Sheffield Wednesday should launch bid to sign Reading FC star once Storch takeover is done | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday will be looking to add quality to their team once the David Storch takeover is finalised, and an EFL midfielder should be eyed.

Sheffield Wednesday supporters will be hoping that they can focus on matters on the pitch ahead of the 2026/27 season, after what has been a frustrating few years at Hillsborough.

The Owls have had plenty of off-field problems that have hampered any progress that could be made on the pitch. Sheffield Wednesday have already had their relegation into League One confirmed earlier this year, which isn't too surprising, after the club were hit with an 18-point deduction whilst under the ownership of former owner, Dejphon Chansiri.

Administrators have been running things at Hillsborough since Chansiri was disqualified, although it's believed that Arise Capital Partners, led by David Storch, are closing in on a takeover of Sheffield Wednesday.

However, there is uncertainty as to whether the takeover will be fully completed, with the consortium holding talks with the EFL over two sticking points, which are the potential -15 points deduction, and the wage cap that the EFL are looking to impose on Sheffield Wednesday this summer.

It's reported that the EFL are looking to impose a wage cap of £7m - with individual players not being able to earn more than £7,000 per week with the Owls.

Not only this, but Sheffield Wednesday wouldn't be able to spend a single penny on a player until the summer of 2027, which could be a difficult task ahead of their ambitions of winning promotion back into the Championship at the first time of asking.

Reading midfielder should be on Owls' radar

One player that could fall into the group of players that are available for free this summer is Reading midfielder, Ben Elliott, with the former Chelsea youngster looking as though he's set to depart the Royals when his contract expires at the end of the 2025/26 season.

There was plenty of hype on Elliott when he first signed along the dotted line at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, and the midfielder has shown glimpses of his quality in his time with the Berkshire-based side.

However, the original fears over his previous injury record seem to be justified, with Elliott spending the majority of the 2025/26 season in the treatment room.

Elliott previously suffered a serious knee injury in the early stages of his career with Chelsea, which kept him out of action for two years, ultimately resulted in him leaving the club in favour of a move to Reading in August 2023.

Reading boss, Leam Richardson revealed that Elliott had suffered an injury setback, and would be out for the remainder of this year's league campaign, which was a hugely frustrating update to hear of for Reading supporters, many of whom would have hoped that the midfielder could play a part in their promotion push in League One this term.

With the recurring injury problems that Elliott has dealt with in his career to date, it seems likely that the Royals won't renew his contract in the summer, and their loss could be Sheffield Wednesday's gain.

Elliott's creative ability can unlock defences with ease

What sort of player would Sheffield Wednesday be getting if they struck a contract agreement with Elliott though? Let's take a look at a full breakdown of his League One statistics from the 2024/25 season, as he didn't feature enough for Reading this season to cast a fair judgement on his ability.

Elliott's statistics for Reading during the 2024/25 season make for largely impressive viewing, especially with a FotMob rating of 7.10, which in particular, catches the eye for all the right reasons.

He's not shy of having a shot at goal, which is shown with his 29 attempts at goal from the 19 appearances he made in League One. With 16 successful dribbles, and an 82% pass accuracy, Sheffield Wednesday would be getting a player who doesn't lack fear in attacking areas.

Sheffield Wednesday are going to need reinforcements this summer, and in particular, the centre of midfield is an area that should be strengthened as a high priority area.

Jaden Heskey is set to return to Manchester City in the summer after spending time on loan with the Owls, and Sheffield Wednesday need to add a creative spark to their team at the earliest of opportunities.

Elliott will be eager to make a name for himself and prove his doubters wrong as well, so it's a move that would make sense for all parties involved.

His wage demands aren't likely to be more than the £7,000 per-week cap that the club are likely to have imposed on them, and so, financially, it's a deal that should be doable for both the club and player.

It shoudl be a no-brainer for Sheffield Wednesday to make their move for a player of Elliott's quality, and even though his arrival would come with an element of risk due to recent injury problems, it's a risk worth taking, as the potential rewards are certainly worth it.