Derby County and Oxford United are battling head-to-head in an attempt to sign Sheffield Wednesday defender Marvin Johnson to help bolster their survival hopes.
Both the Rams and the U’s were promoted to the Championship last season, with Derby getting automatic promotion and Oxford defeating Bolton in the playoff final at Wembley Stadium.
The clubs have both made some positive signings already as they both look to ensure they are not relegated back to the third tier of English football.
As is the case with many talented footballers at this level, they draw interest from many rival clubs in the same league, and this is still the case with this report.
The question is, which of these clubs will be able to land the signature of a Sheffield Wednesday statesman?
Derby or Oxford for Johnson?
According to Darren Witcoop, Derby County and Oxford United are both interested in signing Sheffield Wednesday defender Marvin Johnson as they both look for a new left-back option.
The two clubs are aiming to bolster their squads massively as they target survival in the second tier.
Johnson is entering his fourth season with Sheffield Wednesday, but with the signing of Max Lowe in the summer window, he is likely to fall out of favour with Danny Rohl.
He has been the starting option at full-back for the past three seasons, with the player operating as both a left-back and a left-midfielder in different stages of his Wednesday career.
Last season he made 29 appearances for the club, scoring four times and assisting as many in yet another solid season for the Owls.
However, at 33 years of age, he may now look for another challenge as he reaches the tail-end of his career and would be a great asset for many clubs at this level.
Where Will He Go?
It is hard to determine what Johnson will do this window, with the player also likely to stay with the Owls for yet another year in a system he knows very well.
However, he will likely not want to be a backup at this level, and the chance to start for another Championship team is a difficult option to pass up on.
If he does move on, he will likely go to the club that will offer him the most game time and would be a great option of experience for a team battling relegation in the Championship