Sheffield Wednesday have already recruited two new bodies into the building this January, with Danny Rohl utilising the loan market well to add James Beadle and Ike Ugbo to his relegation-threatened side.

The Owls are likely to push on even further and continue to flex their muscles in the transfer window with more additions, the South Yorkshire titans doing everything in their power to stave off the Championship relegation zone and an immediate return to the unwanted depths of League One.

Letting the likes of Tyreeq Bakinson move out on loan to Charlton this month too, it could well be a new-look side that Rohl fields past this hectic January time period.

Related EFL Championship done deals: Every January 2024 transfer

As the January transfer window closes, FFC has you covered for every in and out involving your club in the EFL Championship.

Posts ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024

Aiming to keep their heads above water in the second tier, this is what a dream Wednesday starting XI could look like past January with four new faces present…

1 James Beadle

With Cameron Dawson often shaky in-between the sticks this season at Hillsborough – the Sheffield-born goalkeeper only picking up four clean sheets from 18 games played – the ideal scenario would be that James Beadle eventually comes in and takes Dawson's starting spot.

Starring out on loan with Oxford United away from parent club Brighton before being recalled to move to Wednesday, Beadle will now be up for the challenge of testing himself in the Championship with the Owls for the remainder of the season.

2 Liam Palmer

Liam Palmer will hope to still be Rohl's starting right-back after the transfer window is over, the Wednesday stalwart putting in promising displays under the German boss' tenure to date.

Notably, back in December, the 32-year-old defender shone even as the Owls fell to a 2-1 defeat at home to Cardiff City – winning all but one of his duels when on the pitch versus the victorious Bluebirds.

3 Michael Ihiewke

Bambo Diaby's time in the first team could however be up, the former Barnsley man having a horror show last match at St Mary's as Wednesday were trounced 4-0 by Russell Martin's ruthless Southampton.

His ex-Rotherham United teammate in Michael Ihiewke fared far better against the dangerous Saints attack, making a total of ten clearances in the one-sided contest to ensure the final scoreline wasn't a cricket score.

4 Di'shion Bernard

Played in a defensive midfield role in that sobering loss to the Saints, Di'Shon Bernard will more than likely revert back to the heart of defence in a more comfortable spot in the team alongside Ihiewke to accommodate for a new signing in the centre of the park.

The ex-Manchester United youngster turned Wednesday first-teamer has shone in patches for the Owls this season despite obvious difficulties on the pitch, even notching up two assists from the back.

5 Marvin Johnson

Looking as if he was heading for the exit under Xisco Munoz's dire spell in charge, Marvin Johnson has been a revitalised figure under Rohl.

The 33-year-old expansive full-back stole the show in Wednesday's recent 3-1 FA Cup win over Hull City, picking up a goal and an assist on the day.

The Wednesday number 18's creativity from down the flanks could be crucial when the South Yorkshire side are down on their luck and need a hero to step up to the mark, Johnson onto five goal contributions for the season now since coming back into the first-team fold.

6 Barry Bannan

Adored by the Wednesday masses, Barry Bannan's spot in the side is fixed regardless of murmurs around Hillsborough that a midfielder is a top priority on the shopping list this month.

Bannan also stood out from the emphatic Cup win over the Tigers to kickstart 2024, amassing a ridiculous 112 touches as a main creative focal point for Rohl's men.

Only misplacing five of his 96 passes in the victory, the Owls will need the Scotsman's unerring genius to shine in crunch matches to come in a bid to avoid the dreaded relegation zone.

7 Isaac Hayden

The second new addition to the lineup could be Newcastle United man Isaac Hayden, the Owls going after another fringe Magpies player with Jeff Hendrick currently on the books at Wednesday on loan.

Rohl should attempt to secure a deal for Hayden on loan too, the 28-year-old recalled from a short-term switch to Belgium with Standard Liege to offload him to a Championship suitor.

Reportedly missing out on a deal for Conor Coventry recently, Wednesday will hope lightning doesn't strike twice and Hayden decides to relocate to South Yorkshire to help shore up a susceptible Owls back four.

8 Anthony Musaba

Anthony Musaba has blown hot and cold this season so far for Wednesday, but when the Dutchman has been on-song for the Owls, he's proven to be a crucial figure in the team.

A purple patch in December saw the ex-AS Monaco man score two late winners for the Owls, Rohl hoping the winger can be equally as important when push comes to shove in the latter stages of this gruelling season.

9 Myles Peart-Harris

Another new signing that could come straight into the starting side is Myles Peart-Harris, Wednesday reportedly linked with bringing the promising young attacking midfielder to Hillsborough on loan.

Given cameos under Thomas Frank at Brentford in recent weeks in the top flight, a loan move to the Championship could be a formative experience for the exciting 21-year-old who managed ten goal contributions in total for Forest Green in League One previously away from the Bees.

10 Djeidi Gassama

Former Paris St.Germain winger Djeidi Gassama has shown in flashes for Wednesday his obvious pedigree since joining in the summer, helping himself to assists in narrow wins over Stoke City and Norwich City last month.

Rohl will want the tricky Frenchman to terrorise more second-tier defences in 2024, the 20-year-old twisting and turning Hull defenders in the FA Cup for fun on New Year's Day with a goal scored and four key passes tallied up.

أعرب الفلسطيني عمر فرج لاعب الزمالك المنضم حديثاً، عن سعادته بعد الانتقال إلى صفوف القلعة البيضاء، مشيرًا إلى أنه يتمنى التتويج بلقب السوبر الإفريقي والفوز على الأهلي.

وأعلن الزمالك في وقتٍ سابق التعاقد مع الفلسطيني عمر فرج مهاجم فريق أيك السويدي لمدة أربعة مواسم بداية من الموسم المقبل.

وقال عمر فرج في تصريحات للمركز الإعلامي للزمالك: “الاستقبال كان جيدًا، أنا فخور أنني هنا، كانوا يريدون استعارتي من البداية، سمعت هذا الكلام من وكيلي في يناير، لكن الموضوع لم يكتمل بيننا، المفاوضات استمرت في هذا الوقت، واستطعنا أن نتمم الأمر”.

طالع أيضاً.. الزمالك يوضح لـ بطولات كواليس “الزي اللبني” قبل مواجهة الشرطة الكيني

وأكمل: “الزمالك فريق كبير ويمتلك التاريخ وكل شيء، عندما شاهدت ما يخص النادي تحمست للانضمام إلى الفريق، شعرت أنه شيء جيد لي وللفريق، ونستطيع أن نفعل الكثير سويًا”.

واستكمل: “النادي له تاريخ كبير وقريب من فلسطين، وهذا يشجعني على العمل الكثير للنادي”.

وأوضح: “دور المجموعات هو الأهم للفريق، سأفعل المطلوب، وسأقدم أفضل شيء”.

وأفاد: “تابعت مباراة الفريق ضد الأهلي، ونهائي كأس الكونفدرالية، وينتظرنا ديربي كبير بالسوبر الإفريقي، مباراة أكبر من المباريات الأخرى، أتمنى التواجد في المباراة ونُحقق الفوز”.

وأضاف: “أهم شيء أن نفوز بالسوبر، وأحاول أن آخذ مكانًا أساسيًا في الفريق وإن شاء الله نحصد الدوري وأكون الهداف”.

وأتم: “أكثر ذكريات تجمعني بالزمالك هو حب والدي لـ شيكابالا، كيفية طريقة لعبه وأهدافه ولديه تصويبات رائعة، هو لاعب كبير ومحبوب”.

The closest Glenn Maxwell got to the IPL this year was texting David Warner about his outstanding form, but he is hopeful of being proven right in having opted for county cricket before the World Cup after his brief first spell with Lancashire produced an unexpectedly key role with the ball.While some of his Australian team-mates were in India, Maxwell played one County Championship match and six one-day games. Though his top score was just 35, it was his success with the ball, which included a maiden five-wicket haul in the Championship and eight one-day wickets, that has proved timely.Australia captain Aaron Finch has said that he expected spin to play “huge role” in the World Cup, but it would appear tough for Nathan Lyon and Adam Zampa to both find a starting place in the XI in England with Australia likely to want a third frontline quick in the ranks compared to the balance they had in India and in the UAE. That puts the onus back on Maxwell to be the second spinner and after his role with Lancashire over the last few weeks, his confidence is high.Maxwell bowled his full allocation of ten overs in four of his six limited-overs matches and signed off with 3 for 42 against Durham, which included the wicket of Cameron Bancroft.”Certainly the bowling part I didn’t expect,” Maxwell said during Australia’s pre-World Cup camp in Brisbane. “I was able to get a lot of overs and find a rhythm I probably haven’t had for a while. To get some time at the bowling crease and get some real good feel out of that was nice.””I think with myself and Marcus Stoinis able to be a fifth or sixth bowler, depending on what sort of side we go with, to have those extra overs is really important for Aaron to have at his disposal. If we can be relied on to bowl key overs, even if it’s in the Powerplay or at the end, that’s going to be really important.”It was a great month, and I’m looking forward to going there at the back-end of the World Cup as well. Hopefully I have a successful World Cup and then we can give it a big tick.”Glenn Maxwell of Lancashire claimed a career-best 5-40 against Middlesex at Lord’s•Getty Images

However, Maxwell’s role at this year’s tournament is unlikely to be the same as in 2015, when Australia shunned a frontline spinner in favour of hitting the opposition with pace, leaving Maxwell as the only spin option. In the intervening years, spin has played an increasingly important role for all one-day sides, but Australia had lagged behind until quite recently when they threw their weight behind Zampa and Lyon.Still, it’s with the bat that Maxwell could really light up the World Cup. Having slipped to No. 7 during the home summer, as Australia tried to work out how they wanted the one-day side to play, he emerged with the role that many have long thought was right: floating in the middle order, ready to take on the game situation, the way he did in the last World Cup during which his lone ODI hundred came from No. 5: 102 off 53 balls against Sri Lanka. In India and the UAE, he batted from three to six, closing that run of matches with scores of 71, 98 and 70. They were vital innings for a player who has dealt with a host of mixed messages.”It was probably only after the Dubai series where I felt really comfortable with where my game was at,” he said. “I was able to play three really consistent innings, and all completely different – I went about it in different ways in all three of them. So I think that adaptability and consistency is something that Australian cricket and the fans have always really wanted from me. So to do it in three different ways, at different times, was really pleasing for me personally, but it’s something I need to continue to work on to continue being successful.”I generally work with JL [Justin Langer], just keep asking him what he wants from me, and it’ll get to a point where he’ll say ‘go put ’em on’. He’ll send a message out to Aaron, ask him what he thinks, and that’s how we get to that decision. It was something that I did reasonably well in 2015, so we’re sort of trying to emulate that in this World Cup. Hopefully I can do it similar.”English conditions are not foreign to the Australian squad, but Maxwell’s spell with Lancashire, though early season, also gave him the chance to get a taste of what could be on offer. He was involved in an extraordinary game at Trent Bridge, where Lancashire came within a whisker of chasing down Nottinghamshire’s 417. Australia play two of their group matches, against West Indies and Bangladesh, at Trent Bridge and it was also the venue where their under-strength team was plundered for a world-record 481 by England last year.Some of the domestic one-day games were played to the edges of wicket blocks while the main pitches were protected for the marque games to come, but Maxwell still expects some heavy scoring at the World Cup.”There might be a couple of games that are extremely high-scoring. That was the extreme part at Trent Bridge where you’ve got the corner boundary which is quite a cut off. We should’ve basically chased 417, and that’s the sort of conditions we’re going to be exposed to. It didn’t really spin a whole lot. It wasn’t lightning fast, the wickets, and there wasn’t a lot of swing. It should be interesting for the bowlers over there.”

After a disappointing season so far, Newcastle United are in desperate need of some game-changers in the January transfer window. The Magpies didn't do enough in the summer and have seen many of their arrivals fail to make the desired impact on Eddie Howe's side. Now out of the Champions League, out of the Carabao Cup and ninth in the Premier League, those at St James' Park have a month to hand Howe the tools to turn things around.

In need of a spark, Newcastle could turn to a European star who can leave his current club for a bargain price in the January transfer window – but only if the deal happens extremely quickly.

Newcastle transfer news

Watching on as Sandro Tonali was hit with a lengthy ban for betting breaches and as Harvey Barnes suffered a frustrating injury, Howe saw both of his main summer arrivals quickly become void. With Lewis Hall falling out of favour and Tino Livremento the only one to really make some kind of impact, it's fair to say it was a transfer window to forget at St James' Park. However, Newcastle could make up for that this month by signing a Serie A star.

All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024

With the January transfer window coming towards its conclusion, FFC has all the info for tracking your club’s winter transfer activity.

ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024

According to Corriere della Sera, via Sport Witness, Newcastle have made an approach to sign Paulo Dybala from AS Roma this month, with the forward's release clause sitting at just €13m (£11m) for clubs outside of Italy, but only up until January 15.

In what could be the bargain of the season, Newcastle will have to reportedly fend off interest from Aston Villa and Chelsea if they want to sign the former Juventus man this month. Only time will tell who, if anyone, wins the race for Dybala's signature, given that the clause expires in a matter of days.

"Quality" Dybala would provide missing Newcastle spark

Newcastle have lacked that crucial star power needed to be sitting among the top sides in England's top flight this season. But make no mistake about it, Dybala's stats show that he can more than provide that much-needed spark, despite the fact he is nearing the end of his prime.

The World Cup winner has five goals and six assists in just 13 appearances in Serie A this term, although that low number of games does reveal the ugly side to a possible move – his injury issues, with ten matches missed this season alone.

Now on 172 career goals, the Argentine has rediscovered his best form at Roma however, quickly becoming a hero under Jose Mourinho, who was full of praise for his forward last season.

The former Premier League manager said, via The Mirror: "My sensation is that [Dybala] was seeking the joy he had lost more than confidence. He found it here, with a squad that understands him, a coach that loves him, a position on the field with players like Pellegrini, Cristante and Mancini he has strong characters around him in leadership roles.

"Dybala is a nice boy. He has the quality to play for the biggest clubs in the world, but he has found joy here. I gave him absolute freedom to come on tonight and he could come off even two minutes later if he didn’t feel up to it, but he played 30 minutes of extra time and 25 minutes regular, and he finished on a high.”

Nottinghamshire say “no timetable has been set for his return” after Alex Hales pulled out of their opening Royal London Cup game

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Apr-2019

England batsman Alex Hales missed Nottinghamshire’s opening Royal London Cup fixture for personal reasons, with the club saying “no timetable has been set for his return”.Hales was named in England’s preliminary World Cup squad earlier this week and has been a consistently destructive force over the last four years – although he has recently found himself in the role of batting back-up, with Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow establishing a partnership at the top of the order.England’s one-day players are set to meet up for a training camp next week, ahead of ODIs against Ireland and Pakistan. Their World Cup campaign starts on May 30 against South Africa.”Alex Hales has made himself unavailable for selection for personal reasons and no timetable has been set for his return to action,” Nottinghamshire said in a statement on their website.Hales has a white-ball only contract at Notts, and has not played this season. His most recent cricket came at the Pakistan Super League in March.Speaking earlier this month, Hales reflected on his role in the Bristol night out in 2017 that led to Ben Stokes’ arrest, before looking forward to England’s attempts to lift the World Cup for the first time.”It’s probably the most excited I’ve ever been in pre-season,” he said. “It’s arguably the biggest summer ever for England with a home World Cup. We are heading in as the bookies’ favourite. Hopefully I can play the part in a memorable summer.”In Hales’ absence, Notts had no trouble racking up the runs, totaling 417 for 7 before managing to hold off Lancashire in a match that saw 823 runs scored in total.

Alejandro Garnacho could reportedly push for a new Manchester United contract despite signing a five-year deal in 2023.

• Garnacho shining at Man Utd
• Copa America performance key to new deal
• Can extend his stay beyond 2028

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to thethe 19-year-old may look for a hike in wages and a fresh contract if he dazzles on the continental stage with Argentina in the upcoming Copa America. His current contract, signed in April 2023, ties him to United until June 2028 – but given his impact on the pitch with the Red Devils he might demand more financial benefits from the next season.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Garnacho boasts of having made 49 appearances this season, the joint-most by an outfield player at United with only Diogo Dalot matching that figure and Bruno Fernandes one behind on 48. The Argentine is also on an impressive run of 37 consecutive starts, highlighting his reliability and importance to the squad. His consistent performances have made him indispensable to the team, and if he can replicate this form for Argentina at Copa America, it’s expected that his representatives will urge the team management to thrash out a fresh contract with improved weekly wages.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Recent reports have suggested that Garnacho, along with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Hojlund, are the only three players who are guaranteed their places in the team in the 2024-25 season. This demonstrates the club's unwavering confidence in his abilities even as they prepare for a summer clear-out.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Garnacho's journey from a promising academy product to a key first-team player epitomises his upward growth trajectory. And success with Argentina would further elevate his status as an elite winger in world football. However, before flying to the United States for the Copa America, Garnacho would be eager to secure a Europa League berth for next season by helping United beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final on May 25.

Lionel Messi is not the only man making headlines in MLS, with Real Salt Lake star Chicho Arango scoring a 62-yard screamer from the halfway line.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Colombian forward in fine formLeads Golden Boot race in 2024Bagged a hat-trick in latest gameWHAT HAPPENED?

The Colombia international forward is, like Inter Miami talisman Messi, another player that has been in fine form this season. He netted a hat-trick in his latest appearance, with RSL easing their way to a crushing 5-1 victory over Austin FC.

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowAdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Arango was the undoubted star of that show, as he landed himself a match ball and took control of the MLS Golden Boot race – with the South American up to 16 goals for the season, leaving him three in front of Christian Benteke and four clear of Inter Miami icons Messi and Luis Suarez.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

DID YOU KNOW?

Arango opened the scoring against Austin in stunning style, as he took aim from just inside his own half. Having spotted Brad Stuver a long way off his line, Arango proceeded to fire a long-range effort over the goalkeeper's head that soared into the back of the net.

Ottis Gibson, South Africa’s coach, says that his team will need to channel the spirit of Anthony Joshua, and dust themselves down following a damaging defeat against Bangladesh at The Oval on Sunday, a result that has left their World Cup campaign in serious jeopardy.After losing the tournament opener, against England at The Oval on Thursday, South Africa’s 21-run defeat against Bangladesh has left them with a record of no wins in two matches going into Wednesday’s crunch clash with India in Southampton.And with Lungi Ngidi set to miss both that match and potentially the West Indies game in Southampton on June 10 after picking up a hamstring strain, Gibson admitted that the squad would need some geeing-up in the midst of a mounting crisis of confidence.”We were expecting to win today, we were trying to win today, but we got beaten by a better team, and we have to try and refocus,” Gibson said in the aftermath of the match. “But India is going to be another tough game and there’s no place to hide at the World Cup.”There’s no point in sulking around, we’ve got to get up and think about where we are going wrong, and put better spells of bowling together, and better batting together.”That may, however, be easier said than done – certainly where the bowling is concerned. As South Africa’s captain Faf du Plessis admitted after the Bangladesh loss, the glut of injuries to their fastest bowlers has scuppered the plans that Gibson has spent the past two years working towards. The upshot is that South Africa are caught between praying for their injured quicks to return to fitness quickly, and trumpeting the claims of the back-up squad members who may have to hold the fort in the interim.”We’ve got to play with the ones that are fit, first of all,” said Gibson. “Dale Steyn is getting closer every day, he was on the field today bowling again, he is 85 percent, so we have to decide if 85 percent is good enough to play against India.”ALSO READ: Miller: South Africa’s nth grade meltdownIt’s been a while, however, since Steyn has been a force in white-ball cricket. He has played just 21 ODIs since the 2015 World Cup, which ended with him being struck down the ground for six by Grant Elliott in a pulsating semi-final defeat, and just four matches since the start of 2019.”His white-ball record overall is outstanding though,” said Gibson. “Any team that sees a fit Dale Steyn on the scorecard still sees somebody that he can do some damage.”The plan for the last two years was to build a bowling attack not just around Steyn but around KG [Rabada] as well, and Lungi. But we lost Lungi and there’s a lot more weight on KG’s shoulders to get wickets. He bowled well, but he didn’t strike, and we need our strike bowlers to strike and our best batters to get runs. That’s how the game is played.”If Steyn is not fit, then South Africa may have to improvise with their balance. The seam-bowling allrounder Dwaine Pretorius and the second spinner Tabraiz Shamsi among the men who may be called upon to play in the India match.”I believe [they are good enough]” Gibson added. “Otherwise they wouldn’t be at a World Cup.”Obviously they are not the first choices in terms of names but we thought they were good enough to be a part of the 15, so they now have to believe that themselves and put their best cricket on the field.”You keep telling them how good they are, you go back to our best experiences,” he added. “We’ve won eight or nine of our last ten games with the guys in the dressing room, so you keep reminding them of that, and keep showing them what they’ve done in our recent history.”Gibson insisted though that, however he attempts to elicit a response from his players, he would not be resorting to ranting and raving in the dressing room, and pointed to the shock boxing upset in New York on Saturday night, where Joshua lost his world heavyweight crown to the unfancied Mexican Andy Ruiz Jr.”There’s no anger in me,” Gibson said. “It’s cricket we’re playing, and in sport, there’s nothing that says you are going to win because you might be the favourite.”Look at Anthony Joshua last night, he was the favourite and he got put on the floor. I’m sure he’s going to get up and go on to his next fight, and probably win. We must look at that, get ourselves up off the floor, dust ourselves off and put our best game out on the field.”Losing early isn’t always a bad thing when you are learning and improving,” he added. “Because when you lose in the last week, you’re going home. At the moment we’ve lost two games and were hurting, but we still have the opportunity to play better.”If you are going to lose, it’s better to lose now than in the first week of July.”

As good as Wataru Endo and Alexis Mac Allister have been in the defensive midfield role for Liverpool this season, if they are to return to their very best then beating Manchester City to the signing of a serial winner could be vital for Jurgen Klopp.

Liverpool looking to beat Man City in transfer race

Liverpool and Manchester City are once again going head-to-head in the battle to win the Premier League title, with the Reds leading Pep Guardiola's side by five points, albeit having played one game extra. It is a title rivalry that will go down in history given the drama that we've seen over the years and one that could yet spill over to the transfer market in the summer.

Both sides have already been linked with moves for Porto midfielder Alan Varela, who reportedly has a £60m release clause. And midfield seems to be Liverpool's focus once again ahead of the summer, despite welcoming Mac Allister, Endo, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch last time out. Clearly seeking the cherry on top, those at Anfield are reportedly in the race to turn to one of the Bundesliga's serial winners.

Related Liverpool make first move to sign "talented" long-term target for Klopp

The Reds have already got their answer…

Posts ByTom Cunningham Jan 25, 2024

According to Christian Falk of Sport Bild, via Anfield Watch, Liverpool are in the race to sign Joshua Kimmich and hold an interest in the Bayern Munich star alongside Manchester City. Falk said: "Thiago is always injured at Liverpool and his contract is running out, [Jordan] Henderson has left, there is a bit of space in midfield and Jurgen Klopp of course knows how important Kimmich is. [Jorg] Schmadtke, the sporting director [at Liverpool], has good connections in the Bundesliga. So, Klopp is also now in the race for Kimmich."

"Special" Kimmich can complete Liverpool 2.0

Liverpool's recent rebuild – dubbed Liverpool 2.0 by many – has been as successful as possible so far, given their spot at the top of the Premier League and position in all of the cup competitions. However, if they are to cement their position, then signing Kimmich could be crucial. A player who has won it all, whether that be the World Cup, Bundesliga several times or the Champions League, Kimmich would be the final piece to the puzzle that forms a side that could take hold of English football's crown once again.

The midfielder certainly has fans in Germany too, with former Bayern Munich striker Jurgen Klinsmann telling the official Bundesliga website: "He is not only feisty in terms of winning the ball back, he knows right away what to do with the ball and who to connect to. He keeps the tempo of the game in place.

"That is why what he is doing is admirable. He is still at such a young age. So, he is building an outstanding career for himself. Hopefully, a career that brings along titles for him, especially with the German national team too. For Bayern Munich, he has already won a few! He is a very special player."

Derby County aren't holding back this January transfer window, having now completed a deal for standout Charlton Athletic star Corey Blackett-Taylor with other moves also potentially in the works.

One of those moves could well be a deal for Derby to finally land Sheffield Wednesday striker Michael Smith, the 32-year-old lethal finisher at League One level eyeing up a transfer reunion with his former Rotherham United boss Paul Warne at Pride Park.

Yet, as the clock ticks nearer to transfer deadline day and tensions are raised with no official announcement forthcoming, the Rams could well have to cast an eye over alternatives to Smith in a bid to strengthen up top.

Here are three dream strikers Warne could look to go for if a deal for the ex-Millers striker doesn't go through, including two potential swoops for League Two sharpshooters…

1 Jake Young

Derby could well go away from signing experienced figures who know League One inside out to gamble instead on a prolific striker further down the EFL pyramid, current Bradford City attacker Jake Young scoring goals by the bucket load whilst out on loan at Swindon Town earlier this season in League Two.

The 22-year-old would become a man possessed pulling on a Swindon strip immediately after finalising a move, helping himself to a ridiculous tally of nine goals from his opening six games for his new employers.

Young did experience an inevitable slump in form, but he still exited the County Ground with 16 goals next to his name after a fruitful switch which has led to Rams becoming interested in the 22-year-old's services.

Touted for a big move to Derbyshire off the back of this unbelievable run of form according to Sky Sports' Lyall Thomas, it would see Warne go for a raw and unproven finisher at third level over opting for the tried and tested approach which could well pay off.

2 Macaulay Langstaff

Likewise, Warne signing Macaulay Langstaff would see the Rams boss explore the division below for a sharpshooter addition.

Langstaff has been even more of a prolific goal threat than Young has been at League Two level this campaign, the Notts County talisman netting a league-best 19 goals in the fourth tier this season with 20 managed in all competitions.

It's not just been a breakthrough run of scoring however for the Magpies star-man, who now has an astounding 61 goals from just 79 games for County to date.

Linked with a move up to the Championship to Sunderland in this window, as confirmed by the Sunderland Echo, Derby have also been cited as an interested party and so will test the waters with the Magpies to see if they can land the on-fire 26-year-old.

This would appease a disgruntled fanbase who could be angry about Michael Smith not joining, acquiring a striker who has managed to navigate going up divisions with ease from non-league to League Two previously. Could he handle the step-up to League One?

3 Alfie May

Derby could well attempt to pile on the misery even more at the Valley with another raid of Charlton's top assets, signing current joint-top League One top scorer Alfie May to join Blackett-Taylor at Pride Park.

Going toe-to-toe with Barnsley attacker Devante Cole in the third tier at the top of the scoring charts this season – both strikers now tied at 16 goals apiece – signing May would show to the teams at the top of the division that Derby are there to stay in the hunt for automatic promotion.

Much like Langstaff, the ex-Cheltenham Town attacker has been a reliable source of goals for a number of seasons now, especially in League One.

It's why Derby were reportedly in for May when his Robins contract expired before a ball was kicked this season, only for Charlton to come out on top to land his services.

Only nine goals off Smith's total at the level with May bagging 66 goals to Smith's 75 – a total that could be surpassed this campaign if May continues his hot streak – the one stumbling block will be Charlton's hesitancy to offload May after only signing him in the summer.

Yet, if Derby go all in for May as a result of a deal for Smith going awry, the Addicks could be handed an offer for the 30-year-old that they can't turn down and so Derby could potentially poach two of Charlton's key players in just one window.