Sheffield Wednesday will land huge boost if deal is struck - Leeds United fans will surely agree | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday may soon receive a boost from a Leeds United legend

Sheffield Wednesday could soon be handed a huge boost in the form of some free transfers.

The Owls have suffered a miserable 2025 due to former owner Dejphon Chansiri’s financial mismanagement, which saw him fail to pay players on time for five of the last seven months of his reign.

This led to a number of key operators such as Josh Windass, Djeidi Gassama and Michael Smith all leaving Hillsborough this summer, with just loan deals for Harry Amass and Ethan Horvath coming in the other way.

Coupled with an automatic 12-point penalty for entering administration, Wednesday look to be set for relegation down to League One come the end of this season. However, the atmosphere surrounding the Owls is the most positive it has been for some time.

11 parties are reportedly keen on taking over the Steel City side and they have now been granted permission by the EFL to sign free agents. The transfer restrictions placed on Wednesday due to Chansiri’s actions would usually prevent this from happening, but the administrators in charge of the club were able to present a vastly improved cash flow to the EFL following the Thai businessman’s exit.

Wednesday have now been granted permission to sign two free agents, with player welfare during a hectic period of the season another factor taken into consideration by the EFL during this saga.

Liam Cooper would be a huge boost for Sheffield Wednesday – Leeds United fans will surely agree

With Wednesday now set to add some free agents to their squad, there are a specific few players who have been linked with a move to Hillsborough.

One of these is former Leeds United captain Liam Cooper. The defender was heavily rumoured to be keen on joining the Owls during the summer window, but that move was ultimately scuppered due to restrictions in place.

The 34-year-old has been without a club since leaving CSKA Sofia in July and has remained unemployed after failing to get a move to Hillsborough over the line.

It has been reported that Cooper would be snapped up immediately by the Steel City side once they were allowed to sign free agents, which means that his signing could be imminent.

This would be a huge boost for Wednesday, mainly down to the youthful element of their squad. As a number of senior players left during the summer window, the Owls were unable to replace them due to their embargoes and therefore had to fall back on youth products to make up the numbers.

Although this has allowed for some talented youngsters to show their worth in the Championship, it isn’t ideal for their long-term development. Having to deal with the mental struggles of playing for Wednesday during this tumultuous period will have also taken its toll, which is why signing Cooper would be such a good deal.

Although at 34 years of age, he may be past his prime, the defender’s leadership will be invaluable to Henrik Pedersen’s side at this moment in time.

His ability to help Barry Bannan and Liam Palmer lead the dressing room can only help matters at Hillsborough, subsequently reducing the workload forced upon the squad’s experienced operators.

Leeds United supporters will vouch for Cooper in this scenario, after watching him operate out of Elland Road for a decade. The centre-back guided Leeds through play-off charges, promotion bids and ultimately the Championship title in 2020, before helping the Whites hold their own in the Premier League.

These fans have seen up close how brilliant his leadership skills are and will openly admit how big of a boost it will be for their fellow Yorkshire outfit.

Although relegation looks to be a certainty for Wednesday at this moment in time, adding Cooper’s experience to the mix will help young players develop, allow experienced operators to rest more and overall contribute to a more positive atmosphere at Hillsborough.

Free agent situation will help Sheffield Wednesday prepare for next season

Although relegation already looks like a foregone conclusion, Sheffield Wednesday can use this unique situation to their advantage.

The Owls can already start solely focussing on what next season will look like in the third-tier and how to best prepare their players for that scenario.

Bringing in free agents such as Cooper will allow their young operators to gain vital experience, which could be used to great effect in a League One promotion push next term.

Furthermore, some free agents may even choose to remain with the Owls in League One, which means that any business Wednesday can get done at this moment in time may allow them to perform from a stronger base in the future.