Sheffield Wednesday eyeing ambitious Ipswich Town transfer deal | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday are eyeing additions to the squad following the change in ownership

Sheffield Wednesday are set for a very busy summer following their change in ownership in May.

The Owls were officially taken over by Arise Capital, a group led by David Storch, after being in administration.

Significant financial issues under Dejphon Chansiri left Henrik Pedersen with a depleted squad that ultimately suffered a historically-swift relegation to League One, although a new and exciting era now looms after such turmoil.

The Yorkshire outfit will now be aiming to rebuild their first team for next season, with their sights set on returning to a competitive level.

With the transfer market now officially open, clubs are getting active ahead of players returning for pre-season in the coming weeks.

Sheffield Wednesday eye Wes Burns deal

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It has been reported by The Star that Wes Burns has emerged as a transfer target for Sheffield Wednesday.

The 31-year-old is on the club’s shortlist as they start to draw up their plans for the summer market.

Pedersen is keen to bolster his side, and is working alongside the newly-appointed sporting director Simon Wilson.

Burns’ contract is set to expire later this month, and it’s understood he is in talks with Ipswich Town over a new deal following their promotion to the Premier League.

But the winger is attracting interest from a number of clubs, including Sheffield Wednesday.

There are teams in both the Championship and MLS monitoring the situation, with no decision yet made on the player’s future.

And it is unclear whether he’d be willing to make the step down to League One at this stage.

Burns made just 18 appearances in the league for the Tractor Boys last season, including only eight starts, contributing two goals and one assist, having returned from a long-term injury to find himself behind the likes of Jack Clarke, Jaden Philogene and Kasey McAteer in Kieran Mckenna's pecking order.

How Sheffield Wednesday fans feel about Wes Burns interest

Many Sheffield Wednesday fans are pleased to see the club take an interest in Burns, and believe he’d be a good signing.

If he is willing to drop down to the third tier, then there would be a lot of expectation on him to tear it up at that level.

If Sheffield Wednesday can fend off interest from MLS sides, then fans will be happy to see him added to the squad.

However, some have sounded the alarms about spending a significant amount on wages to bring in a 31-year-old who might be entering into a decline in ability.

Almen Abdi signed for Sheffield Wednesday in 2016, but he made just a total of 20 league appearances across two campaigns at Hillsborough.

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Wes Burns would add quality to the side for League One

If Sheffield Wednesday’s goal for this summer is to instantly add quality throughout the squad for a potential promotion push, then this is the kind of signing that could facilitate that.

Getting back to the Championship quickly will be a priority, so it’s not a surprising approach, but it does come with some risks.

Burns should be more than capable of performing well at a League One level, but he will be 32 in 12 months and he’s coming off the back of a couple of underwhelming campaigns, so he might not be a long-term signing for Pedersen.

There is certainly a risk with bringing in Burns, even with him becoming a free agent next month, but there’s no doubt he could be a quality addition for next season.