Millwall & Portsmouth to miss out? New twist emerges in Svante Ingelsson, Sheffield Wednesday transfer saga | OneFootball

There's been a lot of interest in the Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Svante Ingelsson but one personal factor may yet keep the player at Hillsborough.

January proved to be an exceptionally difficult month for Sheffield Wednesday, but there's a possibility of some good news for their fans at the end of the transfer window.

So far, 2026 hasn't been a much better year for Sheffield Wednesday than 2025 was.

A 1-0 home defeat against Wrexham on the last Saturday of January left them 39 points clear of safety, while they've also lost club captain and legend Barry Bannan to Millwall as the protracted sale of the club drags on into the second month of the year.

With the team not having even scored a goal since Boxing Day, there's been nothing for Wednesday fans to cheer about in the new year so far, but there are at least reports that, as the January transfer window prepares to come to an end, one of their prized players may be staying with the club for the remainder of this season.

Svante Ingelsson has one personal reason which could yet lead to him staying at Sheffield Wednesday this season

Journalist Alan Nixon reports this morning that, despite interest from two Championship clubs in midfielder Svante Ingelsson, the Owls number eight may not necessarily be leaving Hillsborough at the end of the January transfer window.

Nixon reports that Millwall and Portsmouth are both interested in securing Swedish midfielder Ingelsson's services, with Sheffield Wednesday's administrators having put a £500,000 price tag on the player's head.

It is claimed that Ingelsson does want to join a team that is chasing promotion to the Premier League, which indicates that Millwall would be his preference over Portsmouth, who are currently battling to avoid relegation.

But he also adds that there is one personal reason why Ingelsson could be staying at Hillsborough for at least the second half of this season, as he is due to become a father very shortly, and would prefer not to uproot - of which he may have to do if moving to The Den or Fratton Park.

Svante Ingelsson staying would be a rare moment of respite for Sheffield Wednesday

With a threadbare squad and this particular player having made 28 starts for the team so far this season, it is understandable that Sheffield Wednesday would not want to let Svante Ingelsson go at the end of this winter's transfer window.

But Wednesday might not be given any choice in the matter. The club's administrator's have a duty to keep Sheffield Wednesday trading and the club needs to pay player and staff wages at the end of each month.

The club's ongoing financial position has already resulted in the departure of Barry Bannan for Millwall and the talented youngster Yisa Alao to Chelsea, and there has been interest in several of their other players, as well.

But the fact that Ingelsson is set to become a father may yet keep this player at Hillsborough until the end of this season.

Such a time is about the worst possible for a player to uproot his family and move hundreds of miles away, and decamping to either London or Hampshire may well not be something that the player himself wants to do in the immediate future.

With Millwall and Portsmouth involved in very different battles at the top and bottom of the division, there may be disappointment, should the player opt to stay at Hillsborough for the remainder of this season.