Could triple promotion-winner Ben Purrington solve Sheffield Wednesday's left-sided conundrum?

Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore has moved quickly to recruit five new players this summer and it would be little surprise if the next body to walk through the Hillsborough door belongs to a left-wing back. The Owls' problem position was remedied somewhat by the performances of natural winger Marvin Johnson when he responded valiantly to Moore's call for him to operate there, finding a defensive determination to complement his forward thrust.

Jaden Brown should have been the obvious choice for that role but he fell out of favour under Moore and has not been seen in a Wednesday first-team shirt since a 14-minute substitute outing during the 3-2 defeat at Oxford in January. He remains under contract with the Owls, who have also exercised an option to retain the services of Johnson for another year.

But it still seems likely that Moore might look for a player more accustomed to the role than Johnson and somebody he rates higher for the job than Brown during 2022/23. According to tabloid journalist Ian Baker, Ben Purrington is reportedly on the 48-year-old manager's radar and he looks like he might be a decent fit for the Owls' left flank.

At 26 and with 231 senior appearances to his name, he certainly boasts the kind of experience that Moore appears to be prioritising during his squad rebuilding programme this summer. He also represents an attractive free transfer proposition, having been released by Charlton after being told by manager Johnnie Jackson that he would be given a new deal, only for the latter to be sacked at the end of the season.

Initially joining Charlton on loan from Rotherham in January 2019, he went on to play a major role in the Addicks' promotion to the Championship that season, culminating in