Sheffield Wednesday feature: 4 EFL clubs who should swoop for Cardiff City contract rebel Andy Rinomhota | OneFootball

We looked at four EFL clubs who should have midfielder Andy Rinomhota on their radar following his departure from Cardiff City.

Midfielder Andy Rinomhota is on the hunt for a new club after departing Cardiff City at the end of his contract.

After joining the club from Reading in the summer of 2022, it was a turbulent three-year spell at Cardiff for Rinomhota, and having initially struggled to establish himself in the team, he spent the second half of the 2023-24 season on loan at Rotherham United.

However, Rinomhota was brought back into the fold after Omer Riza took charge of the Bluebirds last term, and after an impressive individual campaign that saw him star both in midfield and at right-back, he was voted Player of the Season by his team-mates, but he could not prevent his side's relegation to League One.

With his current deal expiring this summer, Rinomhota had been in talks with Cardiff over his future, but the two parties failed to reach an agreement over a new contract, and his time in South Wales will now come to an end.

As he prepares to begin the next chapter of his career, we looked at four EFL clubs who should make a move for Rinomhota.

Sheffield Wednesday

Rinomhota was one of few players to emerge with any credit from Cardiff's disappointing relegation campaign last season, so he may feel he deserves the chance to remain in the Championship, and Sheffield Wednesday could be the club to offer him a second tier lifeline.

It has been a nightmare start to the summer for the Owls, and after failing to pay the wages of players and staff on time for the second time in three months in May, they have been hit with a three-window ban on paying transfer fees.

Wednesday are restricted to free transfers and loans that do not require a fee until January 2027, so they are going to have to be incredibly smart in the transfer market, and Rinomhota would be a shrewd addition for the club.

With no end in sight to the current off-field turmoil, Rinomhota may understandably be reluctant to make the move to Hillsborough, but given that the Owls are desperately short of central midfield options, he would at least have a strong chance of receiving regular Championship game time, while it would also offer him the opportunity to return to his native Yorkshire.

Derby County

While it could be a tough season ahead for Sheffield Wednesday, Derby County are one Championship club who appear to be heading in the right direction.

The Rams secured survival on the final day of last season under John Eustace, and as their summer rebuild begins, they are reportedly closing in on the signings of Blackburn Rovers duo Danny Batth and Andreas Weimann and Luton Town striker Carlton Morris.

As shown by the imminent capture of the trio, Eustace is keen to bring in players with experience this summer, and having made 213 second tier appearances during the course of his career for Reading, Rotherham and Cardiff, Rinomhota would certainly add plenty of know-how to the Derby midfield.

With uncertainty over whether Liam Thompson will sign a new contract at Pride Park, Ben Osborn, Kenzo Goudmijn and Ebou Adams are the Rams' only central midfield options currently, so Rinomhota would be a welcome addition to bolster Eustace's numbers in the middle of the park.

Oxford United

While Derby only narrowly avoided relegation last season, it proved to be a little more comfortable for Oxford United, with Gary Rowett's men securing their Championship status with a game to spare.

Rowett made the decision to release Josh McEachran at the end of his contract this summer, and having fallen out of favour in recent months, it seems likely that both Louie Sibley and Idris El Mizouni will be following the former Chelsea man out of the exit door, which would leave the U's a little light in midfield.

After defying the odds to remain in the second tier last season, Oxford will be hoping to kick on in the upcoming campaign, but their financial limitations may make it difficult for them to pull away from danger completely, so the addition of a player who has experienced plenty of relegation battles in Rinomhota could prove to be incredibly useful.

If Rinomhota has any reservations about making the switch to the Kassam Stadium, he only needs to speak to his former Cardiff team-mate Mark Harris, who has found a new lease of life since joining the U's two years ago.

Luton Town

Rinomhota may have left Cardiff following their relegation to League One, but that does not mean to say that he would not ply his trade in the third tier if the right offer came along.

After being condemned to the drop with the Bluebirds, it has been a strong start to the summer for Luton Town, with manager Matt Bloomfield bringing in two players from Championship clubs in Bristol City defender Kal Naismith and Millwall midfielder George Saville.

Those deals are a statement of intent from the Hatters as they look to win promotion at the first attempt next season, and while a move to Kenilworth Road would not go down well with the Bluebirds faithful, Rinomhota could be tempted to become part of Bloomfield's exciting project.

With Marvelous Nakamba looking likely to depart this summer and Lamine Fanne reportedly attracting interest from Stoke City, Club Brugge and sides from La Liga, Bloomfield may need to strengthen his midfield over the coming months, and it would certainly be a coup if Luton were able to land Rinomhota.