Zain Silcott-Duberry, 20, is the latest free agent to join Sheffield Wednesday, having arrived on Thursday.

The former Chelsea and Bournemouth starlet had his contract with Greek club Olympiakos terminated before the January transfer window closed, and after excelling in repeated trial sessions with the Owls, Henrik Pedersen has added him to his squad.

However, there were significant delays in the transaction, which may have raised concerns among Wednesdayites. The Sheffield Star claimed on Tuesday evening that Silcott-Duberry’s transfer was imminent, but the official announcement did not come for another few days.

According to a Star update, this was caused by a minor issue in the registration of the wideman’s insurance.

Why is Zain Silcott-Duberry’s transfer to Sheffield Wednesday delayed?

Silcott-Duberry’s relocation was expected earlier this week, but it wasn’t finalized until Thursday. It has recently been reported that this was due to a minor issue with his insurance registration.

The Star went on to say that this had not hampered his Wednesday career, as he was not scheduled to make his debut in midweek away at Norwich City. Indeed, the club was eyeing this weekend’s visit to Southampton as his debut game for the club.

This week, he was supposed to stay at Wednesday’s training facility, Middlewood Road, to undertake additional fitness tests and see how much of a role he can play in the rest of the campaign.

Henrik Pedersen has had to deal with multiple crucial player injuries this season, and the list grew even longer over the previous week, with Olaf Kobacki, Marvelous Nakamba, and Liam Cooper all in the treatment room, with Cooper projected to miss the rest of the season.

As a result, any new players that arrive between now and the end of the season must be able to contribute significantly to the already relegated Owls club, and in the case of Silcott-Duberry, perhaps establish a claim to be a vital fixture for the Wednesday side in the third tier next year.

Sheffield Wednesday move provides a significant opportunity for Zain Silcott-Duberry to get back on track.

Silcott-Duberry was a highly touted prospect from Chelsea’s academy, and he made his senior and Premier League debuts with Bournemouth.

Due to a few minor injuries, he was unable to establish himself at Olympiakos and spent the majority of his five-month stay playing for the club’s B team in the Greek second division, making 11 appearances, three of which were starts.

His presence not only adds to the short-handed Wednesday squad, but it also allows the 20-year-old to play regularly and prove why he was so highly regarded in the Chelsea academy.

The wideman is on an initial deal until the end of the season, and with the Owls already relegated, you’d expect him to be permitted to play freely and help the team pick up as many points as possible between now and May.

Ideally, this would make him more marketable in the summer, whether for a longer-term contract at Hillsborough or a move elsewhere.