By Russell Edge

23rd Dec, 2020 | 6:21pm

Exclusive: Sheffield Wednesday, QPR, Preston & Barnsley race to sign Finland ace in Jan

QPR, Sheffield Wednesday, Preston North End and Barnsley are all plotting raids to sign HJK Helsinki defender Daniel O’Shaughnessy in January, Football Insider understands.

The 26-year-old Finland international has been a standout performer for both club and country in 2020 and has caught the eye of several scouts from the English Championship.

A recruitment source has told Football Insider that Mark Warburton, Tony Pulis, Alex Neil and Valerien Ismael are all looking to bolster their backlines next month and have set sights on the Finnish ace as a top target.

It is understood O’Shaughnessy could cost in the region of around £500,000, with his contract at HJK set to expire next December.

There would also be no issues with the new Brexit regulations on foreign transfers as a result of the defender possessing both a Finnish and Irish passport.

The HJK star left his current club as a youngster for French outfit Metz in 2012 before he arrived in England to join Brentford’s academy two years later.

The versatile defender, who can also play at left-back, spent two years with the Bees, which included a spell at FC Midtjylland, before he left for Cheltenham Town on a free transfer.

O’Shaughnessy made 49 appearances for the Robins, 37 of which came in League Two, before he returned to HJK on a free in January 2018.

He has been a mainstay for his boyhood club, having played 83 times across all competitions so far, while he has also picked up eight caps for the national side.

He was named man of the match for Finland’s recent 2-0 win over World Cup holders France and is expected to be part of the national squad for next summer’s Europan Championships.

In other news, Football Insider can reveal Tottenham are set to terminate loan deal with QPR rivals.