Man United should send Toby Collyer to Sheffield Wednesday over Hull City for one clear reason | OneFootball

Manchester United should allow midfielder Toby Collyer to join Sheffield Wednesday on loan, despite interest from Hull City.

With their transfer embargoes now lifted, Sheffield Wednesday can finally begin strengthening their squad for what looks certain to be a challenging season.

It has been a nightmare summer for Wednesday, and after failing to pay the wages of players and staff on time for four of the last five months, they have been hit with a four-window transfer fee ban, which will remain in place until the end of January 2027.

However, after receiving Premier League solidarity payments last week, the Owls were able to pay the remaining player and staff salaries for July, as well as the outstanding fees owed to other clubs, which saw their final transfer embargo removed.

After the 2-1 defeat to Leicester City on Sunday, Wednesday manager Henrik Pedersen revealed that the club are assessing up to 60 players as they look to bolster what is currently a threadbare squad, and he confirmed he is hopeful of bringing in one or two new additions before the game against Stoke City on Saturday.

Sheffield Wednesday rivalling Hull City for Manchester United midfielder Toby Collyer

Experienced defensive duo Ben Mee and Liam Cooper are reportedly two players on Wednesday's radar, while they are said to have opened talks with Manchester United over the potential loan signing of left-back Harry Amass.

Amass is not the only Red Devils youngster attracting interest from the Owls as they are also believed to be keen on midfielder Toby Collyer, who made 13 appearances for the Premier League giants in all competitions last season.

During United's pre-season tour of the United States last month, Collyer revealed that he was planning to hold talks with head coach Ruben Amorim and the club's hierarchy about whether to remain at Old Trafford or head out on loan this summer.

That appears to have alerted Wednesday to Collyer's potential availability, but according to journalist Alan Nixon, they now face competition for his signature from Championship rivals Hull City, who are thought to be hopeful they can make a better pitch to sign the 21-year-old.

However, the situation is complicated even further by the fact that the Red Devils are said to have offered Collyer back to former club Brighton & Hove Albion as part of a player-plus-cash deal for Carlos Baleba, and while that proposal was rejected by the Seagulls, it does open the door to the possibility of the midfielder departing Old Trafford on a permanent basis this summer.

Manchester United should sanction Toby Collyer, Sheffield Wednesday move despite Hillsborough red flags

Like Wednesday, Hull are currently under a transfer fee ban, with their restriction in place until the end of next summer's window, but owner Acun Ilicali is believed to be confident of winning his appeal against the punishment.

Despite their off-field issues, it has been a strong transfer window for the Tigers, with the likes of Semi Ajayi, Akin Famewo, John Lundstram, Joe Gelhardt and Oli McBurnie arriving at the MKM Stadium, and there is growing optimism among supporters that the East Yorkshire outfit could have a better campaign than many expect under new head coach Sergej Jakirovic.

With that in mind, Hull would likely be a much more appealing destination for Collyer than Wednesday, but with strong competition for places in midfield from the likes of Lundstram, Eliot Matazo, Matt Crooks and Regan Slater, there are question marks over whether he would be a regular starter for Jakirovic's side.

There would be no such doubts over Collyer's game time with the Owls, and with Nathaniel Chalobah facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines after being forced off during the defeat at Leicester, the England Under-20 international would virtually be guaranteed a place in the team every week at Hillsborough.

Wednesday had been written off by many before a ball was even kicked this season, and while relegation still looks inevitable, particularly with a potentially hefty points deduction looming, the spirited performance against Leicester on Sunday showed the fight and togetherness that exists within the squad, which will not have gone unnoticed by the Manchester United hierarchy as they weigh up Collyer's future.

At this stage of Collyer's career, he needs to be playing regular football, and although the Red Devils may have legitimate concerns about sending him to the Owls, they are the club who could offer him the most minutes, while facing the adversity of a relegation battle would certainly help to strengthen the midfielder's character and resilience.