Sheffield Wednesday player news to come with meetings taking place
Sheffield Wednesday are at the starting line of a very busy summer.
Sheffield Wednesday are housing discussions with players with regard to their futures this week after the immediate future of the club was confirmed in dramatic scenes over the weekend.
The takeover of the club by US consortium Arise Capital Partners was announced and confirmed on Saturday in front of a sold-out Hillsborough, with news that the club would face no points deduction heading into the new season also delivered to an emotional response.
A flurry of activity is required now to press the accelerator on the start of a vast summer rebuild both on and off the pitch. Wednesday’s squad was severely depleted in the last two transfer windows, owing to the club’s spiralling financial position, and time is of the essence in repairing the squad in time for the coming season. Owls boss Henrik Pedersen has spoken about the need for a full and intense pre-season programme, by which time it will be hoped the bulk of the squad is put together.
The appointment of a sporting director is high on Arise’s agenda, with Portsmouth figure Rich Hughes understood to be one of the candidates for the role. A sporting director will work as a head of the club’s football operations and will held assist in the direction of recruitment and other sporting missions - effectively as a collaborative line manager to manager and head of recruitment.
It’s understood that a great deal of work has already been undertaken by Pedersen, recruitment chief Kevin Beadell and among others first team coach Pete Shuttleworth in building profiles and wish lists of what is required in Wednesday’s squad rebuild. Staff at the club have taken the time since relegation to scout and analyse League One with view to gathering an understanding of its requirements - but a focus will be placed on a sustainable model of squad build with eyes on the years to come.
A number of existing players are approaching the end of their current deals with the club and, The Star understands, are the subject of discussions early this week. Midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah has already announced his exit from the club and further departures are expected as the football brains at the club go about re-moulding the squad’s image.
As of last week some senior figures within the club had not yet received clarity on where their future lay but are believed to have been understanding of the situation, with so many moving parts still to have been confirmed at S6.
Speaking on Saturday, Pedersen told The Star: “As David said to me yesterday evening, we have to speak as quickly as possible, so we can give clarity. And we will get a clarity in the next two, three, four, five days, and then we will start to build up. We are in contact not every day, but close to, and also with Michael, with Tom.
“Yeah, so we are close, and now we will discuss, and then we will take the big picture on, and then we will make clarity first with our own squad, and then we will, of course, look for new players outside our own squad.”
By EFL rules, players approaching the end of their deals must be notified in writing by the club by the third Saturday in May, which this year falls on May 16. If a new contract is being offered, the terms should be included in this notification.