Young Sheffield Wednesday forward Will Grainger is attracting interest from a Premier League side after breaking into the Owls’ first team.
Grainger, who will head to the European Under-19 Championships with Wales this month, became part of the Wednesday squad amidst the financial troubles at the club.
He was regularly named on the bench but made himself known in the final three games of the season for Henrik Pedersen’s side.
Still only 17, Grainger has a bright future in football, but it’s unknown where his immediate future lies.
Sheffield Wednesday are said to be in talks over a new deal for the youngster, but a Premier League club are also “keeping tabs” on him.
Everton Interested in Will Grainger
BBC Sport have reported that Everton are interested in Sheffield Wednesday’s hot prospect Grainger.
The Merseyside club are said to be watching what happens in his contract talks with the Owls.
Interest in the player is to be expected given his performances in his limited first-team experience, but Pedersen will likely be hoping he can keep a player of such ability at the club.
Showing Real Class
Despite his young age, Grainger showed glimpses of the quality he has against experienced professionals.
After playing eight minutes against Ipswich Town in March, the Welsh attacker came on for 22 minutes against Middlesbrough in their third-to-last game.
Against Boro, he had one shot on target, forcing the opposition goalkeeper into one of his two saves that game. The youngster received a Sofascore rating of 6.8 for that cameo at the Riverside.
He followed that up with a special moment in Wednesday’s final away game of the season. Grainger scored the team’s only goal in a 4-1 defeat to Oxford United and proved to be a constant threat.
Grainger then started the final home game of the season. Although he was quiet, it was a poignant moment given that the takeover of the club was confirmed before the game, and the next generation was given their first chance.
Will Grainger Stay at Sheffield Wednesday?
Those close to Sheffield Wednesday will likely hope so.
In the season that’s just ended, they had to sell players to make money, including future prospects Yisa Alao and Bailey Cadamarteri.
Now with the new owners, Pedersen will likely hope he’s able to keep a young prospect like Grainger, develop him at the club and begin to regularly use him in the first team.
The chance to join a club like Everton will likely be attractive to Grainger.
Their facilities are top-class, and he could continue to develop in an elite environment.
All Wednesday fans can hope is that the fact he is a fan of the club means he decides his future is in Sheffield, not Merseyside.
