Pierce Charles is set to head to Manchester City after Sheffield Wednesday struck a deal to sell their star goalkeeper.
The Owls has signed the Northern Ireland international from the Premier League giants in 2021, and has since emerged to be a star of their Championship years and struggles under the ownership of Dejphon Chansiri.
City Make Return Swoop
However, interest in Charles has ramped up over the summer, starting with interest from the promoted Cardiff City as they struggled to come to terms over a permanent move for Nathan Trott.
Since then, Manchester City have entered the frame to sign the 20-year-old this summer as current backup to Gianluigi Donnarumma in James Trafford, looks keen to earn a move away for regular game time.
Now, according to Fabrizio Romano, Wednesday have come to terms with City, who are now led by Enzo Maresca, to sign the goalkeeper who has one year remaining on his contract at Hillsborough.
The Blues are believed to be weighing up as to whether Charles will head out on loan or stay around and act as a support to the Italian goalkeeper, with talkSPORT’s Alex Crook stating that City are leaning towards the former.
He played 19 times in the Championship last season, with a half-season loan move for Ethan Horvath hindering his involvement in their relegation campaign under Henrik Pedersen.
It will likely be the second move of the summer for City from League One, with Leicester City’s Jeremy Monga set to reunite with former manager Maresca at the Etihad Stadium.
Who Should Wednesday Pursue Next?
With Sheffield Wednesday now sanctioning a sale of Pierce Charles, it leaves the Owls on the hunt for someone new to play between the sticks in their comeback campaign under the watch of David Storch.
From within the club, it may be too soon for Logan Stretch to become a regular player, having just played once in their third-round FA Cup exit to Brentford in January.
A move for Ethan Horvath is already off the cards after his parent club Cardiff City sanctioned his exit to Major League Soccer’s New York Red Bulls in January, meaning that an alternative will have to be found elsewhere.
Of course, it may not be unrealistic for them to get Charles back on loan should Manchester City sanction a loan exit, but they may be beaten by clubs in the Championship for his services.
Filip Marschall stands out as the best option on the market, with his campaign at Stevenage rightly earning him plaudits as part of the Boro’s successful push for the playoffs.
Whether they can strike a deal with Alex Revell’s side remains to be seen, but it is likely they will demand a high fee for a player they signed just 12 months ago.
One Response
I understand the logic in selling him. I hope they received a good fee with add ons if he is sold later. However why did they not negotiate a loan back for the year. I’m sure he will learn just as much in Wednesday as in many other clubs First Division or even Championship. Still could happen as it seems it is not a done deal just yet.