Exclusive:Sheffield Wednesday expected to issue fresh contract offers to sought-after key pair
Sheffield Wednesday are standing at the edge of a busy summer, with many decisions to be made both in the short and long-term.
Discussions over the fate of existing Sheffield Wednesday players are ongoing this week as the club look to kick off a squad rebuild heading into what will no doubt be a busy summer.
The Owls will look to kick-start their fortunes under new ownership after the takeover of the club by US consortium Arise Capital Partners over the weekend. Confirmation that the club will not face a points deduction provides a landscape-flipping boost to what will be possible as they look to rebuild in League One and as reported by The Star for some weeks, the club will not be subject to overly stringent recruitment restrictions.
In a whirlwind of immediate tasks come talks over what direction will be taken with the futures of players rapidly approaching the end of their current Wednesday deals. Nathaniel Chalobah was already announced his departure, while the likes of Liam Palmer, Dominic Iorfa, Liam Cooper and a host of youngsters have situations to be remedied.
The Star has developed an understanding that conversations are to be had over fresh deals for at least two key players, with the club intending to offer fresh deals. Defender Max Lowe is coming to the end of a two-year deal and does not have an extension clause, The Star understands, and has proven his class across 66 appearances and as an experienced, left-footed ball-playing defender is a hot commodity.
The understanding is that Lowe is open to staying at S6 following the club’s relegation but that a host of Championship clubs are interested in his signature. As alluded to by Henrik Pedersen in a press conference some weeks ago, The Star understands Wednesday are keen to keep hold of him and the intention is to nail him down to a fresh contract.
Another key man the Owls would like to offer a new deal to is player of the season Svante Ingelsson. As revealed by The Star, the Swedish midfielder is coming to the end of his two-year contract though the club hold an extension option. Pedersen has admitted previously that keeping hold of Ingelsson will be a ‘difficult’ task amid interest from a host of second tier clubs including Stoke City - who are also believed to be among the clubs keen on Lowe.
It’s understood that Wednesday retain the option of a year’s extension on Ingelsson’s deal even after relegation to the third tier was confirmed - though the intention is to enter into discussions that would secure the 27-year-old to fresh terms on an extended deal.
As an existing squad player Ingelsson, who has become a fan favourite for his tireless efforts in a brutal campaign, is understood to be subject to the cross-squad wage drop clause that comes with relegation as a financial protection to the club. Clubs must inform existing players of their intentions on contracts before the third Saturday in May, though the hope is that Wednesday will move much faster than that.
The Star is of the understanding that formal, firm contracts offers are not yet lodged and formal discussions are to be had. The club has not yet confirmed its new sporting director and things are moving apace in a number of areas at the new Wednesday ownership look to hit the ground running.
Ingelsson missed out on the final few matches of the season with a knee injury that required a minor surgery. The procedure removed a small part of his meniscus and went well, with Ingelsson among those watching on at Hillsborough as the Owls closed-out their season. The hope is that he will be back running inside a month.