoured a three-man midfield in each of Wednesday’s games since the restart, and is due to carry over just Massimo Luongo – another who started out at Tottenham – Barry Bannan, Joey Pelupessy and Alex Hunt into next season.
It is perhaps not unfair, either, to question the reliability of both Pelupessy – who has proved a far inferior Hutchinson stand-in – and Hunt – who, however promising, is still just a 20-year-old with fewer than 300 minutes of senior football to his name.
But while latter can also be said of Skipp (although he’s 19 until September), the England Under-21 player’s experience has come against predominantly top-flight opponents, both domestically and in Europe.
In that time, he has demonstrated an ability to not only halt opposition play, through a combination of intelligence and a combative style akin to that of Hutchinson, but to act as a springboard for his own team’s moves through passes short or long – making him a useful alternative to Bannan as well.
And in a Sheffield Wednesday side so palpably short of leaders, there is undoubtedly space for a player to whom Mourinho has already referred as a ‘future Tottenham captain’.
Whether or not Skipp’s signature is one the Owls will pursue, only time will tell. And staying in the Championship could be key to their chances. Even then, Monk’s men would unlikely be alone in their interest.
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