Six Premier League freebies that Sheffield Wednesday might want to consider – Feat. Jordon Ibe, Luke Garbutt and a former Manchester United starlet

Teenage midfielder, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, was confirmed as the Owls first summer recruit on Tuesday after he finalised a move from Manchester City, and looking above them for signings could be a good plan of attack as they seek to revitalise the squad following a number of exits.

We looked through the long list of players released from clubs across the PL to see who might be worth a look, here are six names that came up:

Tobi Omole

Having been released by Arsenal, young Omole is currently on the market as a free agent as he weighs up the next step in his career, and could be an interesting option for the Owls as Monk plans a way forward with younger and hungrier players.

Omole had been with the Gunners’ academy since 2014 prior to his exit earlier this month, and has been utilised in a number of positions including defensive midfield and centre back, however is most commonly known as a left full back.

He made a couple of senior appearances in the EFL Trophy this past season, and SWFC are certainly going to be looking for players on their left-side following the exit of Morgan Fox.

Jordon Ibe

Ibe wouldn’t come cheap, and no doubt would be seen as a bit of risk given his last couple of seasons, but he’s still only 24, and maybe a drop down into the Championship could suit him as he looks to get things back on track.

Would he suit the 3-5-2 formation that Monk seems to be focusing on? Possibly not. But Kadeem Harris has adapted well to it, and Ibe certainly has enough quality and technical ability to be a real threat in the Championship. He’s no stranger to the league having spent time at both Birmingham City and Derby County, and he might be prepared to take a cut in order to hit a bit of a reset button for himself and have a fresh start.

Richard Nartey

Nartey is available for free after leaving Chelsea recently, and at 21 there’s still plenty of room for growth for the right-footed centre back.

Having spent last season out on loan with Burton Albion in League One, where he also played a couple of games as a right back, Nartey has plenty of senior experience for a player his age, and has a solid football upbringing given that he signed for the Blues as an U9 – helping their U18s win the FA Youth Cup and U18 Premier League back in 2016/17.

The young defender played 29 games for Burton while on loan in the season just gone, with them winning just three of the 10 league matches that he missed over the course of the 2019/20 campaign.

Luke Garbutt

There was a bit of a laugh and a joke recently Everton manager, Carlo Ancelotti, was caught a bit off-guard when asked about Garbutt’s exit, but it could be a case of one man’s trash being another man’s treasure with regards to the left back.

At 27, the Everton academy graduate is not quite the ‘youngster’ that many fans are hoping for, but he’s a good age and still has room for development under the right manager. With more than 150 senior appearances to his name across the Premier League, Europa League, Championship, League One and League Two, he’s also not short of a bit of experience.

Another aspect that makes the former Fulham and Wigan Athletic man interesting is the fact that, while he has played predominantly as a left back – which is a position the Owls need to bolster – he has also been used as a left midfielder and a left winger as well, something that suggest he’d work well as a wingback in Monk’s current 3-5-2 system.

Nathaniel Clyne

Clyne is probably the biggest ‘Hail Mary’ of this list, firstly because he will have been wages largely out of Wednesday’s league while at Liverpool, but secondly because there’s a high chance that there’s a club in the Premier League that would like to have him in their squad for the 2020/21 season.

At 29, Clyne is still on the right side of 30 to be considered as a player who’s still got some years left in him, and also has a handful of appearances of as right midfielder on top of his time as a top-flight full back. It’s a long shot, but if he’s prepared to take a cut in order to to get things back on track, he’d be a big Championship player.

Aidan Barlow

Barlow is approaching his 21st birthday in January, and recently left Manchester United after his contract with the Red Devils expired.

The Salford-born midfielder has plenty of versatility having been used in practically every position in the middle, but his preferred position appears to be wide left of as an attacking midfielder in the centre – both positions that he’s scored and created goals in acrossthe UEFA Youth League, Premier League 2, and during a loan spell in the Norwegian top-flight with Tromsø IL earlier this season.

Whatever happens, there are expected to be several new names on the back of Wednesday’s shirts next season, and it’s going to be interesting to see who joins ‘Fizz’ on the list of fresh recruits.

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