Brighton goalkeeper seals Championship move after Sheffield Wednesday decision
Birmingham City are close to signing Brighton goalkeeper James Beadle on a season loan.
Beadle is contracted with the Seagulls until 2028 but is currently behind Bart Verbruggen and Jason Steele in the pecking order.
The Seagulls also have Carl Rushworth – who last month was linked with a move to Manchester United – and Tom McGill as goalkeeping options.
McGill was on loan at MK Dons last season and signed a new contract with Brighton last month.
Albion also have 6ft 7in Dutch stopper Kjell Scherpen, who spent last season on loan in the Austrian Bundesliga with Sturm Graz.
Brighton keepers
Dutch international Verbruggen is expected to Albion’s No 1 once again next term. The £15m signing from Anderlecht shared the No 1 jersey with Jason Steele in his first season as previous boss Roberto De Zerbi rotated the keepers.
Last term, head coach Fabian Hurzeler made Verbruggen his No 1 with Steele providing reliable back up and was also used as the “cup keeper”.
Steele though sustained a shoulder injury last December and the 33-year-old missed the back end of the season following his surgery.
Albion recalled Rushworth and McGill from their loans but neither featured in the first team as Verbruggen played in the league and FA Cup matches.
Hurzeler last season compared Verbruggen to German legend Manuel Neuer and the 23-year-old Dutchman has since been linked with a summer move to Bayern Munich.
Beadle is one for the future at Brighton and could be a possible successor to Verbruggen, should the former Anderlecht man move on in the next few years.
The immediate future of Rushworth also looks uncertain as the 23-year-old looks to kick-start his career after a disappointing loan at Hull last term.
Rushworth is contracted until 2027 but first team chances with the Seagulls could be hard to come by for the player who joined Brighton from Halifax Town in 2019.
Sheffield Wednesday man to join League One club amid Huddersfield Town and Port Vale interest
Sheffield Wednesday defender Michael Ihiekwe will join Blackpool on a free transfer, according to The Star.
Sheffield Wednesday have decided not to keep hold of the centre-back this summer. SWFC will see him officially become a free agent later this month when his contract expires.
Ihiekwe, 32, joined the Owls back in 2022. He went on to make 82 appearances for the South Yorkshire outfit in all competitions, 22 of which came last season, and he scored two goals from the back.
In this latest update regarding his situation, The Star claim he is poised to join Blackpool under Steve Bruce. The report adds that Huddersfield Town and Port Vale have also considered him recently but he is now Bloomfield Road-bound.
Ihiekwe won Sheffield Wednesday’s Player of the Month award for April and head coach Danny Rohl told their official club website at the time: “He is open-minded, he understand the game and maybe you should ask him because I didn’t know him before, but maybe he will say he is now playing in his highest level.
“It is good that we can improve players and this is down to his open-mindedness. He is available nearly every game which is fantastic.”
Sheffield Wednesday’s Michael Ihiewke to join Blackpool
Sheffield Wednesday signed Ihiekwe three years ago to boost their defensive ranks. He helped SWFC win promotion from League One in his first campaign under Darren Moore.
He has since provided the Owls with competition and depth. His exit from Hillsborough will free up space and funds in their squad.
Ihiekwe spent time as a youngster at both Liverpool and Wolves. The Merseyside-born man then spent three years at Tranmere Rovers before Rotherham United came calling.
He was a key player during his time with the Millers and played 184 matches in total. They also loaned him out to Accrington Stanley.
What now for Sheffield Wednesday and Michael Ihiekwe?
Ihiekwe will give Blackpool another option to pick from in defence. They recently brought in Fraser Horsfall from Stockport County.
Huddersfield Town and Port Vale will need to look for alternative targets. The latter have recently gone up from League Two under Darren Moore and are in the market for some new faces.
As for Sheffield Wednesday, it still remains to be seen whether Rohl will be sticking around. They finished 12th in the table last term but his future is up in the air.
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