David Storch set to seal big Sheffield Wednesday appointment of ex-Man City, Ajax figure | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday are closing in on the appointment of a sporting director

Sheffield Wednesday marked the beginning of a new era at the start of this month with a 2-1 win over West Brom.

While the Championship season came to a close, a new dawn began at Hillsborough as the new owners, Arise Capital Partners, oversaw their first game since completing the takeover of the club.

The group led by David Stroch initially agreed to purchase the Yorkshire outfit in March, who entered administration in October of last year.

Henrik Pedersen’s side won just twice throughout the entire campaign, with the victory over the Baggies being their first in front of a home crowd.

The Owls will now be planning for life in League One, and will start the next campaign with a fresh slate.

It was feared that Sheffield Wednesday could face a 15 point deduction penalty in the third tier as part of the takeover, but it’s now been confirmed that they will begin the term on zero.

Sheffield Wednesday close in on sporting director appointment

It has been reported by The Star that Sheffield Wednesday are closing in on the appointment of a new sporting director.

It’s believed that Simon Wilson is the front-running candidate for the position, although nothing has yet been confirmed by the club.

The executive has earned a lot of plaudits for his work with Stockport County, who earned a top six finish in League One this season.

Storch has been keen to move quickly to secure these important off-field roles behind the scenes, with David Bruce already installed as the new CEO.

And now the shortlist of potential sporting director candidates has been narrowed down to the final few names.

It is understood that Wilson is now their preferred choice to take on the position, and he could be tasked with overseeing the rebuilding of the first team squad, if he joins the club.

Sheffield Wednesday have reportedly been targeting options who have experience of League One, such as Portsmouth’s Richard Hughes.

However, Wilson is now the leading contender after his successful seven-year spell with Stockport.

He joined the club in 2019, and has played a huge role in their rise from non-league football to competing for a place in the Championship.

It was announced in April that he will be leaving the League One side by mutual consent at the end of the campaign, which has opened the door for Sheffield Wednesday to potentially secure his signature.

Wilson had previously held roles with the likes of Manchester City and Ajax, too, highlighting his pedigree and elite-level acumen. Make no mistake about it, this could be a seriously-exciting move for the Owls.

Simon Wilson appointment has a lot of potential for Sheffield Wednesday

There is no denying the progress that Stockport have made in the last several years, and they could mark Wilson’s exit with promotion to the second tier.

That would be an extremely impressive achievement for the club, and he would’ve played a key role in building the team that’s put them in this position.

Given his knowledge and experience of League One, his appointment could be a real coup for Storch.

Sheffield Wednesday are acting quickly and decisively under the new ownership, which is a real positive for supporters after how long they were made to wait for the takeover to be completed.