"Poveda upgrade" - Sheffield Wednesday have to beat Portsmouth, Derby and Bolton to signing | OneFootball

Our FLW writers discuss a signing Sheffield Wednesday need to make before the transfer window closes on the 31st of August.

This article is part of Football League World's 'The Verdict' series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Sheffield Wednesday got a new lease of life in the second half of last season under Danny Röhl, as they secured 37 points from their final 23 fixtures to give them another shot at the Championship next year.

Under an influential coach like the German, the club's ambitions will surely be enhanced, and they will be targeting a comfortable mid-table finish or above.

To achieve this, they will need to utilise the transfer window effectively, and they have made significant changes so far, bringing in a host of new players. Some standout names include the likes of Yan Valery, Max Lowe and Olaf Kobacki, who could all play pivotal roles for the Owls in 2024-25.

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Despite the nine arrivals, you still feel like the Wednesday faithful will be expectant of new signings, with some key areas of the pitch still yet to be addressed.

The main issue for the Owls looks to be creativity in the forward areas, and although you'd expect to see a boost in goals with the signings of Kobacki and Jamal Lowe, they will need service.

Last season, Sheffield Wednesday finished 17th in the league for big chances created, with a total of just 73 according to FotMob. This statistic underscores a significant issue for the team: they lack a standout player in this area, with none of their squad making the top 30 in the league for big chances created.

Barry Bannan, known for his creativity, remains a key player, but at 34, his influence is likely to wane over the next couple of years.

Many fans will argue that Wednesday have tried to address this with the signing of Svante Ingelsson from Hansa Rostock, but based on his statistics, he is fairly subpar when in comparison to other creative midfielders.

Given these factors, it’s clear that Wednesday would benefit from signing a creative midfielder who can make an immediate impact.

Sheffield Wednesday making moves for Karamoko Dembélé

Luckily for the Wednesday faithful, it appears that their hierarchy have already identified one in former Blackpool loanee Karamoko Dembélé. The attacking talent had a brilliant season with the Tangerines last year and would prove a real statement of intent from Röhl.

Last week, Darren Witcoop reported that Wednesday had made an offer to Brest for the youngster. However, it is unclear whether it meets the French club's valuation, with these details still unknown.

Additionally, this is not the only concern, as Portsmouth and Derby County have both submitted offers, and League One's Bolton Wanderers have also shown interest.

The Owls understand they have a battle ahead, and fans are hopeful that the Röhl factor will have a significant impact. This window has already seen numerous players express their admiration for the German, so it's not unrealistic to think he could influence Dembélé's decision-making.

Money will likely prove the ultimate factor though, and Sheffield Wednesday should go all out to sign the masterful attacking midfielder.

Sheffield Wednesday should target Karamoko Dembélé

With this news in mind, at Football League World, we have asked our writers who they believe Wednesday should target in that attacking midfield role.

Jacob Jones

In my personal opinion, Karamoko Dembélé should be the player that Röhl and Wednesday look to bring to Hillsborough before the August 30th deadline.

The young star was a name that was persistently talked about in his teens, with social media highlighting the role he played at just 13-years-old for Celtic's under-20s side. Post that he made his Celtic debut at 16, before leaving Glasgow to join up with Brest in France in 2022.

His time at Les Pirates has seen him struggle for game time and last season he got his first real shot at men's football on loan at Blackpool.

This move proved the player he could become, with the youngster appearing 39 times in the league for the Tangerines. During that spell, he managed a resounding eight goals and 13 assists and displayed that he isn't just a player with a dazzling dribbling ability.

Albeit in League One, these numbers are very impressive, and you feel like Dembélé could transfer this to the division above.

Throughout his career, he has predominantly played behind the striker but is also capable of operating on the right wing. This versatility would be valuable for Röhl, who would rely on the 21-year-old to create opportunities for his forwards. The former Hoops player excels in this area, averaging 2.63 chances created and delivering 1.23 successful crosses per 90 minutes.

In addition, an area that the current squad lacks is their dribbling ability. The signing of Dembélé would rectify this, as he managed 50 successful dribbles last campaign, the highest of any player playing a similar position.

All these statistics point to an excellent player, certifying the need for the Wednesday hierarchy to approach Brest and make a suitable bid.

Alfie Burns

Sheffield Wednesday missing out on Ian Poveda to Sunderland has been perhaps one of very few blows so far during this summer transfer window.

Poveda was hugely popular at Hillsborough on loan from Leeds United last season, impressing with his trickery and ability to carry the ball upfield with his close control and dribbling.

Looking at Wednesday's links to Dembele, it's fair to say he's probably something of a priority now they aren't getting Poveda back.

Dembele has a similar low centre of gravity, very good dribbling ability and will help Wednesday progress the ball upfield. He's tricky, too, which adds that unpredictable nature to the Owls' final third play.

There's a case to argue he would be a Poveda upgrade, too, particularly in terms of his output in the final third. Dembele scored eight goals and registered 13 assists in League One last season, figures that Poveda has struggled to get close to in senior football. Whilst he has only played in the Premier League and Championship, he's not threatened those figures at all, with his more impressive numbers coming in youth football.

Whilst Dembele is having to step up a level, Wednesday fans could be confident in the 21-year-old's ability given what we saw on loan with Blackpool in League One last season. With Poveda not coming back, Dembele is the perfect opportunity to replace him and improve the squad's productivity.