Owls Deadline Day Roundup

Charlton Athletic have beaten Sheffield Wednesday to the signing of Reading centre-half Sam Sodje.

The 28-year-old will go to the Valley on a season long loan.. Sodje's unwillingness to move north has been cited as one of the reasons for selecting the Addicks. He was sent off for Reading during his only appearance of the season this week, and will therefore miss one match for his new club.

In a low-key deadline day for transfer activity (plus the usual helpings of hype, rumour and innuendo), Brian Laws must be disappointed not to add a new face to a Wednesday defence that has shipped ten goals this season. The return of Steve Watson from injury will ease that problem a little, and Laws must now look to the loan market for further reinforcements.

However, recent signings at the sharp end of the Owls team meant that something had to give, and today Leon Clarke went out on loan to Southend.

Shrimpers boss Steve Tilson needed more striking options after Freddy Eastwood's summer move to Wolves and Lee Bradbury's recent departure to Bournemouth, and has turned to a four month loan for Clarke in an effort to add to his front line.

It is Leon's second spell away from S6, after a fitness-gaining few weeks at Oldham last season.. the big striker has never entirely convinced the Hillsborough faithful of his potential, though it can be said the Owls have had more luck in front of goal this season when he's been on the pitch. The arrival of Akpo Sodje obviously prompted this new loan period.

Speculation earlier today that Inverness were interested in taking Lee Bullen back to Scotland seems to be unfounded, though that doesn't discount a future loan. Caley boss Craig Brewster is a former teammate of Lee's at Dunfermline, and Bullen still has a home across the border.

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