Sheffield Wednesday weighing up move for 30-year-old | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore has confirmed Michael Hector is training with the club as he considers whether to offer the defender a deal.

As initially reported by The Star, Wednesday were weighing up a move for Hector, who is currently a free agent after his release from Fulham in the summer.

It is a move which would see Hector return to the club where he enjoyed a successful loan spell in the 2018-19 season, establishing himself as a firm fans favourite and winning the Player of the Year award.

Wednesday are in the market for defensive reinforcements after Mark McGuinness was recalled by Cardiff City and with Michael Ihiekwe and Ben Heneghan currently out injured.

They have also suffered a further blow with the news that Reece James is expected to be out for a few weeks after the Blackpool loanee was stretched off in the 1-0 win over Wycombe Wanderers at Adams Park on Saturday.

Hector spent time training with Championship side Luton Town earlier in the season, but was not offered a deal at Kenilworth Road, while Moore previously ruled out a move for the 30-year-old last month.

But that stance appears to have changed, with Moore revealing that Hector is currently training with the club, although he stressed that no decision has yet been made on a potential contract offer.

“We’ve had Michael Hector in with us already, we’re just taking a look. It’s great to see him, give him that platform and he is an option. We are just taking it steady with him at this moment,” Moore said in the club’s pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s game against Fleetwood Town at Hillsborough.

Another potential option for the Owls is Burnley defender Luke McNally, but The Star claim that they face competition from Championship clubs for his signature, with Vincent Kompany’s preference for him to get game time in the second tier.

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The verdict

This is a deal which would make sense for Wednesday.

Hector has spent much of his career in the Championship and has also played in the Premier League, so it would be something of a coup to convince him to drop down to the third tier.

There are understandable concerns over Hector’s fitness, but once he is up to speed, there would be few better options on the market.

Moore is right to take his time to assess Hector before making a decision, but this feels like one the Owls should get done, particularly with the McNally deal looking increasingly unlikely.