Exclusive:Sheffield Wednesday face battle on Svante Ingelsson future as Championship clubs circle
Svante Ingelsson is expected to sweep the Sheffield Wednesday awards season after a strong campaign.
Sheffield Wednesday are set to receive strong summer interest from a number of Championship clubs in fan favourite midfielder Svante Ingelsson, The Star understands. The Swedish midfielder is the subject of assessments on a knee issue at current but could play a part in the final day outing against West Brom at Hillsborough next weekend.
Ingelsson has been the standout figure in a long and brutal campaign and is expected to receive the majority of the end of season awards for his efforts across 41 appearances.
Those efforts have attracted admiration from across the Championship, with The Star of the understanding that Stoke City are the latest club to have signalled a strong interest heading into what is expected to be a manic summer at S6. Transfer curiosity around the 27-year-old is nothing new, with bids from Millwall and Portsmouth having been rejected by Wednesday in the January transfer window.
Further interest is believed to have been held by the likes of West Brom and Preston North End, while it’s no secret locally that Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder is an admirer - though the Blades are well-stocked in midfield and any notion of a dramatic switch to Bramall Lane is thought to be highly unlikely as things stand.
Having signed on a free transfer from German second tier outfit Hansa Rostock in 2024, Ingelsson is coming to the end of a two-year contract at Hillsborough, though Wednesday hold a one-year extension clause on his deal that they will take-up. No firm decisions will yet be made while the Owls are not in the hands of new ownership but it is understood there are a number of weeks remaining for the club to formally enact that option.
Ingelsson’s level of interest in moving on is unknown and should his contract be extended as expected, any exit from S6 would have to be negotiated as a transfer. Amid heavy interest, the Swede is believed to have made it known he did not want to leave the club in the January transfer window partly due to personal reasons.
Hopes remain that US consortium Arise Capital Partners are able to complete a takeover of the club next week ahead of what will no doubt by a busy summer. A ground-up squad rebuild is required and resisting interest in Ingelsson may well prove to be a primary task. The former Udinese man will not take part in this weekend’s trip to Oxford United owing to his knee issue.