Sheffield Wednesday are reportedly considering offering a deal to free agent midfielder Mohamed Konate.
According to The Star, Wednesday is now in talks about signing Konate following his trial time at the club during the preseason.
Konate is presently a free agent after leaving Portuguese club Covilha earlier this summer after a brief stint there, during which he played an essential role in helping his team narrowly avoid relegation from the third level.
| Mohamed Konate’s stats for Covilha last season | |
| Appearances | 10 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Assists | 0 |
After paying the wages of players and staff for May and June and settling money owed to HMRC, the Owls have had two of their three transfer embargoes lifted, but they are still under one for outstanding payments due to other clubs. They have also been hit with a three-window ban on paying transfer fees, which would not be an issue in the case of Konate.
Wednesday are one of just three Championship clubs that have yet to make a deal this summer, with Middlesbrough and Leicester City, but this could change when they decide whether to make a contract offer to Konate.
Sheffield Wednesday are in talks about a prospective Mohamed Konate move
Konate only made 10 appearances for Covilha last season, scoring two goals and receiving two red cards, but his efforts in Portugal’s third division appear to have piqued Wednesday’s interest.
The 20-year-old has spent the previous several weeks on trial with the Owls following his departure from Covilha, and after accompanying the squad to their training camp at St George’s Park earlier this month, he was part of the young side that lost 3-1 to Stocksbridge Park Steelers on Friday.
It appears Konate impressed during his trial period with Wednesday, with The Star reporting that discussions are now taking place about whether to sign the midfielder, but he would take up one of their Elite Significant Contribution (ESC) spots, and it remains to be seen how that would affect any potential deal.
The Owls have lost four key players in recent weeks, with Anthony Musaba signing for Turkish club Samsunspor for £800,000 and fellow winger Djeidi Gassama joining Rangers for £2.2 million, while forwards Josh Windass and Michael Smith left Hillsborough last week after their contracts were terminated by mutual consent.
Those departures have left Wednesday with an incredibly thin squad ahead of the new season, which begins in less than three weeks, so the addition of Konate would be a welcome boost, but with new uncertainty over manager Danny Rohl’s future following the collapse of the club’s proposed takeover, it is unclear who will make the decision on whether to offer him a contract.
Sheffield Wednesday are in serious need of signings as the new season approaches
Wednesday appear to be woefully unprepared for the start of the new season following a difficult summer in which they lost many of their key players.
With last season’s Player of the Year, Shea Charles, returning to parent club Southampton and captain Barry Bannan still to sign a new deal, the Owls want more center midfield options, and Konate would help to increase their numbers in that part of the game.
Given that Konate played in the Portuguese third tier last season, Wednesday fans may understandably be skeptical about his ability to make the step up to the Championship, but with their off-field issues under owner Dejphon Chansiri showing no signs of easing, it will be difficult for them to attract players of higher quality this summer.
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