Why Lee Gregory could be a smart signing for Sheffield Wednesday
According to Daily Mail, Sheffield Wednesday are weighing up a move for Stoke City striker Lee Gregory, with Owls boss Garry Monk keen to bolster his attack in a bid to make an impression on the playoff places.
Wednesday are also exploring the possibility of signing Connor Wickham on loan from Crystal Palace during the January window but the forgotten man’s Premier League wages could be a stumbling block for the Owls. (h/t Daily Mail)
Gregory, who joined Stoke City on a free transfer from Millwall this past summer, has registered 4 goals and 3 assists in 22 Championship appearances as a part of a struggling Potters unit.
The Sheffield-born striker started his career with Sheffield United and featured for a number of non-league clubs, including Harrogate, Halifax Town and Mansfield Town before earning a move to Millwall in the Championship back in the summer of 2014.
The 31-year-old netted 9 goals during his debut campaign at The Den but that wasn’t enough to save the Lions from relegation. Gregory was instrumental with his prolific form in League One as Millwall secured promotion back to the second-tier, plundering 10 goals in each of his last two seasons at the club in the Championship.
The former non-league icon racked up 78 goals and 26 assists in 238 appearances for Millwall across all competitions over the course of five seasons before moving on to join Stoke City for free this past summer.
However, Gregory hasn’t been able to hit top gear amidst Stoke’s constant struggles in the bottom half of the standings. With Michael O’Neill looking to wield the axe on a number of players in January to reshape the squad to his liking (h/t Daily Mail), Sheffield Wednesday have emerged as potential suitors for the 31-year-old.
With Peter Etebo and Badou Ndiaye having already departed on loan, it remains to be seen whether Stoke City would be keen to sanction a departure for yet another of their key players, Lee Gregory, although that hasn’t stopped the Owls from pursuing a keen interest in his services.
Meanwhile, Sheffield Wednesday returned to winning ways with a 1-0 victory over Premier Leauge side Brighton in the 3rd round of the FA Cup on Saturday, thanks to a solitary goal from Adam Reach.
Having lost each of their last three Championship fixtures against Stoke City, Bristol City and Cardiff City, the Owls’ victory over Brighton comes as a massive boost ahead of their trip to Elland Road to face league-leaders Leeds United on Saturday.
Monk’s side have slipped down to 8th in the standings, just a couple of points adrift of the top-six, as a result of their recent blip but there is still enough time for the Owls to arrest the slide and get themselves back among the playoff spots.
Stability at the back has been one of the hallmarks of Wednesday’s success in the Championship so far this season, with the Owls only shipping 26 goals in 26 games.
Steven Fletcher continues to be the undisputed top-scorer at Hillsborough in the Championship with 12 goals to his name so far this season but Monk must do something about the lack of significant contribution from some of the other attackers in the ranks.
Sam Winnall and Fernando Forestieri have both played a bit-part role while Adthe Nuhiu was scored just twice in the Championship so far this term.
Despite his hat-trick heroics against Nottingham Forest, Jordan Rhodes continues to be a peripheral figure in the squad and it is clear that a reshuffling of the attacking options is a necessity if the Owls are to push on for a top-six finish.
Verdict
To that end, Sheffield Wednesday’s interest in Lee Gregory makes perfect sense, given that he previously proved his worth as a useful goalscorer at the Championship level during his stint at Millwall. Things might not have clicked for the 31-year-old at Stoke City but it’s hard to single out his failure, given that Stoke have struggled as a unit in the second-tier this season.
As per whoscored, each of Gregory’s 33 career goals in the Championship have come from inside the box, figures which speak volumes of his instinctive nature as a poacher, whilst his average of 3.6 aerial duels and 1 key pass means that the former Millwall man has aerial ability and the link-up play to make a difference to the Owls’ attack.
Plus, with Nuhiu, Fletcher, Rhodes and Winnall all out of contract in 2020, Sheffield Wednesday might as well need to cash in on a few of their out-of-favour strikers in January and Gregory looks like a decent option to fill the potential voids in the ranks.
Suffice to say, Lee Gregory to Sheffield Wednesday in January seems to have all the makings of a useful piece of business and one that could possibly take the Owls a step closer to promotion glory.
