Sheffield Wednesday should make a real statement signing and swoop for a Premier League gem.
Sheffield Wednesday are now said to be ‘close’ to an agreement with Danny Rohl, meaning he looks increasingly likely to stay at the club.
The first task the Owls were set to be in with a chance to keep hold of the German was to stay up and they certainly managed that.
Next, Rohl had demands of the club that would need to be met if he was to remain at Hillsborough. He wanted upgraded training facilities, another addition to his coaching staff and some guarantees over transfers.
The 35-year-old closing in on a new contract suggests that Dejphon Chansiri is up for opening his wallet and spending his cash on improving the Wednesday squad – a very promising sign for supporters.
So then the question that everyone asks is who to sign, because there is no doubt that prices are hugely inflated these days.
The Owls need to be careful who they pursue, but one potential deal they could look to take advantage of is Aston Villa’s interest in Adrien Rabiot.
Sheffield Wednesday can target Aston Villa youngster
Reports have claimed that Unai Emery’s side could target a move for the Juventus midfielder, with the likes of Boubacar Kamara, Youri Tielemans, John McGinn and Douglas Luiz all battling for a place in the team.
Meanwhile, Jacob Ramsey will also be looking to force his way back in once he has recovered from injury and Ross Barkley also looks set to return to the Midlands club.
Villa’s Champions League qualification means they may be targeting high-calibre players, thus forcing other players down the pecking order.
One of these players is Tim Iroegbunam, who had earned himself some minutes in the second half of the season.
The midfielder had previously spent the 2022-23 campaign on loan at QPR and really impressed, finishing as runner-up for their Young Player of the Year award.
Iroegbunam then returned to Villa with the hope of earning himself a place in the first team.
He was then made available for transfer in January, but stayed at Villa Park and went onto make a total of 15 senior appearances – including starts against Ajax and Man City.
Where does Tim Iroegbunam’s future lie?
Birmingham Live claimed the 20-year-old has ‘bags of potential‘, while Steven Gerrard admitted he thought ‘the world’ of him and that he was truly ‘terrific’ during his stint as manager.
Iroegbunam really impressed in the Championship at an even younger age, and now has experience of playing in both the Premier League and European football too.
There is no doubt he will be an even better player next season, and Villa’s pursuit of Rabiot could push him to finally leave the club in search of regular first-team football.
Iroegbunam will surely have plenty of interest in his signature, but many clubs will want to sign him for the future rather than to offer him regular minutes right now.
According to transfermarkt, the youngster is currently valued at £3.4 million – a price tag that Wednesday haven’t matched since Jordan Rhodes joined the club in 2017.
Given Iroegbunam’s potential, it could be a worthwhile deal for Wednesday, but one that they may struggle to get over the line if suitors begin to line up.
It is the standard that Danny Rohl‘s side should now be going for though, and hopefully they can convince other players of the direction the club are aiming for next season.
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