Sheffield Wednesday and Bradford City in chase to sign 16-goal star | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday are reportedly keen on Doncaster Rovers midfielder Owen Bailey, but they face plenty of competition from their League One rivals.

A new era is underway at Sheffield Wednesday after David Storch completed his takeover of the club.

It was a nightmare campaign for Wednesday last season as they were relegated from the Championship after being hit with an 18-point deduction, while they also spent over six months in administration following former owner Dejphon Chansiri's exit in October.

However, Storch's Arise Capital Partners consortium were confirmed as the new owners of the Owls last month, and the American has wasted no time in getting to work at Hillsborough, appointing David Bruce as the club's new CEO and Simon Wilson as Sporting Director.

With the boardroom structure now taking shape, Storch's next task will be to strengthen what is currently a threadbare squad, and manager Henrik Pedersen and the recruitment team are in the process of identifying potential additions, with former stars Barry Bannan and Callum Paterson both believed to be among their targets.

As Wednesday prepare to return to League One, it seems they have also set their sights on one of the division's standout performers from last season, with Football Insider revealing that Doncaster Rovers midfielder Owen Bailey is on the club's radar.

Sheffield Wednesday eyeing Doncaster Rovers star Owen Bailey amid League One competition

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Bailey joined Doncaster from National League side Gateshead in the summer of 2023, and he has enjoyed a hugely successful three-year spell at the Eco-Power Stadium so far.

After a solid debut season in South Yorkshire, Bailey scored five goals and provided five assists in 54 games during the 2024-25 season to help Rovers to automatic promotion from League Two.

Bailey was handed the captain's armband by manager Grant McCann last summer ahead of Doncaster's return to League One, and the 27-year-old took his form to another level in the third tier, netting a stunning 16 goals and registering seven assists in 55 appearances in all competitions.

The midfielder's goals were crucial in ensuring Rovers remained clear of relegation danger, and his impressive performances earned him a deserved place in the League One Team of the Season.

However, it seems Doncaster could face the threat of losing their talisman this summer, with Wednesday believed to be one of a number of League One clubs eyeing a move for Bailey, along with Oxford United, Stockport County, Bradford City and MK Dons.

Bailey has just one year left on his contract with Rovers, although they do have the option to extend by a further year, and McCann admitted in April that there was "no doubt there's going to be big suitors" for his captain during the summer window.

Sheffield Wednesday fans react to Owen Bailey, Doncaster Rovers links

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It is set to be an exciting summer ahead for Wednesday as their squad rebuild begins, and it is fair to say that the news of the club's interest in Bailey has been well received, with many supporters taking to X to urge Storch to get a deal done for the Doncaster man.

"GET IT DONE, make this a priority signing," wrote @swfccom_.

"This is exactly the type of signing we should be making," commented @OriginalOwl1867.

However, with new CEO Bruce recently confirming that the club would be operating under restrictions in the transfer market for at least another year, some Owls fans questioned whether they could afford Bailey.

"None of us can compete with MK Dons. We’re wasting our time," said @benswfc15.

"We can't compete with MK Dons and their billions," claimed @Bob_SWFC.

However, others were getting a little more carried away with the rumours, with one Wednesday supporter clearly feeling confident that the club can fight off the competition and land Bailey.