- Sheffield Wednesday have undergone a major squad rebuild this summer, securing both new signings and contract extensions.
- Defender Yan Valery became one of the Owls’ key signings, following his ambition to return to English football and work with Rohl again.
- Forward Josh Windass, a key player for Wednesday, almost left the club before signing a new contract, with Rohl’s influence pivotal in his decision.
Sheffield Wednesday has had a hectic start to the transfer window following their Championship survival.
After a dismal start to the previous season under Xisco Munoz, the Owls appeared destined to return to League One right away. However, they achieved safety after a stunning turnaround under Danny Rohl, finishing 20th in the standings.
Wednesday supporters were worried that Rohl might leave the team this summer, but the German signed a long-term contract extension in May and hasn’t wasted any time in starting to reassemble his team.
So far this summer, the Owls have added nine new players to Hillsborough: James Beadle, Ben Hamer, Max Lowe, Yan Valery, Svante Ingelsson, Nathaniel Chalobah, Olaf Kobacki, Jamal Lowe, and Charlie McNeill. There will probably be many more.
New contracts have been signed by Liam Palmer, Dominic Iorfa, Barry Bannan, and Josh Windass; however, Cameron Dawson and Will Vaulks have left the team after turning down an extension offer, and Ciaran Brennan, Reece James, George Byers, Tyreeq Bakinson, Juan Delgado, and Lee Gregory have been released
We took a closer look at two of the club’s clear winners of the transfer window thus far on Wednesday, following an exciting start to the summer.
Yan Valery
Yan Valery, a defender, joined the Owls as one of their first summer additions after completing his transfer from Angers last month.
After being demoted in his first season with the French team, Valery spent the previous two years with Angers. Last season, he made 37 appearances across all competitions and contributed five assists, which helped the team instantly return to Ligue 1.
The 25-year-old, who previously expressed his desire to return to English football, worked with Rohl at Southampton and during his loan spell at Birmingham City. Before moving to Hillsborough, he did so.
“Actually, I have become English. When I go to England, I immediately feel this calmness and this way of living that I personally prefer… If I had the chance to go back to England, I’d take it,” Valery told 90 Football.
“I have really felt a warmth and things that I think are normal for a human being. He shouldn’t be bitter or not like his neighbour just because he’s different or because he sees life differently.
“We all live together, if you can help your neighbour, you help them. It’s more like that in England. You find that less easily in France.”
With Wednesday reportedly paying £400,000 for his services—a substantial transfer fee considering the club’s recent austerity—Valery will undoubtedly be thrilled to have fulfilled his dream of returning to England. This shows how much Rohl believes in him.
Given that they already had two excellent right-backs in Pol Valentin and Liam Palmer, it is even more surprising that the Owls chose to spend a significant portion of their budget on Valery. As a result, it appears likely that the Tunisian international will be a guaranteed starter for the upcoming season, making him one of the club’s biggest winners.
Josh Windass
Josh Windass, the forward, signed a new contract at Wednesday earlier this month, ending weeks of speculation about his future.
The Star stated that it was “looking increasingly unlikely” that Windass would stay at Hillsborough after contract negotiations between the club and the player broke down earlier in the summer. Derby County, Stoke City, Coventry City, Hull City, West Bromwich Albion and Birmingham City were reportedly interested in signing him.
It would have been devastating for the Owls to lose Windass, who finished the season with seven goals and two assists in 28 games, including three goals in the last three games to help his team win safety.
During an interview with BBC Radio Sheffield’s Rob Staton, Windass disclosed that he was on the verge of leaving this summer and that Rohl was instrumental in persuading him to stay.
“It was fine, I just kept training every day and just plugging away. Wherever I was going to end up, I was always going to make sure I was ready and, obviously, I spoke to Danny (Rohl) towards the end before it got sorted and finally came back,” Windass said.
“Obviously, there is loads of stuff behind the scenes, and you see stuff online, he is being greedy, he’s this and that, but the bottom line is a lot of stuff had to be sorted out.
“Finally, Danny managed to, to be honest, Danny made a big case to bring me back so, yeah, I’m really pleased.
“Obviously, I love the club anyway.
“Since I’ve been here I feel like the fans have enjoyed watching me play, I’ve loved playing here, and now I’ve probably got the best manager I’ve ever had, so to leave would have been a big mistake on my part, I think.”
Last season, Windass was a consistent starter whenever healthy, and the manager’s plans for the upcoming season clearly depend on him, as evidenced by Rohl’s personal intervention to secure a new contract.
After rejecting offers from Coventry, Hull, and West Brom to stay at Hillsborough, the 30-year-old sealed his spot in Wednesday history with his 123rd-minute winner against Barnsley at Wembley in the League One play-off final the previous season. He has also further cemented his bond with supporters.
Leave a Reply