Sheffield Wednesday are still in the market for more attacking talent this summer but head coach Danny Rohl refused to comment on speculation regarding one target.
The Owls have already significantly strengthened their first-team squad ahead of the opening game of the campaign at home to Plymouth Argyle which kicks off in less than three weeks. So far, nine players have come through the doors at Hillsborough, including Olaf Kobacki, who was the most expensive acquisition following his arrival from Polish side Arka Gydnia.
Last season, the South Yorkshire outfit were the second-lowest goalscorers in the Championship after bagging merely 44 times in 46 matches. Only relegated Rotherham United found the net fewer times than Rohl’s men. The club’s top scorer was Anthony Musaba who scored just seven goals in all competitions.
As a result, Sheffield Wednesday have bolstered their forward department this summer, bringing the likes of Kobacki, Charlie McNeill and Jamal Lowe to the club. Lowe was one of the most impressive arrivals after he finished the previous campaign as Swansea City‘s top goalscorer with nine goals.
Nevertheless, Rohl is still looking to sign more attacking players before the new season commences. One name who is high on the board’s transfer list is Ian Poveda, who spent the second half of the 2023/24 campaign on loan with the Owls which caused his market value to rise to £760,000, as per Transfermarkt.
The Colombia international has since been made a free agent following his release from fellow Yorkshire side Leeds United but Wednesday face stiff competition from Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion for his signature.
Rohl was asked in a recent interview by the Sheffield Star about his side’s pursuit of the winger to sign him on a permanent basis but the young boss remained tight-lipped about any approaches made to the player [quotes via the Sunderland Echo]:
“I’ve said it before. With the players we can speak about names and names and names, but it’s still the same process. At first, we look from a sporting view with the player, and how we can improve our squad, but it’s also about what expectation is from the player, and what we can do as a club.”
“We can’t make every deal immediately done because the player wants this, this or this. We have some principles, we have to, but we are looking for solutions and this is always part of the business. Sometimes it goes quicker, sometimes it takes more time.
“We had some crucial players last season in the second half that improved our squad, but we’ve also brought some good players from outside into our squad, and this is a good balance, a good mix. We’ll keep going.”
Writer’s View
Heading into the transfer window, it was clear that Poveda was a key target for Sheffield Wednesday after he impressed last season and was an important member of the squad that pulled off a miraculous survival in England’s second tier.
It is not yet understood whether the club’s plans regarding Poveda have changed following the signings of Kobacki and Lowe, but reading between the lines of his comments, Rohl has somewhat hinted at no longer being interested in signing the Colombian due to recent arrivals.
Deputy Head of Writing
