Sheffield Wednesday plotting transfer swoop for Aberdeen defender | OneFootball

Aberdeen defender Jack MacKenzie has reportedly emerged on Sheffield Wednesday's transfer radar.

Sheffield Wednesday are reportedly interested in signing Aberdeen defender Jack MacKenzie.

That's according to Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph, who claims that MacKenzie has emerged on Wednesday's radar as he enters the final six months of his contract at Aberdeen.

MacKenzie is a product of the Dons academy, and he has been a regular in the first-team since returning from a loan spell at Forfar Athletic in 2021, with the highlight of his time at the club coming when he helped them to a third-placed finish in the Scottish Premiership in the 2022-23 season.

The 24-year-old has scored one goal and provided four assists in 24 appearances so far this season, and he starred at the start of the campaign as Aberdeen won 14 of their first 15 games in all competitions under new manager Jimmy Thelin, earning him a first call-up to the Scotland squad in October.

Unfortunately for the Dons, they have been unable to maintain that remarkable form, and they are now without a win in their last 11 league games, but MacKenzie has continued to impress on an individual level, with his performances alerting clubs from south of the border.

Sheffield Wednesday interested in Jack MacKenzie

Wednesday are not the only Championship club to be linked with a move for MacKenzie in recent months, with Preston North End, Sheffield United and Stoke City all said to have been keeping tabs on the left-back in October.

McKenzie's contract at Pittodrie expires at the end of the season, and while Thelin seemed positive about Aberdeen's chances of tying him down to a new deal, stating that "the dialogue with the club is good", the defender struck a slightly different tone, admitting that he has a big decision to make on his future.

"To be honest, there is not too much to report at the moment because I have been trying my best to focus on the football," MacKenzie told the Daily Record in November.

"We’ve had a lot of massive games and the Scotland call-up as well. It has all been going on. It is something I will need to think about shortly.

"I don’t have any update at the minute. I absolutely love it here. It is where I have been since I was a boy. It is where my family are and where I have grown up. I do love the club. I have really enjoyed it here and I am still enjoying it."

As reports of interest in MacKenzie begin to emerge once again, he is free to speak directly to other clubs about a potential move, and it remains to be seen whether Wednesday will make a bid to sign him immediately or attempt to secure a pre-contract agreement.

It has been a frustrating start to the January transfer window for the Owls, with manager Danny Rohl hinting at a breakdown in communication between himself and owner Dejphon Chansiri, but it appears the club are now making progress in identifying targets.

Jack MacKenzie could be a shrewd signing for Sheffield Wednesday

Recruiting from Scotland can sometimes be a risky move, and MacKenzie would need time to adapt to the Championship if he did make the switch to Hillsborough, but he could be a smart addition for Wednesday.

The Owls did bring in a new left-back in the summer in Max Lowe, but he has mainly featured on the left-hand side of a back three so far this season, with Marvin Johnson being deployed in a left wing-back role.

However, Johnson is now 34 years of age, and he is out of contract in the summer, so Wednesday will need to consider whether it is the right time to replace him with a younger option - unless McKenzie is being eyed up for Lowe's current role so the ex-Sheffield United man can become a wing-back once more.

With that in mind, MacKenzie could fit the bill perfectly for the Owls, and after recently receiving his first Scotland call up, a move to England could help him to further his international ambitions.