Sheffield Wednesday must seal no-brainer deal for ex-West Brom player | OneFootball

Reuniting with Nathaniel Chalobah could offer the Owls even greater squad depth in League One

In the weeks leading up to their first season in League One for three years, it is fair to say that those behind-the-scenes at Sheffield Wednesday appear to be making the right noises.

The Owls' recent past has been well-documented, with their relegation back into the third tier coming under an immense cloud of financial uncertainty, but that storm has clearly passed at Hillsborough following David Storch's takeover, which was completed on May 1st.

The American's transparency when it comes to addressing many key areas in S6 has also, unsurprisingly, been welcomed by supporters, who are hoping the next year can represent the start of a successful rebuild back to the Championship and beyond over time.

Due to their previous financial shortcomings, Wednesday were extremely limited across all areas of the pitch, both in terms of depth and experience, and Henrik Pedersen has already gone a long way to solving such issues in order to ensure that the Owls can immediately attempt to make their mark in the race for promotion.

So far, as many as nine players have been recruited by the Dane, with the first game of the league season away to Leyton Orient just three weeks away.

Of course, it remains to be seen how long it will take for a new squad to fully click, but after reuniting with Barry Bannan, Pedersen should perhaps go down a similar route to add further midfield depth.

Nathaniel Chalobah's services could be targeted for £0 again by Sheffield Wednesday

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After previously seeing their own futures look uncertain, the likes of Liam Cooper and Max Lowe were quick to pen new deals in the Steel City in the first weeks of Storch's stewardship at Hillsborough, but one man who didn't fall into said category was experienced midfielder, Nathaniel Chalobah.

The 31-year-old was signed by the Owls under Danny Rohl, but after initially helping the club stave off relegation under the German, his two full seasons in South Yorkshire were plagued by injuries, which limited his availability last season to just 13 Championship appearances.

That said, his two goals against Leicester City and another former side, West Bromwich Albion, were both met with intense emotion for differing reasons, with the latter also helping Pedersen's outfit reach a 'positive' points total on the final day before confirming his departure.

After being acquired on a free transfer two summers ago, it was an exit where a financial hit wasn't taken, but now there is the opportunity for Wednesday to potentially strike an immediate reunion with the former Chelsea man.

Indeed, such circumstances have already been reported by the Sheffield Star, with Chalobah currently on the free agent market, and as such, Wednesday appear to be rather relaxed over the idea of a reunion becoming a reality.

Chalobah has already been a part of the club's pre-season preparations in England and currently in Hungary, where he has reminded Pedersen of the qualities he could still offer, even if starts in games across the league season cannot always be guaranteed.

Nathaniel Chalobah reunion feels a no-brainer for Sheffield Wednesday

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At this moment in time, adding further depth and experience is a necessity for Pedersen and Wednesday, as their season could certainly go over the 50-game mark in all competitions if they are to be successful.

Therefore, the Dane would require several bodies to play their part in turning fortunes around in S6, and having already experienced the momentum of a 'Great Escape' season under the aforementioned Rohl in 2023/24, Chalobah could be swayed heavily by the prospect of helping the club potentially achieve promotion at the first attempt.

Of course, the likes of Bannan, Billy Mitchell and Callum Slattery have also been signed in similar positions, but with differing traits required for certain matches this season, striking another free transfer agreement with a player who knows the club inside-out at this moment in time cannot be ruled out.

That said, the way Wednesday have moved in the first month of the summer window means that the former England youth international isn't likely to be the only midfield target between now and the start of the competitive season, and there will also likely be a school of thought amongst some fans that fresh faces should be added to Pedersen's squad instead.