Sheffield Wednesday could sign a goal-scoring midfielder for £0 this summer.
Sheffield Wednesday enter the summer transfer window, which officially opens for business on June 14th, needing bodies across the pitch.
Danny Rohl looks as though he’s quickly bolstered both full-back positions with Yan Valery set to arrive at Sheffield Wednesday, and Max Lowe also linked.
The goalkeeping department also looks set to be bolstered in the coming weeks; James Beadle is tipped to return and Ben Hamer is set to join on a free transfer.
That leaves two main areas for Rohl and the recruitment team at Sheffield Wednesday to bolster this summer; up front, and central midfield.
Central midfield looks like the more pressing area of concern right now. Will Vaulks’ move to Oxford United leaves Barry Bannan as the only natural central midfielder in the Owls ranks right now.
So far in this post-season, though, the Owls have only been linked with one out and out central midfielder; Elfsborg’s Michael Baidoo.
But it looks like a deal for Baidoo could cost the Owls between £3-4million, with other clubs also in the race.
Instead, departing Barnsley gem Herbie Kane may well be the answer for Rohl.
Who is Herbie Kane
Kane, 25, began his career with Liverpool. Once dubbed ‘the next Steven Gerrard’, Kane would leave for Barnsley in 2020 without ever making a Premier League appearance for Liverpool.
In four seasons at Oakwell, former England youth international Kane has made 123 total appearances, scoring 14 goals and assisting 12.
Last time round, Kane featured 41 times in League One, scoring nine and assisting five more, seemingly turning a corner as he approaches the end of his Barnsley contract this summer.
Derby County were linked with a free swoop for Kane after Barnsley missed out on promotion to the Championship, though the Rams are thought to have cooled their interest in the Englishman.
Why Sheffield Wednesday should join race to sign Herbie Kane
Not only do Sheffield Wednesday lack bodies in the midfield, they also lacked goal-scoring midfielders last time round.
The Owls relied heavily on the goals of a few players. Even then, Sheffield Wednesday finished the campaign with just 44 goals in 46 league games, so adding players who know how to score goals this summer is a must.
Kane scored nine goals from midfield last season, and he also showed his class on the ball, averaging more passes-per-game than Bannan (42 compared to 39.6, per Sofascore), more touches-per-game (68.4 compared to 62.4), and more accurate long balls-per-game (4.5 compared to 3.9).
The stats paint Kane as a very creative midfield, but he’s also a combative one too, beating Vaulks for balls recovered-per-game last season (6.1 compared to 5.4).
Rohl needs someone who can cover ground in the midfield and Kane can do that, as well as score, and on a free transfer, Kane could be a very shrewd signing.
Having also been in Barnsley for a number of years, location could play a huge factor for Kane if Sheffield Wednesday were to show an interest.
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