Aston Villa star should be top of Sheffield Wednesday's three-man transfer shortlist | OneFootball

We looked at three players that should be on Sheffield Wednesday's transfer shortlist ahead of the January window.

It has been an excellent first half of the season for Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship, but they are facing a crucial January transfer window.

After narrowly avoiding relegation last season, Wednesday have made clear progress under Danny Rohl this campaign, and while the play-offs could be a step too far at this stage, they are starting to emerge as outside top six contenders.

Rohl oversaw a big rebuild in the summer, with 11 new signings arriving at Hillsborough during the course of the transfer window, and many of those additions have made an impact so far.

After speculation linking him with the Southampton and Hamburg jobs, Rohl confirmed last week that he would be staying with the Owls, but he appeared to issue a challenge to owner Dejphon Chansiri, stating that January would enable him to see "if we really want to attack or we are just talking".

With that in mind, it could potentially be a busy month for Wednesday, and we looked at three players that should be on their transfer shortlist.

3 Isaiah Jones

It has been a much-improved season for Wednesday this term, but Anthony Musaba and Djeidi Gassama have remained inconsistent, and Olaf Kobacki has struggled with injury, so Rohl could look to strengthen in the wide areas.

One player he could target is Middlesbrough's Isaiah Jones, who is looking to leave the Riverside Stadium in January, as FLW exclusively revealed last week.

Jones enjoyed an outstanding breakthrough season in the 2021-22 campaign, and while he has struggled to hit the same heights since, he still scored nine goals and provided five assists in 41 games last term for Michael Carrick's side.

The arrival of Ben Doak on loan from Liverpool has pushed Jones down Carrick's pecking order this season, and he is hoping to move on in January in search of regular game time.

Jones' form may have declined a little in recent years, but he has proven that he can be a quality performer at Championship level previously, and Rohl could be the perfect manager to help rebuild his confidence and get him back to his best.

Despite their strong league position, Wednesday have been one of the most vulnerable sides in the Championship defensively this season, and Rohl may be keen to address that in January.

If the Owls are to sustain their play-off challenge, the addition of a ball-playing centre-back to partner Di'Shon Bernard would be useful, and there would be few better options than Southampton's Ronnie Edwards.

Edwards established a reputation as one of the most talented young defenders in the EFL during his time at Peterborough United, earning him a a £3 million move to St Mary's in the summer, but he has barely featured for the Saints in the Premier League.

Of course, the situation could now change under new Southampton manager Ivan Juric, but former boss Russell Martin had suggested that Edwards may be allowed to leave on loan in January.

Wednesday have already signed one player on loan from the Saints this season in midfielder Shea Charles, and he has developed significantly under Rohl's guidance, so the South Coast side would surely trust the German to have a similar impact on Edwards.

1 Louie Barry

Wednesday have a number of minor weaknesses still remaining in their squad, but the absence of a prolific goalscorer could prove to be the most costly in their pursuit of a play-off place.

Rohl will be delighted to see goals coming from across the team, but the likes of Ike Ugbo, Jamal Lowe and Michael Smith have all failed to deliver consistently this season, so bolstering the forward line will likely be the Owls' number one priority in January.

Wednesday are believed to be one of a host of Championship sides interested in signing Aston Villa forward Louie Barry, who will be recalled from his loan spell at Stockport County in January.

Barry scored nine goals and registered four assists in 22 games to help Stockport to the League Two title last season, but after returning to Edgeley Park for a second loan spell this summer, he has taken his form to a whole new level in League One, and he is currently among the top scorers in the third tier.