What Henrik Pedersen has said about Pierce Charles' Sheffield Wednesday future as Coventry City lurk | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday manager Henrik Pedersen has spoken out about goalkeeper Pierce Charles' future amid links with Coventry City.

It is set to be a busy summer for Sheffield Wednesday as they prepare for life back in League One.

It has been a nightmare season for Wednesday, who suffered the earliest relegation in English football history when their fate was confirmed in late February, while they remain in administration almost six months on from former owner Dejphon Chansiri's exit.

There is reason for Owls supporters to be optimistic as Arise Capital Partners — a group consisting of David Storch, Michael Storch and Tom Costin — close in on completing a takeover of the club, but there will be plenty of work to do for the trio this summer if they get the green light to take charge at Hillsborough.

While Wednesday lost many of their key players during their summer of turmoil, they do still have a few sellable assets, and goalkeeper Pierce Charles is one man who could attract strong interest from elsewhere when the transfer window opens.

Charles has struggled with injury at times this season, but he has shown his quality between the sticks whenever fit, and, in addition to his progression at club level, he has also established himself as Northern Ireland's number one goalkeeper, starting their recent World Cup qualifier play-off defeat to Italy.

It seems that Charles' performances have not gone unnoticed, and a report from TEAMtalk this week claimed that Championship leaders Coventry City are the latest club to join the race for the 20-year-old, while Premier League sides Manchester City, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Leeds United are also monitoring his situation.

Henrik Pedersen speaks out on Pierce Charles' Sheffield Wednesday future amid Coventry City talk

With a takeover yet to be completed, there is still significant uncertainty in the air at Hillsborough, but despite overseeing just one win this season so far, manager Henrik Pedersen is expected to remain in charge of Wednesday under Storch.

Pedersen has made no secret of the fact that he has already started preparations for next season, but it remains to be seen whether the Dane will be able to call upon Charles in League One as interest in his services grows.

However, speaking after Charles made a host of impressive saves in the 1-1 home draw with Leicester City on Easter Monday, Pedersen heaped praise on the Northern Ireland international and insisted that the Owls would not let him go without a fight.

"He [Pierce Charles] is a fantastic goalkeeper. Normally we speak about Pierce being top with his feet, today he also showed how mentally strong he is and how strong he is defensively. Top performance from him," Pedersen told the BBC.

"I think there's nobody that has doubt for his potential. He has a big, big future, that's why we are really, really proud and really happy that he's a part of Sheffield Wednesday. We will do everything we can to keep him for the future."

Sheffield Wednesday may need to prepare for Pierce Charles frustration despite Henrik Pedersen claims

Interest in Charles is nothing new for Wednesday to contend with, as the talented shot-stopper has been the subject of admiring glances in previous transfer windows.

It was claimed in August that Premier League side West Ham United and Scottish giants Rangers both made bids of over £1 million for Charles, but they did not receive a response from the Owls, who were believed to be holding out for around £8 million at the time.

French outfit Strasbourg were also linked with Charles in the summer, and they returned with a formal bid in the January transfer window, but they could not agree a deal with Wednesday's administration, despite the fact that other stars such as Barry Bannan and Bailey Cadamarteri were sold to raise funds.

With Coventry and a host of top flight clubs said to be keeping tabs on Charles ahead of the summer, it seems certain that the Owls' resolve could be tested again, and it would be no surprise to see Rangers, who are now managed by former Wednesday manager Danny Rohl, make a fresh move.

It is unclear how much game time Charles would receive if he was to make the switch to a higher level this summer, so Pedersen will not have given up hope of convincing him to stay and be part of an exciting new era at Hillsborough, but the chances of him remaining in S6 next season are looking increasingly slim.