Max Lowe staying at Sheffield Wednesday is a coup that could bring even further transfer rewards
Max Lowe is staying at Sheffield Wednesday and that’s a huge boost for the Owls in more ways than one
On the face of it, Max Lowe signing a new contract is of course hugely positive news from the point of view of Sheffield Wednesday having a player of his quality on the pitch.
Delving deeper, though, it could be one of Wednesday's most important pieces of business in this summer's transfer window.
It goes without saying that Lowe is too good for League One.
There's no doubt that his agent will have been busy fielding calls from prospective suitors for months and the vast majority of these would have been coming from the Championship and most probably from around Europe too.
For the full-back to decide to stay on at Hillsborough is a huge coup and a massive, Owl-sized feather in the cap of the club's new owners who, at the minute, can do very little wrong.
Lowe being settled where he is based and having a young family may well have played a part in the player's decision but it's difficult to think there wouldn't be interest from clubs within a reasonably commutable distance.
So for Wednesday's new owners, the impressive figures brought in to run the show and boss Henrik Pedersen to convince Lowe to stay and ply his trade at a level he could easily play above is quite a feat.
It's a deal that maintains the belief that this is a new Wednesday, a club on the up and one that is now able to hold onto some of their best talents because the players who are there and have been in the trenches of a losing battle are buying into the positivity that is sweeping across S6.
Of course not everyone is going to buy into it and that’s their prerogative. Playing at the highest level they can is any player’s right and the news of Svante Ingelsson move to Stoke City, confirmed today, is one that The Star reported on quite some time ago. It was felt then that the Swede’s heart was already well set on an exit even if he did afford everyone at Wednesday the courtesy of stating their case for his staying put and taking his time before making a firm call on his future.
And while it would be another deal worth celebrating if he were to stay - perhaps even more so than Lowe - it would be no surprise to see highly-rated goalkeeper Pierce Charles also make a move this summer. The circumstances around that one are quite different though as Charles has shown no real indication at this stage that he’s desperate for a move and it could well be in the club’s hands.
The timing of the Lowe news, though, is also crucial, coming as it does at the early stages of the summer transfer window.
It's an affirmation of Wednesday's fresh dawn. Lowe can now be used as one of the poster boys for this new era. Sporting director Simon Wilson can point to him as a symbol of the quality Wednesday already have within their ranks and the quality that they can attract when trying to convince transfer targets that Hillsborough is the place to be in the short-term and beyond.
Keeping hold of Lowe is a big deal in itself, but it can have far-reaching benefits as the transfer window continues to play out.