Sheffield Wednesday should sign versatile Everton player based on one condition | OneFootball

Tyler Onyango would be a great pickup for Sheffield Wednesday this summer if the Owls can keep him fit

Sheffield Wednesday are gearing up for a busy summer transfer window, as they look to rebuild a squad to make a fist of immediately challenging for League One promotion.

The Owls' team has been gutted over the last 12 months due to contract breaches and players not being replaced under former owner Dejphon Chansiri in the final few months of his reign.

Numerous emergency loan signings were made throughout the recent Championship campaign as the club navigated administration, and club legend Barry Bannan was also sold to generate some much-needed funds.

Those loanees have gone back to their parent clubs, plus other senior players have been let go at the end of their contracts, and Wednesday now have just 17 outfielders who have played senior minutes for the Owls under contract for next season.

One of the many positives surrounding the Arise takeover last month, though, is that David Storch and co have worked endlessly to ensure that Wednesday are in the best possible position to attack this window.

Henrik Pedersen's side won't be subject to a wage cap, nor will they be starting next season on -15 points, meaning that they can attract top players and promise them a competitive year. They've also gone to great lengths to ensure their off-field structure is ready for the window, with David Bruce in as CEO and Simon Wilson heavily linked to be the new sporting director.

Tyler Onyango should be on Sheffield Wednesday's radar this summer

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So, with the capability to sign top-end League One talent and the personnel behind the scenes ready to create a strategy at Sheffield Wednesday, the Owls are set for an exciting window.

However, they won't be able to throw money at every player this summer. With a full rebuild set to get underway, they'll have to look for some low-risk, low-cost transfers to help bolster their ranks and create a squad ready to attack League One.

With Premier League sides releasing their retained lists this week, there'll be numerous third-tier clubs checking out the under-21s section for some underrated buys. In Everton's released list, several players spent last season on loan with League One clubs, namely Tyler Onyango.

The 23-year-old Everton academy graduate made five senior appearances for the Toffees, spending the majority of recent years on loan in the third tier with the likes of Burton Albion, Forest Green Rovers and, recently, Stockport County.

His time at Edgeley Park saw him be labelled as an important part of a team challenging for promotion into the Championship under Dave Challinor, something which Wednesday will aspire to be this season. But in reality, he could never get going in either spell before injury struck.

In Onyango's first year at the club, he made seven league appearances, impressing as a wide centre-back against Reading and then in the FA Cup against former side Forest Green. But a hamstring injury in the latter saw him out for the rest of the year.

But, despite that injury, Stockport still saw value in him, and he rejoined for a second spell last summer. He started all 10 league games he played in and picked up a couple of assists, before another hamstring problem picked up in February saw him return to Everton, where he's now been let go.

It's been a really frustrating couple of years for Onyango, who has the versatility and potential to be a real asset for a League One side when fit, but he just hasn't been able to prove that fitness over long periods of time.

Tyler Onyango can be an astute signing for Sheffield Wednesday if he can stay fit

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Onyango's stock has dipped quite a bit since his season-ending injury back in February. His injury concerns are a massive red flag, and they may put off potential suitors, but if the Owls can oversee a return to fitness for the 23-year-old, he could be a brilliant signing.

His per 90 stats last season in League One saw him win 7.58 duels per game, register a shade under three touches in the opposition box per game, make 3.3 tackles, 4.4 recoveries, alongside winning 64.9% of his aerial duels, too. He's a right-wing back who does both sides of the game well.

With Yan Valery's future surely lying away from League One and Liam Palmer able to cover at centre-back, Onyango could be a great signing to provide competition to Sean Fusire, who is also an emerging, exciting wing-back.

Also, the former Everton man's versatility means he can easily slot into the back three or play in the middle of the midfield, too, which are important assets in a long 46-game season.

If Simon Wilson does become Wednesday's new sporting director, he knows exactly what Onyango is capable of, having overseen his arrival at Edgeley Park both times as the club's director of football and chief exec, and all signs could point to him suggesting the 23-year-old as one of the plethora of new arrivals that there will inevitably be at Hillsborough this summer.

It'll be a low-risk, high-reward signing, as every free transfer for a former Premier League youth prospect is. But with Onyango, those rewards can be endless if they keep him fit.