'Breathing space' on Sheffield Wednesday contract talks as future plan continues
Sheffield Wednesday are moving forward.
Contract discussions with football figures at Sheffield Wednesday can be continued or revisited in the coming months as the club presses forward with its plans under sporting director Simon Wilson.
That’s according to the man himself, who speaking to The Star recently explained that there is ‘breathing space’ at this time of the year with regard to contract discussions. A number of Wednesday’s senior cohort are into the final year of their deals and after a long and busy summer in which the squad was transformed, focus will switch to ‘live’ conversations as to contract futures.
As reported by The Wednesday Word, it is understood that adjustments were made to the contract of Henrik Pedersen and others - as can often be routine for a club subject to relegation and the contracted wage cuts that come with that. The contract of the Owls boss has not been extended. Ernie Weaver is one player that is believed to be on the list of players Wednesday would like to see extend his deal, while Pedersen suggested that Yan Valery could be another one whose situation is looked at.
The likes of senior men Liam Palmer, Barry Bannan, Max Lowe, Jamal Lowe, Liam Cooper, Ricardo Santos and Reece James are in the last year of their current agreements, as are younger players such as Di’Shon Bernard, Gabriel Otegbayo and Sean Fusire.
Asked about the plan of attack on contract discussions throughout the Wednesday camp in conversation with The Star earlier this month, Wilson said: “I think we've done the majority of that now. There are a couple of live conversations that we're having with members of the current team around that. I think we've got a bit of breathing space with some of that type of stuff now, certainly until the other side of January.”
Speaking after confirming he and others had been subject to adjustments in their contracts, Pedersen said: “I think we have got some new owners who are tough, tough business people and, at the same time, they have their hearts in the right place.
“They try to treat people with a big, big respect, and I really appreciate what they are doing for our club. They have a strategy for how they want to handle [the club], and I think they have a dialogue with more people. I know they respect everyone, and they want to do all that they can. That’s the best thing for the club.”