It has been a busy start to the summer for Sheffield Wednesday after they secured survival in the Championship.
The Owls looked destined to make an immediate return to League One after a disastrous start to the season under Xisco Munoz, but they achieved safety after a remarkable turnaround under Danny Rohl as they finished 20th in the table.
Wednesday received a huge boost as Rohl signed a new long-term contract at the club in May, and the German has wasted no time in getting to work on rebuilding his squad.
Loanees James Beadle, Kristian Pedersen, Jeff Hendrick, Momo Diaby, Ian Poveda, Ike Ugbo, and Ashley Fletcher have returned to their parent clubs, while Ciaran Brennan, Reece James, George Byers, Tyreeq Bakinson, Juan Delgado and Lee Gregory have been released at the end of their contracts, and Cameron Dawson and Will Vaulks have departed after rejecting new deals.
Liam Palmer and Barry Bannan are among those who have signed new contracts at Hillsborough, and the Owls have made six new signings so far this summer, more than any other club in the Championship.
It seems that Rohl is not done in the transfer market just yet, and as speculation continues to gather pace, we rounded up all the latest Wednesday news.
Owls complete sixth summer signing
After the signings of Ben Hamer, Max Lowe, Yan Valery, Svante Ingelsson and Jamal Lowe, Wednesday have announced that Arka Gdynia winger Olaf Kobacki has become their sixth new addition of the summer.
Kobacki scored 16 goals and provided seven assists in 37 appearances for the Polish second division outfit last season as they missed out on promotion, and he was on the radar of a number of Championship clubs this summer.
Newly-promoted Derby County and last season’s beaten play-off semi-finalists Norwich City both reportedly made offers for Kobacki, but the Owls have won the race for the 22-year-old’s signature.
Kobacki, who has previously had spells with Lech Poznan and Atalanta, has signed a four-year contract at Hillsborough, which will put Wednesday in a strong negotiating position in the future if he impresses and attracts attention from elsewhere.
James Beadle and Charlie McNeill latest
With the signing of Kobacki now confirmed, it seems as though Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper James Beadle and former Manchester United striker Charlie McNeill will be next to join Wednesday.
Beadle spent the second half of last season on loan at Hillsborough, and he played a crucial role in the Owls’ survival, keeping eight clean sheets in 19 appearances.
Journalist Alan Nixon claims that Wednesday are closing in on a deal to bring Beadle back to the club, and while the move was expected to be announced on Monday, the delay is not believed to be a concern.
McNeill joined United from Manchester City in 2020 for a fee of £750,000, but after making just one senior appearance for the Red Devils, he left the club this summer.
According to Manchester World, Wednesday are set to win the race for McNeill’s signature, fighting off competition from Lazio, Torino, LA Galaxy and Toronto.
McNeill, who had loan spells with Newport County and Stevenage during his time at Old Trafford, is said to believe that “working with Owls manager Danny Rohl will help with his long-term development”, and his move to Hillsborough could be completed in the coming days.
