Birmingham City And Huddersfield Town, Sheffield Wednesday’s Relegation Rivals, Dealt A Transfer Blow When The Former Owls Player Inked A New Contract.

Following rumours of interest from Championship clubs, former Sheffield Wednesday forward Nathaniel Mendez-Laing has extended his contract with League One team Derby County for two more years.

Mendez-Laing’s contract with the Rams was set to expire at the end of the current campaign, and Hull City, along with the Owls’ relegation rivals Huddersfield Town and Birmingham City, were all mentioned as potential destinations for the January transfer. But the Rams have taken action to lock down the 31-year-old’s services for another two years. His new contract is expected to deter any possible suitors who would have been looking to get a deal at a lower cost as he approaches the last few months of his previous one.

After going on trial with the team, Mendez-Laing signed a contract with the Owls in November 2021. He agreed to a contract that would last until the conclusion of the season, but in June 2022, Wednesday revealed that he had turned down a fresh offer from Hillsborough. In his 19 games, he totaled three assists and two goals. He has also had stints at Middlesbrough, Cardiff City, and Peterborough United. Earlier this month, he was mentioned as a potential transfer to the Championship. Huddersfield and Birmingham, who are positioned slightly above Wednesday in the Championship rankings, were two of the teams involved.

Less than two weeks after turning down the chance to remain in South Yorkshire, the striker signed with Derby in July 2022. His two-year contract, which was set to expire this summer, has been extended for an additional two and a half seasons.

According to a Derby County announcement, “Nathaniel Mendez-Laing has signed a new contract.” The 31-year-old’s contract was supposed to expire at the end of the 2023–2024 campaign, but he has already agreed to new terms that would last through the summer of 2026.

“Paul Warne’s team has been playing well thanks to the adaptable forward, who recently made a name for himself on the international scene with Guatemala. Mendez-Laing has been a consistent member of the squad throughout the season, tallying seven goals and ten assists from his 28 appearances across all competitions.”