Sheffield Wednesday: Pierce Charles situation explained as transfer ‘front-runner’ revealed | OneFootball

A front-runner has emerged in the race to sign Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper, Pierce Charles, who has caught the eye with his strong showings.

Sheffield Wednesday will be looking to win promotion back into the Championship at the first time of asking this season, in what should be an exciting season for the club's supporters to look forward to.

The Owls had a season to forget last term, as they were relegated into League One after a disastrous campaign on and off the pitch. However, Dejphon Chansiri's ownership came to an end, with David Storch's takeover being confirmed on the final game of the 2025/26 season.

They've got the ideal opportunity to push for an immediate return to the second-tier, as they don't have a points deduction in place, which was originally a fear for the club's new owners.

Henrik Pedersen will be eager to add to his squad during the summer transfer window, whilst also keeping hold of some of his key players ahead of their season opener in August.

Is Pierce Charles leaving Sheffield Wednesday?

One player that Henrik Pedersen will be looking to keep hold of ahead of the 2026/27 League One campaign is Pierce Charles, who caught the eye with some impressive showings between the posts for Sheffield Wednesday last season.

The Northern Irish international signed for the Owls in 2021 after coming through the academy ranks at Manchester City, and he's impressed in his time with Sheffield Wednesday.

He made 21 appearances in all competitions last season, in what was a breakthrough year for the shot-stopper in senior football at the age of 20.

However, it appears as though Charles' strong performances haven't gone unnoticed though, with The Star revealing that French side, Strasbourg are reportedly leading the race to sign the goalkeeper, who has one year remaining on his contract at Hillsborough.

The report claims that no formal bids have been made to try and sign Charles this summer, although that could change in the near future after his impressive showings.

Charles was linked with a move to Strasbourg previously, although for one reason or another, the move failed to materialise in January.

Pierce Charles' Sheffield Wednesday pre-season absence explained

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Charles has been absent from Sheffield Wednesday's pre-season testing, which has been noticed by some of the club's fanbase.

However, there isn't any reason to worry, as an agreement was put in place with Northern Ireland for the goalkeeper to return to the squad after a break from their international friendlies.

It remains to be seen as to whether any formal bids will be made for Charles' services anytime soon, and Sheffield Wednesday's stance on keeping the goalkeeper with them could be tested in the next few months.

Charles is evidently a player with a bright future ahead of him if the early stages of his career are anything to go by, and Sheffield Wednesday could be in a good position to get a good fee for him this summer if they were to cash-in.

Sheffield Wednesday will be looking to make a winning start to their 2026/27 league campaign in the third-tier, when they take on Leyton Orient in their first game of the season, which has the potential to be a tricky test for Henrik Pedersen's team.