'Factors at play' - Pundit weighs in on possibility of Sheffield Wednesday losing Pierce Charles
Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman has conceded Sheffield Wednesday may receive an offer for Pierce Charles they cannot refuse.
In dark days at Hillsborough, the emergence of promising young players has provided some light for long-suffering supporters.
Goalkeepers tend to peak later in their careers than outfield players but at 20, Charles already looks comfortable at Championship level.
His rapid progress at club level, as well as his exploits on the international stage with Northern Ireland, have fuelled talk of a move higher up the pyramid.
Earlier this year, the stopper was reported as a potential target for a raft of Premier League clubs including Tottenham Hotspur and Everton.
More recently, it was claimed Charles had attracted attention from West Ham United and Strasbourg.
Pundit weighs in
Goodman has delivered his verdict on Charles’ position, suggesting it may come down to money and whether or not the Owls can afford to say no to a bid.
He told Football League World: “Pierce Charles, he’s not a goalkeeper that I've seen an awful lot of truth be told, but obviously he's very highly regarded within football circles.
“But he's only started 10 games, eight last season, and two this season in the Championship - so it's only a very small sample size on which to judge him.
“He's obviously been playing in a team that has been struggling, so clean sheets have been hard to come by and goals have been flying in.
“I guess it would be all about the level of the fee. It could be that somebody offers Sheffield Wednesday an amount of money that they simply can't refuse for a player that at this stage is purely potential.
“So there are factors at play. If Sheffield Wednesday rate him that highly and feel like they want to progress forward with him and build with him, then yes, they should keep him, but they may get an offer that they can't refuse.”
Sheffield Wednesday’s goalkeeping department
Injury has hampered Charles this season, although he was back between the sticks at the weekend as Wednesday faced Blackburn Rovers in a game that was postponed in the second half.
In his absence, the Owls had been relying on USA-capped goalkeeper Ethan Horvath. The 30-year-old was signed on loan from Cardiff City after Charles was sidelined in August.
When Horvath himself was ruled out by a suspension in October, Wednesday borrowed the experienced Joe Lumley from Bristol City.