Sheffield Wednesday will be hoping for a much-improved campaign in the Championship this season.
The Owls looked destined to make an immediate return to League One after a disastrous start to last season under Xisco Munoz, but they achieved safety following a remarkable turnaround under Danny Rohl as they finished 20th in the table.
| Championship standings 2023/24 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | P | GD | Pts | |
| 17 | Stoke City | 46 | -11 | 56 |
| 18 | QPR | 46 | -11 | 56 |
| 19 | Blackburn Rovers | 46 | -14 | 53 |
| 20 | Sheffield Wednesday | 46 | -24 | 53 |
| 21 | Plymouth Argyle | 46 | -11 | 51 |
| 22 | Birmingham City (R) | 46 | -15 | 50 |
| 23 | Huddersfield Town (R) | 46 | -29 | 45 |
| 24 | Rotherham United (R) | 46 | -52 | 27 |
Wednesday received a huge boost as Rohl signed a new long-term contract in May, and the German has wasted no time in getting to work on rebuilding his squad.
The Owls have brought in nine new signings so far this summer, with James Beadle, Ben Hamer, Max Lowe, Yan Valery, Svante Ingelsson, Nathaniel Chalobah, Olaf Kobacki, Jamal Lowe and Charlie McNeill arriving at Hillsborough.
Liam Palmer, Dominic Iorfa, Di’Shon Bernard, Barry Bannan and Josh Windass have all signed new contracts, but Cameron Dawson and Will Vaulks have departed after rejecting the offer of an extension, while Ciaran Brennan, Reece James, George Byers, Tyreeq Bakinson, Juan Delgado and Lee Gregory have been released.
The summer business has given Wednesday supporters hope of a strong season in the year ahead, with some even speculating about a potential play-off push, but Rohl will still be keen to strengthen further before the closure of the window.
The Owls get their season underway when they host Wayne Rooney’s Plymouth Argyle on Sunday 11th August, and we looked at two players they should try to sign ahead of the big kick-off.
Karamoko Dembele
Wednesday do have a number of good options in the wide areas, and Anthony Musaba and Djeidi Gassama in particular look set to shine after a strong pre-season, but it seems that Rohl is looking to bring in at least one more winger this summer.
The Owls will have been frustrated to miss out on the permanent signing of one of last season’s influential loanees, Ian Poveda, who completed a move to Sunderland last week, but that disappointment will quickly be forgotten if they can secure a deal for Brest winger Karamoko Dembele.
According to journalist Darren Witcoop, Wednesday are one of three Championship clubs to have made an approach for Dembele, along with Portsmouth and Derby County, while League One promotion hopefuls Bolton Wanderers are also said to be keen.
Dembele enjoyed an excellent loan spell at Blackpool in the third tier last season, scoring nine goals and providing 14 assists in 47 appearances in all competitions, and he was voted as the club’s Player of the Season by both his team-mates and supporters.
The 21-year-old would need time to adapt to the Championship, but his performances at Bloomfield Road suggest he is more than capable of playing at a higher level, and he would likely develop further under Rohl’s guidance, which is an exciting prospect for Wednesday supporters.
Given the positivity around the club, Hillsborough would surely be an attractive destination for Dembele, and the Owls should push to reach an agreement for the winger before their opening game next weekend.
Tom Cannon
While Wednesday’s summer business has been impressive, there is no doubt they need to bring in at least two strikers before the end of the transfer window.
As things stand, Lowe looks likely to lead the line against Plymouth, with McNeill, Michael Smith, Bailey Cadamarteri on the bench, but the Owls will need more firepower in the squad if they are to mount a surprise play-off push.
Wednesday will be hoping to bring Troyes striker Ike Ugbo back to the club after his successful loan spell last season, but his reported £4.5 million price tag could prove to be a stumbling block, meaning they may need to look for alternatives.
Tom Cannon was linked with a move to Hillsborough last summer before joining Leicester City for a fee of £7.5 million, but he struggled for game time at the King Power Stadium last season, and his future at the club is in doubt after he made just one substitute appearance in the final two months of the campaign, frequently being left out of the matchday squad altogether.
New Foxes boss Steve Cooper is currently running the rule over Cannon in pre-season, but Sheffield United, West Bromwich Albion and Stoke City are all said to be keen to sign the 21-year-old if he is allowed to leave on loan this summer.
The Owls would face strong competition for Cannon’s signature, but they could have a chance of winning the race if they are willing to pay a significant proportion of his wages, and they may be able to offer him more game time than some of his other suitors.
Rohl has hinted the club are targeting loans from the Premier League in the remaining weeks of the window, and there would be few better additions than Cannon, who showed during his loan spell at Preston North End in the 2022-23 season that he can be a prolific striker at Championship level.
