"He will want to move on" - Pundit tips out-of-favour Sheffield Wednesday man for January exit | OneFootball

Carlton Palmer has given his view on whether Sheffield Wednesday will look to sell Callum Paterson in January.

Pundit Carlton Palmer believes Sheffield Wednesday forward Callum Paterson could leave the club in January after struggling for game time in the early stages of the season.

Paterson joined Wednesday from Cardiff City in September 2020, and he has played in a host of positions over the last four years, including right-back, centre-back, central midfield, out wide and up front.

The 29-year-old had an injury-disrupted season last term, but he played an important role in his side's survival after returning to fitness towards the end of the campaign, and the Owls triggered their option to keep him at Hillsborough for a further year this summer.

However, Paterson has surprisingly fallen out of favour at the start of this season, and it was even claimed that Wednesday were willing to allow the Scot to leave the club this summer if they received a suitable offer.

Paterson made his first Championship appearance of the season when he was introduced as a late substitute in the 2-1 win at Coventry City prior to the international break, which could suggest that manager Danny Rohl's stance on him is changing, but with the January transfer window approaching, he is facing an uncertain future.

Carlton Palmer on Callum Paterson's Sheffield Wednesday future

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Palmer said that Paterson may be keen to move on in January if he cannot be guaranteed regular game time, but he does not believe Wednesday will be actively looking to sell him.

"There are rumours surrounding Callum Paterson, he's out of contract in the summer," Palmer said.

"He penned a one-year deal at the end of last season when everybody thought he would be sold.

"Callum Paterson is one of those players that every football club and every manager would like to have.

"He's very versatile, he gives you 110%, but he's barely featured this season.

"Obviously Callum wants to play first team football, for sure, and if he can't be guaranteed that at Sheffield Wednesday, he will want to move on at some point.

"For a manager, he's a dream because although he's not featured a lot this season, he will get his game time, and he's so versatile in playing so many different positions.

"It'll be interesting to see what will happen, I don't think Sheffield Wednesday will look to offload him, but I don't think they will stand in his way if Callum came to them and asked to move on to play first team football.

"He's been that much of a good pro since he's come in to Sheffield Wednesday that I don't believe the club would stand in his way if he decided in January that he needed to move on to play some football.

"There'd be no shortage of takers for Callum Paterson, who can operate in the Championship or League One with good effect in numerous positions."

Callum Paterson's Sheffield Wednesday departure looks likely in January

It is difficult to disagree with Palmer that Paterson will likely be looking to leave in January if his minutes remain limited over the next few months, but Wednesday will not be desperate to sell him.

Paterson's versatility makes him an incredibly useful member of the Owls squad, and even if he is unlikely to feature regularly, Rohl may be keen to keep him at the club to call upon whenever needed.

However, Paterson has only been included in the matchday squad twice in the Championship this season, coming off the bench on just one occasion, and at this stage of his career, he will not want to be sitting in the stands.

As Palmer says, Paterson should have plenty of suitors in January, so it would be no surprise to see him depart, but even if he does not secure a move in the winter window, his time at Hillsborough will be coming to an end in the summer when his contract expires.