Sheffield Wednesday plea issued over 'horrible situation' as Rangers & Wrexham plot Owls transfer swoop | OneFootball

FLW's Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit has given his reaction to reports that defender Yan Valery is attracting interest from Rangers and Wrexham.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

As their nightmare season continues, it could be a difficult end to the January transfer window for Sheffield Wednesday.

With the club still in administration as the wait to discover whether the takeover by James Bord's consortium will be given approval by the EFL continues, Wednesday may need to sell some of their key players before the close of the window in order to raise funds to help them through the rest of the season.

One player who is heading out of the exit door at Hillsborough is defender Yisa Alao, who is set to join Chelsea for an initial fee of £500,000 plus add-ons, and it seems he will be followed by long-serving captain Barry Bannan.

After over a decade at the club, Bannan is expected to play his final game for the Owls against Bristol City on Saturday ahead of a move to Millwall, and while his departure may be the most devastating, he is unlikely to be the last high-profile exit before the 2nd February deadline.

According to The Star, defender Yan Valery is attracting significant interest from elsewhere, and Championship promotion hopefuls Wrexham and Scottish giants Rangers are both expected to make bids for the 26-year-old this month.

Valery, who has recently returned from international duty with Tunisia at the Africa Cup of Nations, has made 21 appearances for Wednesday this season, but his time in S6 could now be coming to an end, and if he was to join Rangers, the move would see him reunite with ex-Owls manager Danny Rohl.

Yan Valery, Sheffield Wednesday exit predicted as Wrexham and Rangers circle

When asked for his reaction to reports of interest in Valery, FLW's Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit Patrick McKenna claimed that the defender would be tempted by a move to Wrexham or Rangers, and he admitted that he fears a potential fire sale at Hillsborough in the final stages of the winter window.

"I think it's inevitable that there will be a fire sale in the last few days of the transfer window," Patrick told FLW.

"Unfortunately, it's one of the horrible realities of the administration process, and the administrators are bound to accept market value bids for players.

"They have to, as a contingency, in case this takeover does not go through.

"It's not an ideal situation, but at Rangers the administrators got in trouble for not accepting transfer bids and putting in a contingency plan.

"In an ideal world, new owners would be in already and this wouldn't be necessary, but in a horrible season, a fire sale is going to be something else we're going to have to endure as a fanbase.

"Of course, Yan Valery is going to be tempted away from Sheffield Wednesday.

"This season has been absolutely horrific for all the players, and he will have no desire or ambition to play in League One next season, so if he gets the chance to play for Rangers under Danny Rohl, he's going to want to go.

"Even Wrexham would be a more tempting location than Hillsborough, unfortunately.

"He won't be the only player tempted, and it seems we are in danger of losing other players such as Bannan, Lowe and Cadamarteri.

"I'm just hoping that, some day, this horrible situation will end, but I'm going to have to grin and bear a fire sale of an already depleted squad."

Barry Bannan developments could have Sheffield Wednesday domino effect amid Yan Valery interest

It has been a dismal season for Wednesday, and with no imminent sign of a takeover being completed, it could be set to get even worse for the troubled Championship club over the coming week.

Given that Rohl has worked with Valery previously at Southampton, as well as signing him for the Owls last summer, it is likely the defender would be keen on a reunion with the German at Ibrox, while the prospect of joining Wrexham's promotion bid could also be an attractive option.

With the uncertainty at Hillsborough prompting even a loyal servant like Bannan to decide to move on, the Scot's exit could create a domino effect of other departures, and as clubs prepare bids for Valery, Wednesday may also receive offers for the likes of Pierce Charles, Max Lowe, Charlie McNeill and Bailey Cadamarteri before the end of the window.