Could Sheffield Wednesday copy Brentford’s transfer blueprint at the dawn of a new era?

Get the brightest minds in the boardroom and the brightest talent in the changing room. Scour Europe, buy cheap, sell high, look for holes in the transfer market and forget convention.

It sounds radical, but in practice, it is relatively simple.

Their reserve side no longer plays in the English league set-up, preferring to travel the continent in search of fiercer, more bespoke challenges.

They have no issue selling players on when the numbers are right. Such is the quality of their scouting network, another talent will come along soon enough.

It’s that well-oiled machine that has gone some way to paving the way for a new stadium and an almost inevitable ascension to Premier League status – if not now then soon.

Brentford have made a whopping £110m out of player sales in the last five years. Sheffield Wednesday have made just £7m.

The Premier League is littered with Bees-reared talent – Neal Maupay was bought for £1.6m and sold for £20m, Ezri Konsa in for £2.5m and out for £12m, Andre Gray in for £500k and out for £11m. The list goes on.

The Bees are fourth. The stars of Saturday’s 5-0 win over Wednesday were assembled on a dime – Josh Dasilva was free, Emiliano Marcondes? Free. Said Benrahma arrived for £1.5m and Ollie Watkins for £1.8m. The latter pair would now easily command fees of £20m or more.

And Wednesday boss Garry Monk is an admirer: “I think when they first did it it was to set up to sell players but I think you have seen this year that part of their plan now is to use that investment and they have invested very heavily in the squad.

“They have done it with that plan and the new stadium is coming.

“It has been a very well thought-out plan. They have been very organised and they have a really young, dynamic team.”

Change is afoot, they keep telling us, and if Sheffield Wednesday are to rip it up and start again, a strategy modelled on that of their Saturday tormentors could well be the way to go.