Sheffield Wednesday are hopeful that they can tie down defender Akin Famewo to a new contract.
The former Charlton Athletic man joined The Owls in 2022 from Norwich City and has already recorded 65 appearances for the club. He has featured seven times so far this season, and has been a constant fixture of Danny Rohl’s defence since mid-September.
According to The Sheffield Star, Wednesday are seeking to sign the 25-year-old to a new deal before the end of the year, with his current contract at Hillsborough expiring at the end of the season. It is reported that the club had already wanted to extend his stay at the club prior to the most recent batch of games which saw wins over West Bromwich Albion and Coventry City.
Rohl’s side have leapt onwards from last season’s relegation scrap to be in 15th heading into the second international break of the season. They beat then-table toppers West Brom at home, with Famewo providing the assist for Josh Windass to level the game at 1-1.
The defender has made the most of the opportunities handed to him following an injury to Dominic Iorfa and a suspension to Di’Shon Bernard after coming off his own knock which kept him out for the first game of the season. He is currently operating on the left-hand side of the back three system and appeared alongside the Jamaican international and Max Lowe as they beat Coventry in the West Midlands.
The Star also notes that Famewo is not the only player that Wednesday are looking to renew the deal of, with other players currently out of contract at the end of the campaign also being examined. The German head coach had previously revealed that these discussions were ongoing, stating three weeks ago: “This is exactly now what we are working on. I had yesterday a talk with Kevin [Beadell, Head of Recruitment], now we will speak with the chairman about this.
“Which players we want to extend, which players we can extend, which player wants to extend, and then of course you will have some players, maybe where you speak in detail in January, not now, to see how’s the process.”
Writer’s View
Akin Famewo has done well so far this season and has had some standout performances across his recent stint of starts. The current backline at Sheffield Wednesday is still fairly young so keeping all three together in Famewo, Di’Shon Bernard and Max Lowe will be a big statement of intent for the club for the future. His flexibility also to play on the left flank if needed is a good asset to have in his locker and should it be needed, a big help for Danny Rohl should injuries start to pile up.
Wednesday do look a much-improved side from last season. The win against West Brom is the biggest reflection of that and they did well to survive the onslaught the Baggies had waged for much of that game. They look a much more stable side than the relegation dogfight they were in until the very last games and do look like they will seal a place in the second tier next season with much more comfort.
Football journalist with The Real EFL since 2023. A 2024 Multimedia Journalism graduate from the University of Salford, Lewis specialises in Salford City FC and EFL coverage.
