Sheffield Wednesday: How much Frederico Venancio will really cost Owls

Reports in the Portuguese media recently claimed the Owls would have to fork out out £2.6 million to bring the defender back to Hillsborough on a permanent basis.

But sources close to Vitoria say they are prepared to let Venancio leave if their six-figure valuation is met.

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Venancio has returned to the Primeira Liga outfit, having completed his season long-loan spell at Wednesday. He made 25 appearances as the Owls secured a 15th-placed finish following a strong end to the 2017/18 campaign.

After Venancio scored in the season finale against Norwich City, there were chants of ‘Sign him up’ from the Wednesday faithful. Both Venancio and the Owls have expressed their desire to finalise a full-time switch.

As revealed by this newspaper, Wednesday included an option to buy the 25-year-old on a permanent basis when they initially signed him on loan last August.

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However, it has emerged that clause in the deal expired at the end of March and a number of Championship teams have since inquired about Venancio’s services.

But it is understood Venancio’s preferred option is to rejoin the Owls.

Speaking after their 5-1 thrashing of the Canaries, Venancio said: “I want to stay at Sheffield Wednesday.

“I love the club, the city and everyone who works at the club. I did all I could during the season. I tried my best in all the matches. Every match was an opportunity for me to show my quality and talent. Now I just have to wait.”

Luhukay has already indicated Wednesday will have to be “creative” in the transfer market as they seek to avoid falling foul of Profit and Sustainability regulations.

Although it is unlikely there will be a big transfer kitty, it is thought Luhukay has made recruiting Venancio one of his top priorities this summer.

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