Blackpool 'in discussions' with Sheffield Wednesday midfielder linked with Huddersfield Town and Barnsley

The 28-year-old was a popular figure at Hillsborough but slipped down the pecking order following the arrival of Danny Rohl as manager. He was loaned out to Blackpool in the winter window, slotting seamlessly into the Tangerines midfield.

Now available to snap up as a free agent, Byers has unsurprisingly attracted interest. Yorkshire trio Barnsley, Huddersfield Town and Rotherham United have all been reported to be interested parties.

However, Blackpool’s sporting director David Downes has revealed the Seasiders are looking to bring the midfielder back to Bloomfield Road. Byers is a player Downes knows well, having signed the midfielder for Wednesday while employed by the Owls.

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Speaking at a Blackpool fan forum, he said: "It’s difficult to speak about individual players. I’ve signed George Byers twice - once for Sheffield Wednesday and once here, so naturally I know his agent very well so we are in discussions.

"He will have a lot of options, he’s a good player. He’s a free transfer so he’s probably easier to speak about. In terms of recruitment, we’ve done a lot of planning so we’re in the execution phase and trying to get one or two over the line.

"Last summer we all came in at different times, and I like to think in January everything looked more aligned into what we wanted to do. Me and Neil [Critchley] have had nine months of working with each other now, we kind of know where we want to be and where we want to get to.”

Blackpool finished eighth last season, missing out on the League One play-offs by three points.