Opinion: Sheffield Wednesday should make approach for Man United winger on loan | OneFootball

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There have been just three matches of the 2023-24 Championship season so far but it is clear to see that Sheffield Wednesday are in danger of struggling.

The Owls' preparations for their Championship return over the summer were disrupted early on with the departure of promotion-winning manager Darren Moore, and he was eventually replaced by Xisco Munoz, who didn't land a new signing until weeks after his appointment.

A flurry of new additions eventually came through the door at Hillsborough but it's clear to see that the Spaniard's ways and methods have still not fully clicked yet.

Wednesday have been shopping both domestically and overseas this summer but with three defeats in as many Championship matches to start the season, it's clear that something needs to change.

With Xisco moving away from Darren Moore's favoured back three to incorporate a back four with wingers, the likes of Anthony Musaba, Djeidi Gassama, and Juan Delgado have been added, but the performances against Southampton, Hull City, and most recently Preston North End have been pretty dour.

It's clear to see that a bit more pace, creativity, and flair is needed in the final third, and with some loan slots still open to the Owls ahead of next week's transfer deadline, they should head to Old Trafford in a bid to try and sign Manchester United youngster Shola Shoretire for the rest of the season.

Who is Shola Shoretire?

Newcastle-born Shoretire spent the early part of his youth career at local North East clubs and then Newcastle United but after spending a year at Man City, he joined the Red Devils at the age of nine in 2013.

Shoretire made his United under-18's debut at the age of just 15 and despite not even being a scholar with the club yet, he was a regular feature at that level in the 2019-20 season.

His breakthrough to prominence came in the 2020-21 campaign though, where not only did he score 10 times in 21 Premier League 2 appearances at under-21 level, but Shoretire made three first-team appearances - two of those coming in the Premier League.

Shoretire continued to be creative at youth level in 2021-22 with nine goals and 10 assists in 29 appearances, and in 2022-23 he was finally given the opportunity to head out on loan with Bolton Wanderers of League One in the second half of the season.

Whilst he often played in the unfamiliar position of a striker for the Trotters, the move was a learning curve for Shoretire, who scored just the once and assisted twice in 16 matches under Ian Evatt, but it was a good platform to earn himself another move for 2023-24 - that could be at somewhere like Wednesday.

Why should Sheffield Wednesday sign Shola Shoretire?

Whilst summer signings Musaba and Gassama are somewhat unknown quantities having arrived from overseas, Shoretire has come up through a very productive academy system and has already had experience of the EFL at League One level in a good team.

And the move to Bolton wouldn't have been entirely comfortable for the teenager as he was playing out of position a lot - Shoretire is naturally a winger that can also play in the number 10 role and Wednesday are now a club that can accommodate a player like that thanks to Munoz's tactics.

Shoretire is an effective ball carrier and can beat a man with his trickery but of course, his end product will need to improve at senior level if he is to get a Championship move to a club like Wednesday.