Duncan McGuire, a Sheffield Wednesday target, has spoken about a potential transfer to the Championship this summer.
McGuire, a 23-year-old striker for Orlando City and the United States Men’s National Team, nearly moved to the Championship on the winter transfer deadline.
He was in Lancashire seeking to cement a transfer to Blackburn Rovers, and then in Sheffield trying to negotiate a move to Sheffield Wednesday after a move to Ewood Park appeared to be dead in the water.
However, Blackburn would later declare that they had signed McGuire from Orlando, only for McGuire to promptly return to the United States due to a paperwork error on Blackburn’s side.
Since then, McGuire has begun the current MLS season in good style, scoring five goals in 11 games, and reports this month indicate that the Owls have been keeping an eye on the striker.
Duncan McGuire discusses a potential Blackburn Rovers transfer.
McGuire has spoken to GOAL.com about his unsuccessful move to Blackburn Rovers and if he would consider returning to the club to attempt to clinch another deal.
McGuire stated: “It’s difficult to say. That was a fairly stupid miscalculation on their part. I’d be open to having a chat, but it would have to be a big deal for me to go back there.
“During the aircraft journey back, I felt like my tail was between my legs. When I asked my agent how frequently this happened, he said, ‘This doesn’t happen’.
“I didn’t burn bridges with my teammates or make it seem like ‘Oh you wanted to leave and now you’re back.'” When I returned, it was as if I never gone.”
This follows claims from The Athletic that Blackburn Rovers had revived their interest in McGuire, with Rovers executives traveling to the United States to resume negotiations.
Orlando City has also offered McGuire a new contract, since his current one is slated to expire at the end of 2024.
Sheffield Wednesday dropped a massive Duncan McGuire hint.
Two things McGuire has stated in the above comments may be of interest to Sheffield Wednesday: the fact that he’s open to speaking with Blackburn implies that he’s open to a transfer this summer, and the fact that he’s cautious about Blackburn may indicate that he’d be open to Wednesday.
The Owls virtually completed his Championship move on deadline day and could have had him if it hadn’t been for Blackburn Rovers’ farcical blunder in paperwork.
And, with Sheffield Wednesday reportedly keeping an eye on McGuire, who has had a strong start to the season, he appears to be a hot item in the transfer market this summer.
So, while the Owls are not alone in their interest in McGuire, they may have the first say given his comments about Blackburn and the fact that they tried hard to recruit him in January.
It would be an expensive move for Dejphon Chansiri, but one that could provide Danny Rohl with a top scorer for next season, as well as one that would demonstrate to Rohl and the supporters that Chansiri is serious this summer.
