It may still be November but Sheffield Wednesday are already putting plans into place to strengthen their squad during the winter period. 

Darren Moore's side have left a lot of room to improve so far this term, with the Owls currently occupying seventh place after just over a quarter of the campaign gone, with the Steel City side having somewhat lagged behind some of their promotion rivals in Sky Bet League One.

Signing players in January is never easy and for that reason the Owls may have to cast their net wide in order to explore all avenues when it comes to bringing new faces through the door at Hillsborough.

One name that has been brought up in conversation recently is former Bristol City centre back Adrian Mariappa.

The 35-year-old defender is currently without a club after leaving Ashton Gate over the summer and is said to have been offered a contract by Wednesday.

Moore has since admitted that there are two other clubs that are interested in the ex-Watford man, however he was understandably hopeful that the veteran would elect for a move to Yorkshire.

It is a signing on paper that would make a lot of sense for the Owls, especially after they lost Lewis Gibson and Dominic Iorfa to injuries over the past few months, which has left them short at the back as a result.

Mariappa is a player who has a wealth of experience at both Premier League and Championship level, having taken in spells with the likes of Bristol City, Watford, Crystal Palace and Reading to date.

Add to the fact that he can also operate comfortably as a right back when needed and Moore would be inheriting a player that can play as part of a back three or four to great effect.

There will be inevitable doubts from supporters over the defender's fitness and age, however it appears likely that Wednesday will hand him a short term contract of the same nature that Bristol City did in the past.

All in all it is a player that the club needs at present and they would be adding yet more experience to a side that is already bristling with players that have played at a much higher level than League One in the past.