Football League World
·15 September 2024
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·15 September 2024
We looked at which Sheffield Wednesday players that are set to leave the club in the summer.
Sheffield Wednesday will be hoping for a much-improved campaign in the Championship this season.
It looked as though the Owls were destined to make an immediate return to League One last season, but they secured safety following a remarkable turnaround under Danny Rohl.
Rohl signed a new long-term contract in May, and it was an incredibly busy summer as the German rebuilt his squad, with 11 new signings arriving at Hillsborough during the course of the transfer window.
Some of the pre-season optimism around the club has faded after a tough start to the campaign, but there is no doubt that significant progress has been made on and off the field during Rohl's tenure.
Given the huge influx of new arrivals, and the fact that key players such as Liam Palmer, Dominic Iorfa, Di'Shon Bernard, Barry Bannan and Josh Windass have all signed new deals, Wednesday will be a much stronger position at the end of the season than they were this summer, when an incredible 19 players were out of contract.
However, there are still a number of players who have entered the final year of their contracts, and we looked at who will be leaving the club next summer as things stand.
Goalkeeper James Beadle joined Wednesday on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion in January, and he played a crucial role in their survival last season, keeping eight clean sheets in 19 appearances.
Much to the delight of Owls supporters, Beadle returned to Hillsborough on a season-long loan in July, and he has retained his place between the sticks this season.
Beadle was called up to train with the England senior squad by interim manager Lee Carsley during the recent international break, but his increasing profile could be a blow to Wednesday's hopes of re-signing him for a third time next summer.
Defender Pol Valentin made the move to Wednesday from Spanish side Sporting Gijon last summer, and he made 40 appearances in all competitions last season.
Valentin endured a tough start to his Owls career, but he starred after being restored to the team over the festive period, and he was one of the club's most improved players over the course of the campaign.
However, Valentin's place has come under threat this season after the signing of Yan Valery from Angers, and with his contract expiring in the summer, he will need to prove his worth to earn a new deal.
Defender Akin Famewo joined Wednesday from Norwich City on a three-year deal in July 2022, meaning his contract will be coming to an end next summer.
Famewo has not always been a regular starter during his time at Hillsborough, but he has been an incredibly solid and reliable performer whenever called upon, and his ability to play at centre-back or left-back has been useful.
The 25-year-old has struggled with injury so far this season, but now he is returning to fitness, he will be determined to regain his place in the team, particularly given his contract situation.
Midfielder Shea Charles completed a season-long loan move to Wednesday from Southampton this summer.
Charles joined the Saints from Manchester City last summer in a deal worth £15 million, and he made 38 appearances last season as Russell Martin's side won promotion to the Premier League, but he has now been allowed to depart St Mary's temporarily.
Given the significant fee that Southampton paid for Charles, he will likely still be part of Martin's long-term plans, so it could be difficult for the Owls to sign him permanently next summer, but he will be a big asset for them this season.
Marvin Johnson joined Wednesday from Middlesbrough in August 2021, and the Owls exercised an option to keep him at Hillsborough for a further year this summer, completing an incredible turnaround in fortunes for the winger.
Despite playing a key role in the club's promotion from League One in the 2022-23 campaign, Johnson was surprisingly frozen out by former manager Xisco Munoz at the start of last season, but he was brought back into the fold by Rohl, and he went on to score four goals and provide four assists in 30 appearances.
Johnson's game time has been limited so far this season after the arrival of Max Lowe from Sheffield United, but while he was said to be attracting interest from a number of EFL clubs this summer, he remained in South Yorkshire.
Callum Paterson made the move to Wednesday from Cardiff City in September 2020, and he has been an important player for the club over the last four years, playing in a host of different positions, including centre-back, wing-back, central midfield and up front.
The 29-year-old suffered an injury-disrupted campaign last season, but he still managed to register two assists in 27 appearances, and he played a key role in the Owls' survival after returning to fitness.
As with Johnson, Wednesday triggered an option to keep Paterson at Hillsborough for a further year this summer, but he has fallen out of favour this season, and it was claimed in August that he was free to leave the club if a suitable offer came along, so it seems highly unlikely he will be offered a new deal at this point.
Striker Michael Smith joined Wednesday from Rotherham United in June 2022, and he played a crucial role in Wednesday's promotion from League One in the 2022-23 campaign, scoring 20 goals and registering eight assists in 49 games.
Smith's minutes became a little more limited in the Championship, but despite being linked with a loan move to Derby County in January, he remained at Hillsborough, and he was a good option to have in the squad in the second half of last season.
It was widely assumed that Smith would be leaving the club this summer, and ambitious League One side Wrexham were among those said to be keen, but a move did not materialise.