Reece James speaks out on possibility of permanent Sheffield Wednesday move amidst Blackpool loan | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday saw their 23-game unbeaten League One run come to an end at Barnsley last week, with a defeat against bottom club Forest Green Rovers then playing out on Sunday.

Darren Moore's side will be striving to swiftly respond to their setbacks over the last week when they travel back down to Gloucestershire for a clash against Cheltenham Town tomorrow evening.

Naturally, recruitment planning will be well underway at Hillsborough and they will have a plan in place for if promotion is achieved and perhaps a separate one if they remain in the third-tier.

The Owls have several individuals who are set to see their contracts expire in the summer and how the season plays out will likely be pivotal in which players will extend their Hillsborough stay.

Sheffield Wednesday also have a few players in on loan, and like the situations of those out of contract, which division they find themselves in, will likely impact their level of desire to keep hold of players or not.

One player who is keen to remain at Hillsborough is defender Reece James, who spoke to Yorkshire Live about his situation with the summer in mind and said: "At the moment there haven’t been any conversations for myself with either club really, but obviously I’m really enjoying my football, I’m really enjoying my time at the club - you never know what can happen.

"I’m keen for something to happen, but we’ll have to wait and see," he added. "Obviously, I’ve really enjoyed my time here, I’ve loved it. And my main focus is to get the job over the line here.

“There’s not really been any contact with Blackpool, they’ve got their focus and I’ve got mine. Theirs is to stay in the Championship and mine is to get into the Championship with Sheffield Wednesday, so that’s what I’m concentrating on."

The verdict

As James alludes to, both his parent club and the Owls are battling for safety and promotion respectively, which could have a big impact on how the defender's situation plays out in the summer.

The 29-year-old has emerged as a source of consistency for Sheffield Wednesday this season, whilst his versatility has been tested, having operated as a left-sided centre-back and as a wing-back.

It will be interesting to see what Blackpool's stance would be regarding James in the summer, having sanctioned his loan departure last summer.

However, as James states himself, Blackpool and Sheffield Wednesday will be focusing on avoiding releagtion and winning promotion respectively, and then both clubs will have a decision to make.