Sheffield Wednesday: Olaf Kobacki revelation hints at shifting Dejphon Chansiri attitude - View | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday's summer transfer business suggest a change in policy from owner Dejphon Chansiri.

It has been a busy start to the transfer window for Sheffield Wednesday after they secured survival in the Championship.

The Owls looked destined to make an immediate return to League One after a disastrous start to last season under Xisco Munoz, but they achieved safety following a remarkable turnaround under Danny Rohl as they finished 20th in the table.

Wednesday received a huge boost as Rohl signed a new long-term contract in May, and the German has wasted no time in getting to work on rebuilding his squad.

Ciaran Brennan, Reece James, George Byers, Tyreeq Bakinson, Juan Delgado and Lee Gregory have been released at the end of their contracts, and Cameron Dawson and Will Vaulks have departed after rejecting new deals.

Liam Palmer, Dominic Iorfa, Barry Bannan and Josh Windass have all signed new contracts, and the Owls have brought in seven new signings so far this summer, with James Beadle, Ben Hamer, Max Lowe, Yan Valery, Svante Ingelsson, Olaf Kobacki and Jamal Lowe arriving at Hillsborough.

Owner Dejphon Chansiri came in for significant criticism last season, with supporters protesting against him on a number of occasions over the course of the campaign, but he has been praised for the backing he has given Rohl during the current transfer window.

Most of the Owls' signings last season were loans and free transfers, and while they have not spent huge fees so far, the signing of Kobacki in particular hints at a potential shift in attitude from Chansiri.

Changing Dejphon Chansiri stance underlined by Olaf Kobacki deal

Kobacki joined the Owls from Arka Gdynia on Wednesday, and he is an exciting addition for Rohl's side.

The 22-year-old, who has previously been on the books of Lech Poznan and Atalanta, scored 16 goals and provided seven assists in 37 appearances for the Polish second division outfit last season as they missed out on promotion, and he was attracting interest from a number of Championship clubs this summer.

Newly-promoted Derby County and Norwich City reportedly made offers for Kobacki, but the Owls have won the race for his signature.

It remains to be seen whether Kobacki will be able to adapt to the Championship, but he is clearly a player with a lot of potential, underlined by the fact he has featured for Poland at youth level.

While it would perhaps be expected that the Owls would be a more appealing proposition than Derby, it is a big coup for the club to beat Norwich, who finished sixth in the Championship last season, to the signing of Kobacki.

The Canaries could lose stars such as Gabriel Sara, Jonathan Rowe, and Josh Sargent this summer, but they are likely to be in promotion contention again next season under new head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup, so the fact that Wednesday managed to convince him to come to Hillsborough ahead of Carrow Road is a significant endorsement of Rohl's project.

Norwich are a club with vast financial resources, and their budget will be boosted further by any big money sales over the coming months, so if the Owls have outbid the Canaries for Kobacki, it suggests that Chansiri is now willing to pay transfer fees in order to land Rohl's top targets, rather than relying on loans and frees.

Kobacki has signed a four-year contract at Hillsborough, and that also implies a change in strategy from Chansiri, who has previously been accused by Wednesday supporters of not protecting the club's assets.

The likes of Liam Shaw, Osaze Urhoghide, and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru are among the young players that have been allowed to leave the club for free in recent years, much to the frustration of the Owls fan base, but Chansiri has ensured that the club are in a strong position when it comes to Kobacki.

If Kobacki impresses for Wednesday, he will likely attract interest from elsewhere, but as he is tied down until at least the summer of 2028, the club will have a good chance of keeping hold of him if that situation arises, and they will be able to demand a big transfer fee.

Of course, Wednesday supporters will always be fearful that a bad decision from Chansiri is never too far away, but the evidence of this summer suggests that he is learning from his previous mistakes, and he deserves credit for the impressive early business.