Sheffield Wednesday update emerges in QPR, Middlesbrough transfer race | OneFootball

The Owls have been linked with a move for the 19-year-old Australian youth international this month.

Sheffield Wednesday's pursuit of Brisbane Roar striker Thomas Waddingham may not be as far down the line as previously reported.

The 19-year-old is one of the hottest prospects in Australian football, as his goals and performance levels have seen his reputation in the game continue to grow in recent times.

An Australian youth international, the Brisbane Roar striker has been linked with numerous Championship clubs over a potential switch to English football this month.

Football Insider reported on 9 January that Sheffield Wednesday and Queens Park Rangers had both submitted offers for the teenager, whilst Middlesbrough have also been mentioned as a potential destination for the highly-rated centre-forward.

In contrary to the previous Football Insider report that detailed Sheffield Wednesday as having launched an approach for Waddingham, a new update from The Star suggests the Owls may not be as far down the line as that.

They report that it's their understanding as of Thursday evening on 9 January that no formal bid has been submitted by Wednesday for the Brisbane Roar striker.

The Star also adds that the level of interest that the Owls possess in Waddingham is currently unclear.

Rohl was asked about the links to the Australian ahead of Wednesday's FA Cup tie vs Coventry City, to which the German coach gave an interesting response. He said: "There are a lot of rumours and names at the moment! If there are any updates I will give you them, if it is possible, as soon as possible. But I will not make statements on individual players now.

"You see it in the whole market, there is a lot of activation in the market now, a lot of rumours, every club is linked with some players.

“You see there is really a challenge to get some players and you have to go all-in. Let’s see what we can do, we will try and hopefully, we can edit some good players for our squad.”

Danny Rohl is surely looking to add a centre-forward to his Sheffield Wednesday squad this month

Sheffield Wednesday are a side that haven't necessarily struggled finding the back of the net this season, as their 38 goals scored in 26 Championship matches is more than the likes of Blackburn Rovers (28), Burnley (31), West Brom (32) and Sheffield United (36) respectively.

Wednesday's 1.5 goals per match ratio is the fifth-highest in the second tier (per FotMob), but they've been able to accomplish that without the presence of a prolific centre-forward in their squad, which only makes the job that Rohl is doing this season even more impressive.

33-year-old striker Michael Smith has the most goals so far this season out of the Owls' recognised centre-forwards with five, whilst Jamal Lowe and Charlie McNeill have struggled to make an impact in the debut seasons at Hillsborough so far this term.

Meanwhile, Ike Ugbo sealed a permanent move to the club in the summer, after a fruitful loan spell from French side Troyes in the second half of last season that saw the Canadian international bag seven goals in 18 Championship appearances.

The 26-year-old is yet to find the net in the league so far this season, however, and therefore, with Sheffield Wednesday sitting just three points outside the play-off places, adding a real goalscorer to their strike department could transform the Owls into a top-six side.

Waddingham could be the player to fit that bill. The teenager bagged 11 goals in 28 total appearances for Brisbane Roar last season and has already netted four times in 11 A-League appearances so far this term.