Sheffield Wednesday agree deal for ex-Southampton man Yan Valery

Sheffield Wednesday are said to have agreed a deal to bring former Southampton defender Yan Valery to the club, according to the Sheffield Star.

The 25-year-old is a player well-known to current Owls boss Danny Röhl, with the two working together at St Mary’s, when the German was assistant manager to Ralph Hassenhuttl on the south coast.

The right-sided player had been playing his football for Angers in France for the previous two seasons, and helped the club achieve promotion to Ligue 1 in the previous campaign, after finishing runners-up in the second tier.

The Tunisian international was also said to be of interest to fellow French side Montpellier, and Belgian club Standard Liege, but looks set to complete a return to the English game, subject to completing a medical.

Yan Valery set for Danny Röhl reunion with Sheffield Wednesday deal set to be completed

Röhl will have seen Valery coming up through the ranks with Southampton, with the young defender making his breakthrough into the Saints side during the 18/19 campaign, as he made 23 Premier League appearances.

A further 11 followed in the next campaign, before falling out of favour at St Mary’s, and making the move to France to resurrect his career ahead of the 22/23 season.

After suffering relegation in his first season with Angers, Valery was a key figure in the side’s return to the top flight in the previous campaign; playing 35 matches on the way to achieving second-spot in Ligue 2.

Valery has made no secret of his desire to return to the English game, stating in an interview with 90 Football earlier this month:

“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.

“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.”

Yan Valery addition will add to early Sheffield Wednesday transfer business

After tying down his own future to the club earlier in the off-season, Röhl has wasted no time in getting a squad ready to challenge in the Championship in the next campaign, with Valery just one of a number of players all set for a move to Hillsborough recently.

The Sheffield Star have recently reported that former Watford goalkeeper Ben Hamer [pictured] is set to join the club, with the summer transfer window set to officially open on Friday 14th June.

With over 350 matches in his playing career, the 36-year-old will be a welcome addition between the sticks for Wednesday, even just as cover, while former Sheffield United defender Max Lowe is also said to be close to a move to Owlerton.

The 27-year-old was released by their Steel City neighbours at the end of the previous season, and could be set to line up for their local rivals in the next campaign, as Röhl starts to put together a very capable squad ahead of the next campaign.