Middlesbrough and Sheffield Wednesday are set to battle it out for promotion this season.
Sheffield Wednesday’s Keiren Westwood
Middlesbrough have made a £3 million bid for Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Keiren Westwood, according to reports in two of Friday’s national newspapers, The Sun [page 61] and The Mirror [page 56].
New Boro boss Garry Monk has found himself short between the sticks, with Victor Valdes and Brad Guzan both leaving in the aftermath of the Teessiders’ relegation.
Dimi Konstantopoulos is set to sign a new contract, according to The Sun, with Connor Ripley, back from a season’s loan at Oldham Athletic, in line to back up the veteran shot-stopper this coming campaign.
Nevertheless, there is little doubt that Westwood would improve Monk’s options, as the former Leeds United boss seeks to restore Middlesbrough’s Premier League status, while losing him would severely dent Wednesday’s own promotion aspirations.
New Middlesbrough manager Garry Monk
Westwood has excelled since arriving at Hillsborough in 2014, with only David Stockdale [48] keeping more Championship clean sheets than the Irishman’s 47 since then – having appeared on 10 more occasions, prompting Wednesday to hand him a new three-year deal in August 2016.
In an interview with BBC Radio Sheffield on Thursday, Owls first team coach Lee Bullen said he was “very confident” the 32-year-old, along with fellow exit-linked stars Fernando Forestieri and Barry Bannan, will still be at the club come September.
Could Sheffield Wednesday lose Westwood to Middlesbrough?
Sheffield Wednesday’s Keiren Westwood saves a penalty from Nottingham Forest’s Ross McCormack
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