Sheffield Wednesday set to benefit if Pierce Charles is sold to West Ham for £2.2m | OneFootball

This deal could work out well for the Owls in the short-term.

West Ham United would send goalkeeper Pierce Charles back to Sheffield Wednesday on loan if their £2.2 million bid for the goalkeeper is accepted.

A shoulder injury that the young shot-stopper picked up prior to the Stoke City game, which he featured in despite the knock, has now put Charles on the sidelines for an extended period.

Michael O'Neill, the boss of the Northern IReland national team who the 20-year-old typically starts for, confirmed that he will not feature in their upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifying matches at the start of September.

This has caused a couple of extra dominoes to fall. Firstly, Wednesday had to act quickly to bring in an emergency option between the sticks. Football League World exclusively revealed their interest in Cardiff City's Ethan Horvath, who the Owls later signed and played in their 2-2 draw with Wrexham on Saturday.

Pierce Charles to return to Sheffield Wednesday on loan as part of proposed West Ham deal

Charles' injury also could have altered any interest in him, but it doesn't appear to have stunted any pursuits of the keeper too badly.

Wednesday have already rejected an offer from French side RC Strasbourg, which was said to be worth around £2 million, as per The Star.

Premier League outfit West Ham are also keen on the 20-year-old. According to The Times, the Hammers have a £2.2 million bid for Charles still on the table, one that would see the Wednesday academy product immediately return to Hillsborough on loan.

The Owls' move for Horvath had to be approved by the EFL before he could officially join them, as is the case with any transfer moves the club makes now because of their financial misconduct this summer.

They were finally able to get out from under the embargoes that were placed on them for non-payment of players, staff and fees to other clubs because of the bi-annual £2.6 million that Championship clubs receive from the Premier League.

This was enough to pay players their outstanding wages, but with more paydays coming up, it is not certain that the owner, Dejphon Chansiri, will have the finances to fully imburse everyone who works for Wednesday, plus any other bills that need paid.

Sheffield Wednesday may be forced into cut-price Pierce Charles sale

Sales are going to be the club's best chance of generating funds, and so, as much as the £2.2 million offer for Charles may be way under his actual value, they may have no choice but to let him go and then see him return again, temporarily, for the rest of the season.

It wouldn't be the first time this summer that a highly-rated young Owl has left Hillsborough for a fee that was less than what they are actually worth.

Djeidi Gassama, 21, is another prime example of an emerging talent that jumped ship. He has thrived since making his £2.2 million move to Rangers, with four goals in his first eight matches for the club.

West Ham wouldn't be able to aid their woes in defence with this deal, though, as they would have to wait until the 2026/27 campaign to see him in claret and blue.

And unfortunately for Wednesday, they are stuck between a potential choice of paying their staff and keeping Charles, or losing him long-term but having the money to keep these ticking for at least another month.

His injury may give them a better chance of holding onto the Northern Irish international, but at what cost?

Would the short-term benefits of keeping him when he isn't going to be available again for at least another few weeks worth the risk of further embargoes and other punishments?