Sheffield Wednesday will be looking at strengthening their midfield as they look to take pressure off the backline.

This season just gone saw opponents repeatedly carving through the midfield with relative ease. In looking to give their defence some added protection, Wednesday could look at securing Claudio Yacob with the West Brom midfielder’s contract expiring this summer.

The 30-year old fell from favour as the Baggies saw their eight-year stay in the top flight come to an end. With just nine starts and seven substitute appearances, Yacob was no longer seen as a first team regular. Even he would admit that he failed to have a significant impact last season.

However, previous seasons have shown his quality. In the 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons, he was afforded 60 starts. During this time, he averaged 3.0 tackles per game and 2.6 interceptions per game. In addition, recent seasons have witnessed a marked increase in his passing percentage to 83.2% last season. These combine to produce a player who can both protect the defence while also helping control the centre of midfield.

Yacob has played his entire English playing career in the Premier League, yet following last season it is difficult to see that continuing. This does not mean that he would not be able to be a reliable performer in the Championship. He would doubtlessly benefit from more regular playing time, something that would be afforded him were he to join Jos Luhukay’s Wednesday side.