Earlier today YorkshireLive’s Dom Howson wrote an article about Sheffield Wednesday being likely to delay announcing their retained list. In this article, Howson comments on a trio of players the Owls have contacted about extending deals – something The72 wrote about here. What comes out of the news of the trio being spoken to is an indication of who might be leaving the South Yorkshire side.
In his YorkshireLive article, Howson mentions that Wednesday are in talks with some of their out of contract players. He specifically writes “It is believed Wednesday have held contract talks with [Osaze] Urhoghide, [Morgan] Fox and [Steven] Fletcher over extending their Hillsborough stays.” However, it is what he wrote earlier in the article which is of particular interest.
Howson wrote that the Owls currently have 12 players coming to the end of their current contracts, which are due to end June 30. The simple mathematician in me can work out that of 12 players nearing their contract end, with three being offered extended deals there are nine possibly set to be left to drift into free agency.
The nine on the list who might de cut adrift are: Paul Jones, Matt Penney, Sam Hutchinson, Joey Pelupessy, Kieran Lee, Connor Kirby, Atdhe Nuhui, Sam Winnall and Fernando Forestieri who will become free agents this summer.
Of these nine, there are some big-name players such as Nuhui, Pelupessy and Forestieri who between them have 29/30 59 (29 starts/30 substitute) appearances for the Owls this season, having collectively scored five goals and provided three assists.
If it proves to be correct that those nine players are not to be offered last-minute extensions to their current deals, then it looks likely that Sheffield Wednesday are looking to restructure their side. Of course, in the current climate, there will be some leeway over contract talks. This looks likely a case of ‘wait-and-see’.
