Jamie Vardy would be an exception to the rule as Sheffield Wednesday plan for new transfer strategy
Sheffield Wednesday plan to put a new blueprint into place next season, prioritising the additions of young players, meaning the prospect of swooping for Jamie Vardy would be
Just the thought of Jamie Vardy donning Sheffield Wednesday colours next season is enough to get any Wednesdayite a little bit excited.
After a season of despair, misery and just two victories, Owls supporters are entitled to dream about happier times following the completion of Arise Capital Partners’ takeover earlier this month.
Season ticket sales for next season have already smashed through the 15,000 barrier and supporters are looking forward to seeing what the off-season brings both on and off the pitch at Hillsborough amid the anticipation of improvements to the club’s infrastructure and a wave of new signings.
Manager Henrik Pedersen’s squad needs rebuilding this summer in preparation for the blood and thunder of League One, and it is not unrealistic to suggest Wednesday could be in need of somewhere between 15 and 20 new players to get them in the best possible shape for the 2026/27 season.
Although the start of the summer transfer window is still exactly three weeks away, one or two names have already started to become linked with the prospect of a move to Hillsborough. The headline name so far, of course, is Vardy.
The boyhood Wednesdayite, who was released by the Owls as a youngster before enjoying a fairytale rise to the very top of English football, is understood to have been discussed internally as Wednesday draw up their recruitment plans. The Star understands these are very early days and any likelihood of formal talks is not yet known.
After leaving Leicester City last summer, following 13 incredible years at the King Power Stadium, Vardy moved to Italy, joining US Cremonese, signing a one-year deal with an extension option. Confirmation of their relegation from Serie A on Sunday, however, has thrown Vardy’s future with the Italian club into doubt.
As well as being discussed internally by Wednesday, he has also been linked with a return to Leicester, who will also compete in League One next season.
At this moment in time, nobody truly knows what the future holds for Vardy. One thing that is understood, though, is that he has no intentions of retiring just yet, despite the fact he will celebrate his 40th birthday in January.
Unlike after their last relegation to League One in 2021, Wednesday, it seems, are not planning to just focus on signing experienced players with promotion know-how this time around. Although that method got the Owls out of League One at the second attempt, it was an ageing squad with very little resale value that was assembled.
Five years on, Wednesday plan to go down a different route, and it is one most supporters are in favour of.
"The strategy has to be to play with young players," Owls chief Pedersen said last month. "We have to make a business model that is sustainable, and a part of this is to find young, top talent. We have to make them strong and effective in the first team. Then it will be a part of the business model also to sell players.
"We have to make it so Sheffield Wednesday is such an interesting academy to be a young player that people will say, 'We want to go there because we will be developed as a human and a player. And there's a chance to get playing time.’ Then they can be sold later.”
Having developed a reputation for failing to sell players under Chansiri, Wednesday, to move forward, are going to have to in this new era. No supporter likes saying goodbye to a player showing plenty of promise, but it is part and parcel of football nowadays that clubs have to sell players to survive and to move forward.
Signing Vardy, of course, would not be aligned with that blueprint. Although he is not planning to hang up his boots just yet, it is fair to say he is coming towards the end of his career.
However, this is Vardy; he is the 14th highest goalscorer in Premier League history, a Premier League winner and has demonstrated that he is still sharp in front of goal at the age of 39 in one of Europe’s top five leagues this season. He is also a household name that would generate attention and put a positive spotlight on Wednesday.
Therefore, deviating away from the blueprint Pedersen wants to implement to sign someone of Vardy’s calibre would be a worthy exception. Throw in the fact he is a Wednesdayite and idolised David Hirst growing up, the ties he has with this club only makes the argument for abandoning the blueprint to to investigate the prospect of signing him even stronger.
From a commercial standpoint, signing Vardy would be a no-brainer. Shirts with his name on the back would fly out the Megastore as fast as staff could put them on the shelves. Him rocking up at Hillsborough would also attract plenty of attention from outside the Wednesday bubble.
Nobody truly knows, at this stage, what the future holds for the former England striker and if a move to Wednesday is distinctly possible. However, if it were to happen, he would be worth abandoning the blueprint for.