Sheffield Wednesday wing-back Pol Valentin was ‘never likely’ to leave the club despite deadline day rumours of a move away, according to the Sheffield Star.
The Spaniard hade been linked with a transfer out of South Yorkshire towards the end of the January transfer window but will stay at Hillsborough until at least the end of the season after a move failed to materialise. Valentin had attracted interest from an unnamed Turkish Super Lig club but nothing came of it, despite the Owls reportedly having been open to let one of their squad players leave.
It was, instead, a quiet deadline day for Wednesday in terms of outgoings, with Danny Rohl clearly keen to keep his squad together going into a crucial second half of the season. The highly-rated German clearly sees Valentin as part of his squad going forward, having made 27 appearances across all competitions thus far.
The January transfer window was a quiet but important one for the Championship team with a few key deals done. Midfielder Shea Charles’ loan was extended and the experienced Stuart Armstrong was signed, among other deals. The club also kept hold of several of their key men, including Valentin.
The wide man, who can play along the right, has made 67 appearances for the Owls, scoring twice since joining the club from Sporting Gijon in 2023. That number looks set to increase, with Valentin staying in Yorkshire until at least the summer.
It’s been a good season for Wednesday so far, who find themselves in the top half with an outside chance of making the play-offs. A combination of strong recruitment and a talented manager has set their season up successfully, after a poor start to the season last term which saw many tip them to go down before Rohl’s heroics. Wednesday are a club on the up, and they’ll hope 27-year-old Valentin will be part of that.
Writer’s View
This makes sense, despite the interest in Valentin. He’s a good player, and has done well for Wednesday so far. January is never a good time to lose players, especially with Wednesday’s ambitions for the season. Whether Valentin moves in the summer remains to be seen, but Owls fans will be happy they have him as they look to end the season well.
