Under the circumstances, Sheffield Wednesday have played a blinder – Joe Crann’s transfer window recap

So there were nine, in total. Nine new signings for Garry Monk in his first proper transfer window since joining the Owls, and they’ve spent next to nothing in order to bring them in. I’m sure, like myself, Wednesdayites will be pretty pleased with how it’s all gone.

To sign Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Chey Dunkley, Izzy Brown (loan), Elias Kachunga, Josh Windass, Callum Paterson, Korede Adedoyin, Jack Marriott and Aden Flint (both loan), the Owls have paid out over just £1m, and just one of them is over the age of 28.

It’s exactly what Monk has been looking for. What he’s been preaching about.

He wanted young, hungry and dynamic, and he’s got a delightful mix of that. But he’s also brought in quality, experience and personality alongside those three core values. Oh, and we could probably include James Beattie, Darryl Flahavan and Andrew Hughes in there as new signings, too.

We were all saying that Sheffield Wednesday needed a spring clean, a clean slate. Well now they’ve got one, and – from what I can gather – they’re in a really good space right now.

But for me, just as important was the fact that the Owls kept hold of key personnel. They swatted away reported interest in vital players such as Dominic Iorfa and Barry Bannan, and they did so (as far as I’m aware) with the duo completely committed to the – pretty daunting – cause.

We’ve had Dunkley celebrating the signing of a player who is direct competition to him, and Joost van Aken speaking about how eager he is for more competition to keep him on his toes. That’s the sort of attitude Wednesday need right now. It’s the sort of attitude that’s going to be key if they’re to stay in the Championship.

On paper, SWFC have signed excellently – both financially and in terms of quality. Now we need to see if things are as good in reality as they look to be.

More Owls news

“What have you done?’ - What SWFC & Derby fans are saying about Marriott’s move

“There’s an aura about the club…” - Marriott’s first words as a Wednesday player

Deadline Day RECAP: Two in for Owls, window now CLOSED

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