Owls seeking clarity over loan stars availability

HAVING triggered 12-month extensions in Osaze Urhoghide, Matt Penney and Joey Pelupessy’s contracts, Sheffield Wednesday are trying to move quickly to find out how many of their five loan players will be available for the season’s run-in.

News of Pelupessy’s extension broke on Wednesday, and yesterday the Owls rewarded Urhoghide for an eventful first year at Hillsborough, while also maintaining their faith in on-loan Penney.

Urhoghide initially joined on trial having been released by Wimbledon, and made an impressive debut in January’s FA Cup third-round win at Birghton and Hove Albion. The 19-year-old followed it with an outstanding performance at Leeds United, but his next two appearances were a 5-0 loss at home to Blackburn Rovers and a 3-0 home defeat to Reading, which he was sent off in.

But he impressed sufficiently to survive what is likely to be a summer cull as Wednesday look to revamp their squad after another season of disappointment.

Penney is on loan at Bundesliga 2 side St Pauli, where he will see out the German season, as will Joost van Aken at Osnabruck.

The Owls have nine matches to complete in 2019-20, and the signs are positive that loanees Alessio Da Cruz, Jacob Murphy, Conor Wickham, Josh Windass and David Bates will stay on for them if required.

Sides have until June 23 – three days after the Owls are due to return to action at home to Nottingham Forest – to reach agreement.

But, to plan properly, Monk said he needs answers sooner.

“Those players are keen to (have their contracts) extended until these games are finished,” he said. “We’re trying to speak to clubs and see if that’s possible.

“Hopefully we have some news soon. That’s something that will need to happen to help us.”

Bates’s only Owls appearance came in the League Cup before Monk’s arrival but Murphy has been a key figure, involved in 35 matches during his season-long loan from Newcastle United, while Windass has scored twice in four appearances since joining from Wigan Athletic, and would like to make his stay permanent.

The contracts of Morgan Fox, Steven Fletcher, Fernando Forestieri, Sam Hutchinson, Kieran Lee, Atdhe Nuhiu, Jack Stobbs and Sam Winnall are due to expire at the end of the month.