Sheffield Wednesday admit to Yan Valery conundrum with transfer deadline discussed
A decision will be made on the future of one of Sheffield Wednesday’s most talented players.
The future of Sheffield Wednesday defender Yan Valery will be decided on a date in the coming weeks - and could well depend on other deals as the Owls look ahead to adding attacking options to their squad.
The Tunisia international, who has a year remaining on his Hillsborough contract, spent time at the World Cup earlier this summer and was widely understood to be heading for the exit door having spent the second half of last season on loan with Swiss side BSC Young Boys.
Valery is back training at Middlewood Road, however, with an important call to be made on whether or not the club choose to continue with him - or cash-in amid continued interest from elsewhere. The Owls are operating within recruitment restrictions following their exit from administration and though they are approaching the agreed limit on their transfer and loan fee spend, the sale of players can be reinvested into wages for free agents and loan signings.
“First of all he has been really good,” Wednesday boss Henrik Pedersen told The Star ahead of this weekend’s Carabao Cup clash with Bolton Wanderers. “He was really good in the first half (of the friendly v Accrington Stanley). He said he could have played longer, but we agreed to only play 45 minutes. He has trained well.
“We have agreed he will do all that he can. Full power. And then we'll see how the window is developed. And then we'll find out a date when we say OK, we have to find a solution before this date. But I'm really happy to have him here.”
There’s no doubt a player of Valery’s quality would be some prospect in League One. But with attacking additions much-needed and the window beginning to heat-up as they approach the final weeks of the window, an injection of funds into the wage fund might well prove to be a wise move - particularly given his dwindling contract.
Pedersen made no bones about the fact that his squad required more attacking options and asked where the balance lies on the decision of whether to keep or trade Valery, he smiled: “That's a good question!
“I would love to keep Yan, he is a good player. But let's see how things develop. There is no doubt he is a good player and of course there will be some clubs that will look after him. And then we have to find out the balance and what makes sense for the big picture in relation to this, compared to keeping him.”