Watford set to beat Sheffield Wednesday to Man City transfer | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday have been beaten by Watford in the race for a second signing from Manchester City, according to fresh reports

Sheffield Wednesday have been dealt myriad transfer blows throughout the 2025/26 Championship campaign, with the club continuing to endure the after-effects of the nightmareish end to Dejphon Chansiri's ownership.

Henrik Pedersen's side are currently rooted to the foot of the Championship table on -7 points after being struck with deductions, rendering relegation to League One as an inevitability for the South Yorkshire outfit.

Wednesday have struggled to add to what is a depleted and extremely young squad which has been stripped of talent over the last 12 months, with iconic midfield captain Barry Bannan recently departing for Championship rivals Millwall.

Indeed, back in the summer, the Owls were only able to sanction two signings in loan duo Harry Amass and Ethan Horvath, who have both since departed, although two fresh temporary deals have been completed this month with the additions of Murphy Cooper and Jaden Heskey from QPR and Manchester City - which were both revealed exclusively by Football League World.

A second arrangement with City was on the agenda for the Owls, although it has since been scuppered owing to the efforts of another divisional rival.

Watford to beat Sheffield Wednesday in Man City, Stephen Mfuni transfer race

Sheffield Wednesday had been credited with an interest in highly-rated Man City prospect Stephen Mfuni in a report published earlier this week by The Star.

However, the relegation-bound Owls have now been handed a fresh blow, with Fabrizio Romano revealing via X that Mfuni is set to join Watford instead.

It's said that Watford's development of impressive central defender Max Alleyne, who has since entered Pep Guardiola's first-team following an eye-catching half-season stint at Vicarage Road, has helped the Hornets to fend off competition for Mfuni, with City electing to send him to the play-off hopefuls over Wednesday.

Mfuni is regarded among the finest upcoming talents at City, having made his senior debut as a second-half substitute in their 10-1 FA Cup third-round rout of Exeter City earlier this month.

Capable of operating in central defence or at left-back, the 17-year-old could have emerged as a potential replacement for the aforementioned Amass, who made a significant impression during his stay in the Steel City before joining Norwich City from Manchester United for the second-half of the campaign.

Sheffield Wednesday receive fresh transfer boost amid Stephen Mfuni, Watford blow

Although losing out on Mfuni's sought-after signature represents an undoubted blow for Sheffield Wednesday, the Owls have been handed a fresh boost by an update from reporter Pete O'Rourke claiming that they are closing in on the loan signing of Luton Town's Jerry Yates, who is set to undertake medical proceedings ahead of his switch.

With the Owls able to offer next to nothing in wage contributions, and requiring EFL approval, before completing deals, any signing is sure to be much-welcomed at Hillsborough.

Yates has struggled for form at Luton this season, scoring just twice from 22 League One appearances - 11 of which have been starts.

The 29-year-old striker has, however, proven himself as a fairly-reliable scorer of goals over recent years at second-tier level with the likes of Blackpool and Derby County, and will hand another much-needed option to Pedersen.