Exclusive:Sheffield Wednesday key man set for immediate exit - Owls to accept post-window offer
Sheffield Wednesday are set to accept a loan offer received for Yan Valery, The Star understands.
The Owls navigated a UK transfer window manager Henrik Pedersen described as ‘difficult’, with key figures Barry Bannan and Harry Amass moving on alongside first team forward Bailey Cadamarteri and hot prospect Yisa Alao. That window closed on Monday evening but with a number of foreign windows still open, exits from Wednesday’s squad remained a possibility with interest remaining in the likes if Ike Ugbo and Yan Valery.
The Star understands that Valery has been the subject of a loan offer from Swiss side BSC Young Boys - and that Wednesday are set to accept the offer following a round of discussions with the player, who is gearing up for involvement in this summer’s World Cup in North America. We’re told the club are set to accept the offer ‘reluctantly’ and it’s understood that the Bern side are set to pay the wages of the Tunisia international for the duration of the loan.
His exit from an Owls squad light in numbers will come as a further immediate blow to a side all but condemned to Championship relegation. It’s understood there is a likelihood that Wednesday will be able to revisit the free agent market in order to bring in a replacement for the versatile 26-year-old, whose contract expires in 2027 and so will in theory return to the club in the summer.
Valery arrived to the club from Ligue 1 side Angers SCO in the summer of 2024 and has played 63 times for the Owls, his 23 outings this season punctuated only by his involvement in the African Cup of Nations. His exit from Wednesday comes as no major shock despite the closure of the UK transfer window - The Star previously reported interest in him from clubs in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey as well as both Rangers and Wrexham. The Swiss transfer window closes on February 16.
Operating under tight recruitment restrictions, administration-hit Wednesday were able to bring players in on loan with the arrivals of Murphy Cooper, Jaden Heskey, Tayo Adaramola and Joel Ndala - Marvelous Nakamba joined on a short-term full contract basis.