Derby County’s Jacob Butterfield will spend the next eight months at Sheffield Wednesday.
Jacob Butterfield of Derby (left)
Sheffield Wednesday have made Derby County midfielder Jacob Butterfield their fifth and final summer signing.
And, in almost unprecedented circumstances (Wednesday once loaned Alan Quinn to Sunderland in exchange for Michael Reddy) Butterfield will trade places with Owls striker Sam Winnall until the end of the campaign.
Michael Reddy of Sheffield Wednesday
By his own admission, the 27-year-old’s move came somewhat out of the blue, although there’s certainly some logic to it.
Wednesday are believed to have wanted another midfielder all summer, while something had to give up front, with Winnall one of seven senior strikers – the rest either unexpendable or simply unwanted.
Sam Winnall of Sheffield Wednesday (bottom)
And on paper at least, Butterfield looks to be worth the sacrifice. The Yorkshireman has scored or assisted 54 goals in 268 Championship appearances – one contribution for every five outings on average – and cost Derby – for whom he played 40 times last season – close to £5 million two years ago.
But the following account aside, most Derby fans don’t seem to see it that way…
(Based on the remaining responses, I suspect the next one isn’t supposed to read like a compliment about Butterfield…)
Can Butterfield prove the Derby fans wrong at Sheffield Wednesday?
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