Future of Crawley Town target dependent on Sheffield Wednesday transfer activity | OneFootball

The newly-promoted League One side are out to find a new shot-stopper.

Highlights

Crawley Town's chances of signing Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Pierce Charles are reportedly dependent on what the Owls do in the transfer window.

After winning promotion to League One, Crawley have been gutted of most of their top talent. Almost all of the members of the Red Devils' starting XI that lined up at Wembley when they beat Crewe Alexandra in the League Two play-off final are no longer with the team, including Corey Addai.

The shot-stopper was one of the standout performers in the play-offs, across the divisions. The way that Scott Lindsay used him in Town's build-up play, essentially in the position of a right-sided centre-back, was pretty revolutionary and fully displayed the 26-year-old's potential.

He was bought by Stockport County earlier in the window for an undisclosed fee, leaving a big hole in the side.

Crawley did bring in former Scottish Premiership shot-stopper Joseph Wollacott earlier in the summer, but they haven't left their pursuit of options between the sticks there as they have tried to go after one of the up-and-coming prospects from the Championship.

Problems in Crawley Town, Pierce Charles

Wednesday's Northern Irish keeper was the subject of an enquiry from Crawley, according to the Star. He is very well regarded by those at Hillsborough and is seen as a potential future number one of the club.

The circumstances felt right for him to go and get some first-team football elsewhere, as the signings of James Beadle and Ben Hamer meant that Charles was going to be the third-choice option for Danny Rohl.

However, Hamer has recently suffered an injury which has meant that the under-21s international is now second in the goalkeeping pecking order and thus has made a loan deal for him much less likely.

Wednesday currently can't afford to send him elsewhere because that would leave themselves short of options. However, if they do act and bring in another shot-stopper before the end of the window, then a loan move for the 19-year-old could happen.

Charles has already been called up to the Northern Irish men's team, and impressed in the under-19s European Championship this summer.

The Owls want to give the former Manchester City academy member the best chance possible to emerge as a great first-team option, as per the Star. Getting him first-team minutes is probably the best way to prepare him for that role, but it's not going to come if he's sat behind Rohl on the bench.

Crawley would be a great destination for Pierce Charles

The way that Lindsay got the Town team to play last year is the way that modern football is now played at the highest level. They controlled games, using their keeper as an essential outfielder in build-up play, and won a lot of games by doing so.

They are likely to be near the bottom end of the League One table in this upcoming campaign, but the manager could still to stick with what got him there.

A move like this would give an up-and-coming keeper like Charles experience of both ends of the game; how to be a ball-playing goalkeeper in a progressive side, and a likely indoctrination into facing a lot of shots every match.

If Wednesday can find a way to allow Charles to rack up minutes away from Hillsborough, then they should certainly consider Crawley as one of their top options.