Sheffield Wednesday and Notts County lose out in Aston Villa transfer race | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday and Notts County are set to miss out on Aston Villa midfielder Tommi O'Reilly, who is closing in on a move to Doncaster Rovers.

Doncaster Rovers are reportedly closing in on the loan signing of Aston Villa midfielder Tommi O'Reilly, who was previously linked with Sheffield Wednesday and Notts County.

O'Reilly spent last season on loan with League Two side Crewe Alexandra, where he scored seven goals and provided 14 assists in 50 appearances in all competitions.

The 22-year-old's impressive form at the Mornflake Stadium seems to have caught the eye of a number of League One clubs, but despite Sheffield Wednesday and Notts County showing interest earlier in the summer, he is now set to complete a temporary move to Doncaster, according to journalist Alan Nixon.

Sheffield Wednesday and Notts County set for Tommi O'Reilly transfer frustration

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Sheffield Wednesday and Notts County have arrived in League One from different directions, with the former suffering relegation from the Championship last season and the latter winning promotion from League Two, and both have undergone significant rebuilds this summer.

The Owls have made 14 new signings so far during a busy transfer window, including Joe Lumley, Billy Mitchell, Callum Slattery, Barry Bannan, Louie Barry, Harry Gray and Mason Burstow, and they had been keen to bring O'Reilly into their new-look team.

As first revealed exclusively by Football League World, it looked as though Wednesday were in pole position to land O'Reilly's signature, but the deal collapsed after talks with senior figures at Hillsborough, including manager Henrik Pedersen, with the midfielder said to have had doubts about a possible move to S6.

Like the Owls, Notts County have also been among the most active third tier sides in the transfer market this summer, with the likes of Max Sanders, Jack Evans, Callum Roberts, Emile Acquah and Luka Smyth all making the switch to Meadow Lane.

After his move to Wednesday fell through, it was reported that O'Reilly was set to join the Magpies, but they were unable to sort out the final details of the deal, and they instead signed two alternative attacking midfielders in Ollie Cooper and Hindolo Mustapha on loan from Swansea City and Crystal Palace respectively.

Doncaster Rovers to beat Sheffield Wednesday and Notts County to Tommi O'Reilly

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While Sheffield Wednesday and Notts County both missed out on O'Reilly, it appears Doncaster have been more successful in their pursuit of the Aston Villa man, with Nixon claiming that terms have been agreed between the two clubs over a loan deal.

After avoiding relegation in their first year back in League One last season, Rovers have made 10 new signings so far this summer, including Tommy Simkin, James Husband, Isaac Hutchinson, Jordan Thomas and Alfie May.

It has been a disappointing start to the campaign for Grant McCann's side, who have picked up just one point from their opening two league games, but they are now set to dip into the loan market to bolster their attacking options with the addition of O'Reilly.

O'Reilly recorded 21 goal contributions during his loan spell at Crewe last season, and he provided the joint-most assists in League Two with 12, along with Chesterfield's Liam Mandeville and Bromley's Mitch Pinnock.

The midfielder has previously had a stint on loan in League One with Shrewsbury Town, where he registered three assists in 18 appearances, and he has already scored against third tier opposition this season, netting for Aston Villa's U21 side in their 3-2 defeat at Wigan Athletic in the EFL Trophy last week.

Sheffield Wednesday may live to regret Tommi O'Reilly, Aston Villa transfer miss

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Despite being tipped to struggle by many, Notts County have made a strong start to life back in League One with draws against two of the promotion favourites, Leicester City and Luton Town, with returning winger Callum Roberts providing their main creative spark.

However, Sheffield Wednesday followed up a somewhat fortuitous opening day victory at Leyton Orient with a blunt attacking display in a home defeat to Bradford City last week, suggesting that they could still benefit from further reinforcements in the forward areas.

The signing of O'Reilly would have been a gamble as he is still unproven at League One level, but he is clearly a player with huge potential, and the Owls may be watching on with envy if he thrives at their South Yorkshire neighbours Doncaster this season.