Club pulls out of Svante Ingelsson transfer race as Sheffield Wednesday boss makes strong admission
Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Svante Ingelsson has attracted plenty of interest during the winter transfer window.
Sheffield Wednesday manager Henrik Pedersen has said “it would be awful” if Svante Ingelsson leaves Hillsborough ahead of Monday night’s 7pm transfer deadline - but it is understood Portsmouth have ended their pursuit of the midfielder.
As reported by The Star over the last few weeks, the Swede, who joined the Owls from Hansa Rostock in June 2024, has attracted plenty of interest from rival Championship clubs during this window, including from the likes of Portsmouth and Millwall.
The two aforementioned clubs are understood to have had bids knocked back for the 27-year-old, who started in a deeper midfield role for Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Wrexham at Hillsborough.
Millwall saw a bid in the region of £300,000 rejected by the Owls a few days ago, while Portsmouth saw an offer in a similar region swiftly knocked back ahead of last weekend’s 2-0 defeat to Bristol City at Ashton Gate. Pompey, as per a report by our sister title, The News, are understood to have now moved onto alternative targets.
Although plenty can change in the final hours of the transfer window, such are the complexities of the mid-season window, it is The Star’s understanding there is a growing likelihood Ingelsson will stay at the club beyond Monday night’s 7pm cut-off point, although other clubs do remain interested in his signature.
Pedersen desperate to keep Ingelsson
And should that situation play out, it will delight Owls chief Pedersen, who made it crystal clear after the defeat to Wrexham just how keen he is to keep hold of the industrious midfielder.
Asked how important it is to keep hold of the Swede, Pedersen told The Star: "It would be awful. He is a culture player - he sets the standard every day for what is okay and what is not okay.
“He's a top human. He's a top professional player and he is strong in the way we want to play. I really, really hope we don't need to sell him and that we can keep him.”
Ingelsson has featured in 28 of Wednesday’s 29 Championship matches this season, starting 27 of them, highlighting just how important a figure he has been.
He is one of a cluster of players to have been the subject of interest in this window alongside the likes of Yan Valery, Max Lowe and Bailey Cadamarteri.