Sheffield Wednesday’s stance on Bradford City player emerges amid Championship and League One interest | OneFootball

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Football League World

·25 May 2022

Sheffield Wednesday’s stance on Bradford City player emerges amid Championship and League One interest

Article image:Sheffield Wednesday’s stance on Bradford City player emerges amid Championship and League One interest

Bradford City centre-back Paudie O’Connor is not on the radar of Sheffield Wednesday this summer – despite the Owls’ interest back in March, according to the Sheffield Star.

Wednesday were linked with a summer swoop for the 24-year-old a couple of months ago, with the club believed to be watching his progress with the Bantams intently with a view to making a move on a free transfer.


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But the losing League One play-off semi-finalists have quietly exited the race for his signature as they look set to pursue other targets.

Quiz: 24 facts every Sheffield Wednesday supporter should know about their club – Can you score full marks?

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Article image:Sheffield Wednesday’s stance on Bradford City player emerges amid Championship and League One interest

1. When did Sheffield Wednesday last beat Sheffield United in a competitive game?

2008 2010 2012 2014

O’Connor, a former Leeds United player, is Bradford’s captain and has won the club’s Player of the Year award for two seasons in a row.

This past season in League Two, O’Connor played all but one game for the West Yorkshire outfit, scoring three times and according to WhoScored, he ranked fourth in the whole league in terms of interceptions per match.

The Telegraph & Argus believe that O’Connor has received offers already from higher-level EFL clubs to prize him away from the Bantams, including from the Championship, but Wednesday are not one of the clubs in the running.

The Verdict

After two successive seasons of being Bradford’s best player, O’Connor deserves the chance to make the step up, whether that is one level or two.

It would have been reasonable to assume though that considering multiple loan players at centre-back have gone back to their parent clubs from the Owls, as well as Sam Hutchinson and Chey Dunkley being released, that O’Connor would be on Wednesday’s radar.

That appears not to be the case though, but he doesn’t look to be short of suitors.

Wednesday may be looking to put all their eggs in a Storey-shaped basket following his excellent performances for the club in the second half of the 2021-22 season, and if they can stump up the fee that Preston North End want then it has to be said he would be a better addition than O’Connor would.

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