Why Sheffield Wednesday deal for ex-Chelsea player was delayed - it’s been explained | OneFootball

Zain Silcott-Duberry is the latest free agent through the door at Hillsborough

Zain Silcott-Duberry is the latest free agent name through the door at Sheffield Wednesday, with the 20-year-old arriving at the club on Thursday.

The former Chelsea and Bournemouth starlet had his contract terminated with Greek giants Olympiakos ahead of the January transfer window closing, and after impressing in multiple trial sessions with the Owls, Henrik Pedersen has added him to his ranks.

However, there were some delays in the deal, which may have caused some concern among Wednesdayites. The Sheffield Star reported on Tuesday evening that a transfer was imminent for Silcott-Duberry, but the official announcement wasn't made for another couple of days.

In an update from the Star, it has been revealed that this was due to a slight complication in the registration of the wideman's insurance.

Why Zain Silcott-Duberry's transfer to Sheffield Wednesday was delayed

Silcott-Duberry's move was said to be imminent earlier this week, but it wasn't until Thursday that a deal was completed. It has now been stated that this was due to a minor complication with the registration of his insurance.

The Star would go on to remind that this hadn't caused any setbacks to his Wednesday career, as he wasn't set to make his debut in midweek away at Norwich City. Indeed, the club were eying this weekend's visit of Southampton as his first game for the club.

This week, he was scheduled to remain at Wednesday's training ground, Middlewood Road, to undergo further fitness tests and gauge how big a part he can play in the remainder of the campaign.

Henrik Pedersen has had to navigate numerous injuries to key players throughout the season, and that list grew even further over the last week, with Olaf Kobacki, Marvelous Nakamba and Liam Cooper all facing time in the treatment room, with Cooper expected to miss the remainder of the term.

Therefore, it's imperative that any new bodies coming in between now and the end of the season can play a key part in the already relegated Owls squad, and, in Silcott-Duberry's case, perhaps stake a claim to be a key fixture of the Wednesday side in the third tier next year.

Sheffield Wednesday move offers big chance for Zain Silcott-Duberry to get back on track

Silcott-Duberry was an extremely exciting prospect out of the Chelsea academy, and at Bournemouth, he was handed his senior and Premier League debuts.

A few small injuries meant that he was never able to establish himself at Olympiakos and spent the entirety of his five months at the club playing for their B team in the Greek second division, making 11 appearances, three of which were starts.

Not only does his arrival help bolster numbers for the short-handed Wednesday side, but it will also allow the 20-year-old to get regular minutes and showcase why he was so highly-rated in the Chelsea academy.

The wideman is on an initial contract until the end of the season, and with the Owls already suffering relegation, you'd imagine that he'd be able to play without pressure and try to help the club pick up as many points as possible between now and May.