Fernando Forestieri transfer truth emerges amid Sheffield Wednesday talk | OneFootball

The Italian striker is currently training with the PFA as a free agent

Sheffield Wednesday have been one of the busiest clubs in the EFL this summer following the opening of the transfer window, with Henrik Pedersen looking to oversee a successful season in League One after a well-documented relegation from the Championship.

The Owls had spent the past three seasons back in the second tier, but were relegated earlier in 2026 due to the effects of a 18-point deduction and mismanagement from former Hillsborough chairman, Dejphon Chansiri, which left the aforementioned Dane with a threadbare squad.

However, Wednesday have since described themselves as being 'reborn' following the highly-anticipated acquisition of the Steel City outfit from American businessman, David Storch, through his consortium, Arise Capital Partners LLC.

His takeover was completed one day before the club's final game in the Championship for the time being, which led to an emotional day in S6 as Pedersen's team defeated West Bromwich Albion 2-1 to earn a solitary home league win for the season, as well as hitting a 'positive' points total.

Plenty of change has since occurred in this part of South Yorkshire, and that theme looks set to continue both on and off the field before the new competitive season gets underway on August 8th.

A plethora of signings have already been made, with excitement levels going through the roof last week when Louie Barry signed from Aston Villa and Hillsborough icon, Barry Bannan, returned on a one-year deal from Millwall.

However, there is no clear suggestion that Bannan will be reuniting with one of his former teammates, who is also available on a free transfer, at this moment in time.

Fernando Forestieri transfer truth emerges after Sheffield Wednesday links

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The aforementioned Bannan, of course, initially signed for Wednesday ahead of a relatively successful period under Carlos Carvalhal, which is still remembered with great fondness by those in S6.

The Owls managed to reach the Championship play-off final in 2015/16 where they were defeated by Hull City, before suffering a penalty shootout loss to eventual play-off winners, Huddersfield Town, 12 months later - the closest the club has come to ending an exile from the Premier League which has now lasted 26 years.

£3m from Watford, who he had previously achieved promotion with to the top-flight.

During his time with Wednesday, the two play-off campaigns were the 36-year-old's most successful in terms of goal output, before he left in 2020 having scored 40 times in 134 appearances.

Having recently departed AEK Limassol of Cyprus, Forestieri has been training with the PFA as a free agent and is on the lookout for a new club, and given the club's takeover, talk of a return to Hillsborough has been rife.

However, whilst he has wished that his next club would be based in England, it has been clarified by George Smith of the Sheffield Star that no reference to the Owls was made in a recent interview, and that there is no suggestion that the respective parties will reunite ahead of the League One season.

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After Bannan's recent return was confirmed, another of his and Forestieri's former teammates, Ross Wallace, posted on social media that the latter should also sign for the Owls.

However, since his exit from the club, Forestieri's career hasn't exactly hit the same heights, having scored just twice in 26 appearances for his most recent employers, for example.

Therefore, there would be no immediate indication that he would be able to hit the ground running in League One despite his respectable overall record at Championship level, and the fact Wednesday have also been linked with a glut of other strikers whilst recently loaning in Harry Gray from Leeds United.

As such, while it appears unlikely to be the case, a return to Hillsborough for Forestieri wouldn't perhaps be met with anywhere near the same levels of excitement as Bannan's.