Sheffield Wednesday must have only one transfer in mind as Aston Villa eye Pierce Charles | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday should reject any bids from Aston Villa for goalkeeper Pierce Charles, but a loan move in January could be good for him.

With the January transfer window fast approaching, Sheffield Wednesday could face a battle to hold on to some of their stars.

Much of the headlines at Hillsborough over the past week have been dominated by speculation about the future of manager Danny Rohl, who is reportedly under consideration for the vacancies at Southampton and Hamburg, but one of Wednesday's most talented young players has also been linked with a move away from the club.

According to The Star, Aston Villa are one of a number of Premier League clubs monitoring goalkeeper Pierce Charles, and the Owls could have a big decision to make if they were to receive a bid for the 19-year-old in January.

Charles has long been highly-rated at Wednesday, and while he is currently second choice behind Brighton & Hove Albion loanee James Beadle, he started all four of the club's EFL Cup games this season.

In addition to his progression at club level, Charles has also made his breakthrough for Northern Ireland at international level, and he has kept three clean sheets in four appearances for Michael O'Neill's side since making his debut in October.

Sheffield Wednesday must rebuff Aston Villa, Pierce Charles interest

Given the way that Charles' profile has risen in recent months, it is no surprise to see him being linked with bigger clubs.

While Villa are keeping tabs on Charles, they are not believed to be planning to make an imminent move in January, but he is "on a list of potential signings going forward" for the Premier League outfit.

Of course, with Villa competing for the top four and currently playing in the Champions League, the opportunity to join Unai Emery's side would be tempting for Charles, and the Spaniard has recruited from the EFL over the past year, signing Morgan Rogers from Middlesbrough and Jaden Philogene from Hull City.

Charles could be the next Championship star to make the switch to Villa Park, but his chances of receiving game time ahead of Emi Martinez would be incredibly slim, raising question marks over whether it would be a good move for his career, particularly as he is near certain to become Wednesday's number one next season when Beadle returns to Brighton.

From the Owls' point of view, it would make sense to resist cashing in on Charles for now as they would likely be able to command a much bigger fee for the Northern Ireland international once he establishes himself in the team, but they could consider sanctioning his temporary exit in January.

Sheffield Wednesday should send Pierce Charles out on loan in January instead of cashing in

While Wednesday will be incredibly reluctant to lose Charles on a permanent basis, a loan move could be the perfect way to prepare the former Manchester City man to take over as first choice next season.

Charles' performances in the EFL Cup and for Northern Ireland would suggest he is ready to become a Championship number one, but given that he has only featured six times at senior club level during his career, he would benefit from playing regular football in the second half of the season.

With Rohl recently confirming that Beadle's place between the sticks is secure, it seems unlikely Charles will receive much game time at Hillsborough this season, but a host of EFL sides are believed to be keen to sign him on loan in January.

The Owls are well-stocked in the goalkeeping department with Beadle and Ben Hamer on their books, so they could afford to give the green light to Charles' departure without leaving themselves short, and a loan move to League One would be ideal for his development.

Rohl only needs to look at the way Bailey Cadamarteri has progressed at Lincoln City this season to see how useful a loan spell can be for a young player, so the Wednesday boss will surely be open to allowing Charles to make a similar move.