Middlesbrough, Max Lowe claim comes to light following Sheffield Wednesday switch | OneFootball

The defender decided to switch from one side of the Steel City rivalry to the other.

Highlights

Max Lowe has agreed to join Sheffield Wednesday, having been released by Sheffield United, but he turned down the opportunity to sign for Middlesbrough in order to make the Steel City switch.

Going from the Blades to the Owls is a move that has rarely been seen in history. Wednesday historian and author Jason Dickinson believes that there have only been three players in history that crossed the divide, with Lowe set to officially become the fourth when his contract with United expires.

The last time the switch was made was in September 1951, when George Underwood completed a £1,000 transfer to Wednesday.

Lowe is no stranger to joining rivals. While it wasn't a direct move, he played for both Derby County and Nottingham Forest within the space of two seasons. He joined United from the Rams in September 2020, and was loaned out to Forest less than a year later.

It's a brave move, one that is sure to curry favour with those in blue and aggravate those in red. But it wasn't the only option on the table for the 27-year-old.

Max Lowe turns down Middlesbrough

Lowe is believed to have held talks with Middlesbrough and a number of other second tier sides, before being convinced by Danny Röhl to cross no-mans land, according to the Sheffield Star.

The local outlet added that Lowe is set to sign a two-year deal with the Owls. There is said to be no option for either party to extend his stay by a year at the end of the deal.

Sheffield Wednesday's other transfer activity

As well as Lowe, the Owls have confirmed they have an agreement with goalkeeper Ben Hamer, who will sign for the club when his deal with Watford ends at the end of the month.

The club's German boss is set to reunite with a player he formerly coached at Southampton, Yan Valery. He reportedly had a medical booked for Thursday.

The Star have said that Wednesday will pay a fee to Valery's current club, Angers, in order to get the Frenchman through the door.

Röhl would prefer to get most of the transfer business done early, but has admitted that the window hasn't been a straightforward one.

Championship experience will be one of Max Lowe's best attributes

We've already seen what Wednesday's young boss can achieve with a side that wasn't really up to standard. He now has the full summer window to try and build a squad in his image, and one that can play the way that he wants to.

The addition of Lowe is one that brings a different element to this team than there previously was. Last season's squad wasn't filled with players that had proven themselves in the Championship in recent times.

The full-back certainly has. He won promotion to the Premier League with the Blades and Forest in back-to-back seasons (2021/22 & 2022/23).

One concern for Wednesday fans will be his injury record. When he was available for both of those teams he started. But he only made 46 appearances across the two campaigns.

Him, Hamer, Valery, and the others who are to come, are indicative of the intent of the manager. He doesn't want to be down the bottom again. He wants to be up there, trying to compete, and the best way to do that is to have players that you know will work at the level.