Wednesday has improved significantly under Danny Rohl this season after just escaping relegation the previous season. A play-off run might be too ambitious, but a top-half finish might be in the cards.
With 11 new players joining during the transfer window, the Owls had a busy summer. Many of these new players have had a significant impact in the first few months of the season.
Along with their successful transfer business, Wednesday secured new contracts for a number of their top players, including Liam Palmer, Di’Shon Bernard, Dominic Iorfa, Barry Bannan, and Josh Windass, guaranteeing they won’t experience a recurrence of the situation in which 19 senior players had their contracts expire this summer.
However, some Owls players are set to enter the final six months of their current contracts, and we looked at who will be free to sign a pre-contract agreement outside of England and potentially overseas, away from Hillsborough when the January transfer window opens.
Pol Valentin
Last summer, defender Pol Valentin joined Wednesday from Sporting Gijon in Spain. During the previous season, he made 40 appearances across all competitions.
Despite having a difficult start to his Owls career, Valentin emerged as a fan favorite and was one of the team’s most improved players over the season.
After Yan Valery joined from Angers at the beginning of the season, the 27-year-old lost his spot in the squad. However, Wednesday missed him, and they have improved greatly since he returned to the starting lineup.
Of all the players whose contracts expire in the summer, the Spaniard is the one the Owls may be most afraid of losing. In September, Maccabi Tel Aviv made a bid for Valentin, but the Owls rejected it. It is thought that the Israeli team may make another approach in the future.
Akin Famewo
Defender Akin Famewo joined Wednesday from Norwich City in the summer of 2022, and he has been a reliable performer for the club over the past two-and-a-half years.
Famewo was not always a regular starter during the early stages of his time at Hillsborough, but Rohl is known to be a big fan of the 26-year-old, and he was producing his best form in an Owls shirt until suffering a serious muscle injury in late October.
The defender is set to be sidelined for a few more months as he continues his recovery, and that could potentially deter clubs from offering him a pre-contract deal in January.
Wednesday are reportedly keen to tie Famewo down to a new contract, which would be a deserved reward for his strong performances earlier this season, and they will be hoping to reach an agreement as soon as possible.
Marvin Johnson
Winger Marvin Johnson arrived at Hillsborough from Middlesbrough in August 2021, and Wednesday exercised their option to keep him at the club for a further year this summer.
Johnson was surprisingly frozen out by former manager Xisco Munoz at the start of last season, much to the frustration of Owls supporters, but he was immediately brought back into the fold by Rohl, and he went on to score four goals and provide four assists in 30 appearances.
His spot in the team came under threat once again in the summer following the signing of Max Lowe from Sheffield United, but he remains a crucial player for Wednesday, and Rohl recently praised him for his attitude and his willingness to fight for his place.
Having just turned 34, Johnson is entering the latter stages of his career, so an overseas move may be appealing to him, but if he continues his current form, the Owls could offer him another extension in the summer.
Read more news:https://sportupdates.co.uk/
Leave a Reply