Sheffield Wednesday casting eyes over Watford player | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday have taken Watford youngster James Collins on trial as they consider a potential deal for the forward.

James Collins’ career so far

The 19-year-old was spotted by the Hornets when he was featuring for non-league Hertford Town, and he had a successful trial with the Championship side in January 2023, which saw Watford bring him in.

Since then, Collins has been playing for the U18s and the U21s, and he has chipped in with goals for both sides.

Sheffield Wednesday monitoring James Collins

Collins’ deal at Vicarage Road is due to expire in the summer, although Watford do have an option to extend it by a year, but it seems that they may be happy to let him depart in the summer.

That’s after the Watford Observer revealed that the teenager has joined the Owls on a trial as he looks to impress enough to earn a deal with the Yorkshire side.

“James Collins is undertaking a trial period at Sheffield Wednesday.

“The 19-year-old played for the Hornets Under-21s as recently as March 15, scoring twice in the second half of an epic 5-3 win over Ipswich Town at London Colney in a game where they trailed 3-0 at half-time. However, since then Collins has headed north and linked up with the Owls.

Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl

“He started for Wednesday at their Middlewood Road training ground on Friday as they took on Queens Park Rangers, and played his part in a 3-1 victory that took them up to second in the Professional Development League table.”

Collins had been on the bench for Watford back in August under former boss Valerien Ismael, but he is yet to make his first-team debut for the club.

If Watford do trigger the extension to Collins’ contract, then a fee would need to be agreed for the player, otherwise he will be able to leave on a free in the coming months.

Sheffield Wednesday summer plans

This isn’t going to be the sort of transfer that attracts the headlines for Sheffield Wednesday if they do sign Collins in the summer, but it’s a positive that the club are looking for young talents.

We know that the Owls aren’t in a position to splash the cash, so it makes sense that they’re targeting younger players, and we’ve seen this season with Bailey Cadamarteri that Danny Rohl will give players an opportunity from the youth sides if they impress.

So, it could be a good move for all parties, with Collins looking to make his mark at first-team level in the years to come.

Of course, a key factor on any move, both from a financial and sporting perspective, is whether Wednesday stay in the Championship.

Wednesday are currently 23rd in the table, but their significant improvement under Rohl means they do have a chance of survival, as they’re only one point from safety with eight games to go.

The Owls are back in action on Good Friday as they take on Swansea City at Hillsborough.