Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl has revealed that he is considering the possibility of sending goalkeeper Pierce Charles out on loan after Saturday’s FA Cup tie at Coventry City.
Charles has long been regarded as one of Wednesday’s brightest young talents, and he started all four of his side’s EFL Cup games this season, impressing on each of those occasions.
In addition to his progress at club level, Charles has made his breakthrough for Northern Ireland at international level in recent months, and has kept three clean sheets in four games for Michael O’Neill’s men since making his debut in October.
It seems that Charles’ development has not gone unnoticed, and The Star claimed last month that Aston Villa were among a number of Premier League clubs keeping tabs on the 19-year-old, while a host of EFL sides are also said to be keen to sign him on loan in January.
Brighton & Hove Albion loanee James Beadle is currently the Owls’ number one goalkeeper, and he has played a key role in helping Rohl’s men up to 10th in the Championship table, so Charles is unlikely to receive many minutes at Hillsborough in the second half of the season, which could open the door to a loan move.
| Championship table (as it stands 10th January) | ||||
| Team | P | GD | Pts | |
| 9 | Watford | 25 | -1 | 37 |
| 10 | Sheffield Wednesday | 26 | -2 | 37 |
| 11 | Norwich City | 26 | 6 | 36 |
| 12 | Swansea City | 26 | 0 | 34 |
| 13 | QPR | 26 | -5 | 32 |
| 14 | Millwall | 25 | 1 | 30 |
| 15 | Preston North End | 26 | -6 | 30 |
| 16 | Coventry City | 26 | -3 | 29 |
Danny Rohl on potential Pierce Charles loan move
Charles was reportedly the subject of an enquiry from League One side Crawley Town in the summer, but as Ben Hamer was sidelined with injury at the time, Wednesday decided to keep him at the club.
Rohl has previously praised the competition between Beadle and Charles, suggesting that he was keen to keep hold of the Northern Ireland international, but his stance now seems to have changed, with the German hinting that he is weighing up the possibility of sanctioning his temporary exit after the Coventry game on Saturday.
“Let’s see at the weekend,” Rohl told The Star.
“It could be interesting, maybe he gets an opportunity.
“But we will make the final decision tomorrow and then we will see after the cup game what is helpful for him.
“I see him every day in the training.
“He is the next player and we create something with him.
“I think he will have a big future at a higher level, I see a lot of potential and it will be interesting in the future to see which bigger clubs will come because he has everything to play for a good, good club in the future.”
Given Charles’ ability with the ball at his feet, Wednesday are believed to only be willing to send him to a club with a style of play that would suit his skills set, and with increasing EFL interest in his services, he could be on the move over the coming weeks.
Sheffield Wednesday defender Michael Ihiekwe is looking to leave the club this month as he seeks first-team football elsewhere.
Sheffield Wednesday facing big Pierce Charles dilemma
Charles is widely expected to take over from Beadle as Wednesday’s number one goalkeeper next season, so a loan move in January would be the perfect way to prepare him to step into the first choice role at Hillsborough.
However, Charles is already attracting interest from Premier League clubs, and a strong loan move could see him emerge on the radar of even more top flight sides, which would potentially make the Owls vulnerable to losing him in the summer.
Based on his EFL Cup and international performances, Charles is certainly ready for first-team football, and should the Owls decide to send him out on loan, he would be an excellent signing for any promotion-chasing League One side.
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