Chris Waddle fires fresh Sheffield Wednesday transfer demand to David Storch | OneFootball

The former Owls star has outlined exactly what the club must do this summer

Sheffield Wednesday will enter the new League One season with a very different set of expectations after what transpired in the Championship.

The Owls were unable to compete in the 2025/26 campaign due to the turmoil off the pitch created by ringleader Dejphon Chansiri, with the club finishing rock bottom of the second tier.

However, with new owners in place and a fresh slate, it feels like the dark clouds have parted the Hillsborough skies, with Henrik Pedersen set to lead Wednesday into a new dawn.

Given the sheer stature of the club and its history, many will be fancying the South Yorkshire club for promotion, but former player Chris Waddle believes they have much to do this summer to achieve their ambition.

Chris Waddle believes Sheffield Wednesday need an overhaul this summer

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Sheffield Wednesday do not exactly have a big squad on their hands as they head into the summer, with a host of players set to leave when their contracts expire at the end of the month.

Dominic Iorfa, Nathaniel Chalobah and Marvelous Nakamba are among those departing Hillsborough, while Max Lowe, Mackenzie Maltby and Gui Siqueira's futures remain in the balance.

With that in mind, the Owls are expected to complete substantial business this summer, with new owner David Storch already busy behind the scenes at Hillsborough.

Now, former Wednesday player Waddle, who spent four years at the South Yorkshire outfit, has explained exactly what the club must do if they are to compete for promotion.

"It's going to need a different mentality next season," Waddle told the Sheffield Star.

"Wednesday have got to come out of the blocks very quickly. But they need a good 15 to 20 players this summer."

Which positions should Wednesday prioritise in the transfer window?

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Clearly, the Owls do need an overhaul this summer, given their current squad depth and the fresh expectations that they will carry into the new campaign.

However, the club do possess more bodies in certain areas and will surely target particular areas of the pitch with priority.

Sheffield Wednesday must add depth in the goalkeeping department for starters, with just Pierce Charles and Logan Stretch to choose from, especially given how much of the season the former missed through injury.

Central midfield is another area where the club are extremely short, with Rio Shipton, Nakamba and Chalobah departing; that leaves just Jarvis Thornton and Svante Ingelsson as natural options.

Ingelsson, in particular, had attracted interest from an array of Championship sides in recent months, namely the likes of Portsmouth, Millwall, West Bromwich Albion and Stoke City, before the Owls made the critical decision to trigger a contract extension clause for the Dane last month.

Both wings will also need to be targeted, as Olaf Kobacki is the sole wide player on Wednesday's books, but they do have three forward options in Ike Ugbo, Charlie McNeill and Jamal Lowe.

However, it remains to be seen what the future holds for the former of said trio in particular, with several Wednesdayites observing the fact he has deleted all previous Owls-related posts from his social media channels.

While Pedersen's squad is thin, they do have players who could thrive in League One as well as some exciting young prospects, but that will not be enough to compete.

Given that Sheffield Wednesday is now an attractive proposition for players again, they should be able to lure a glut of talent their way this summer, with the likes of former Stockport County playmaker, Odin Bailey, among those recently linked with a potential move to Hillsborough.