Sheffield Wednesday must push through deal with ex-Nottingham Forest man for one main reason: Opinion | OneFootball

After a miserable start on their return to the Championship, Sheffield Wednesday find themselves rooted to the foot of the table under Xisco Munoz.

Last weekend’s 3-0 defeat at Swansea City leaves the Owls as the only second tier outfit without a league win so far this campaign, with the Yorkshire side already four points adrift from safety.

Wednesday also pose the least amount of goals scored in the division after eight domestic fixtures, with the likes of Callum Paterson, Ashley Fletcher, Josh Windass, Michael Smith and Lee Gregory failing to step up to the mark so far.

Despite the closure of the summer transfer window that welcomed 12 new additions to Hillsborough, clubs are still permitted to sign free agents at any point throughout the term.

With the lack of a potent goalscorer at the club, Wednesday may have to look at the free agent market for the short-term future, with Lyle Taylor an appealing option.

Owls boss Munoz recently confirmed that Taylor is on trial with the Owls in view to earning a contract.

The 33-year-old has been a free agent since the beginning of the summer after his deal expired at Nottingham Forest, with Steve Cooper deciding to part ways with the striker at the City Ground after failing to make a single competitive appearance last term.

Taylor was spotted in the stands in their most recent home game against fellow strugglers Middlesbrough, potentially showing a deal could be stuck in the not-too-distant future.

With just five goals recorded at the beginning of this season, Munoz appears keen to add more competition for places and recruit another recognised number nine.

Like any other signing in the forward department, the main demand is to hit the back of the net.

Born in south-east London, Taylor has made a living off his goalscoring ability, with his most successful stint coming at Charlton Athletic.

He notched 21 goals and 11 assists for the Addicks in their promotion-winning season to the Championship in 2019 before registering a career-record 11 goals the following term in the second tier.

Since that moment, Taylor has been a lot less prolific, netting just 12 times in the last two campaigns for Forest and Birmingham City.

After disruptive spells recently in his career, a permanent move for Taylor could see him return to his best, with Wednesday likely to depend on him heavily as they aim to turn their fortunes around.

With his calm and composed nature in high pressure situations, Taylor could be a valuable character within the squad, using all his experience in a relegation battle while possessing the fire in his belly for the fight as he looks to get his career back on track.

However, at 33, Taylor hasn’t featured in a competitive match for over a year and would need a significant amount of time to gain match fitness after failing to complete a pre-season.

This would be far from ideal for Munoz, with the 43-year-old Spaniard wanting an instant impact from the get-go with his future and reputation on the line.

But with the transfer window closed, Wednesday are limited with what they can bring in, but adding someone of Taylor’s pedigree could be seen as a beneficial move as they look to score enough goals to retain their Championship status come May next year.