Sheffield Wednesday plot move for Brighton attacker | OneFootball

Mark O'Mahony is the latest striker to be linked with a move to Sheffield Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday added to their frontline last week with the loan arrival of Mason Burstow from Hull City, but Henrik Pedersen's side aren't done in the striker department just yet.

Burstow arrives as someone who can easily operate as the main line-leader or behind them, either through the middle or out wide. He won promotion last season while on loan at Bolton Wanderers, starting as the number nine, but transitioned further back as the season went on.

After Henrik Pedersen's side failed to find the net in either of their final pre-season matches against League Two opponents Accrington Stanley and Oldham Athletic on Saturday, though, it stressed the need for perhaps one more frontman before the new season begins on Saturday with an EFL Cup first-round matchup against Bolton for the second year running.

Jamal Lowe aside, the striker core at Sheffield Wednesday is rather young, and it seems that the Owls are keen on adding another promising youngster to their ranks to help improve it.

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According to Joe Crann's Substack, The Wednesday Word, Sheffield Wednesday have added Brighton and Hove Albion youngster Mark O'Mahony to their list of strikers they are set to pursue between now and September 1.

O'Mahony has made just four senior appearances for the Seagulls, the last coming in a 4-0 win against Crawley Town in the EFL Cup's second round in 2024, the game in which he scored his first senior goal for the club.

Since then, he netted three times in 13 games in a loan spell at Portsmouth that same season, and last year was loaned out to Reading for the whole campaign, but played fewer than 500 minutes in League One before a knee injury in December curtailed his campaign.

The 21-year-old arrived at the Brighton academy back in 2023 from Cork City in his native Ireland, but could be set to move on this summer ahead of his contract running out in 2027.

It's unknown whether a move to Hillsborough for O'Mahony would be a loan signing for the upcoming campaign, or if a permanent deal can be struck. Wednesday are currently operating within financial constraints imposed by the EFL following their exit from administration in May.

How Sheffield Wednesday fans feel about the prospect of signing Mark O'Mahony

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With the likes of Burstow and Charlie McNeill at 22 years of age and both Will Grainger and Harry Gray at 17, some Wednesday fans aren't too enthused about the prospect of another young striker coming through the door this summer.

While the aforementioned quartet and O'Mahony could blossom into a top League One striker at Hillsborough over the next nine months, some Owls supporters would prefer a more sure-fire option to lead their line.

"All for going with youth, but I think we need some experience up top. A target man type," one fan said on X in response to Crann. "We have enough inexperienced strikers that don’t score goals," another said.

One fan said that they'd "rather play George Brown," while another simply responded with, "hope not."

There was a more polite refusal of the links, who questioned the Wednesday reporter about a veteran head up top, similar to Michael Smith, the new Mansfield Town frontman who scored 20 times in all competitions during their last promotion campaign from the level in 2022/23.

Mark O'Mahony could receive a much-needed career resurgence at Sheffield Wednesday

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There's no doubt about the talent that O'Mahony has. The 21-year-old was named the Irish FA's Player of the Year at both under-17 and under-19 level, and the fact that a club like Brighton snapped him up back in 2023 goes to show his promise.

However, injuries have really halted his progress while out on loan, which has stopped him from truly making it at the Amex Stadium.

O'Mahony missed over two months of action while at Portsmouth due to injury. Before he went down in December, he'd started five of the last 10 Championship games.

His spell at Fratton Park understandably made some question his ability at second-tier level, but injury stopped him from being able to showcase that down in League One at Reading, too.

The Irishman needs a fresh start this summer, whether that be at Hillsborough or elsewhere, but it seems the general consensus among Wednesday fans is that, if a new striker comes through the door, they'd rather it be someone with a little more experience at the level.