Sheffield Wednesday are making very good progress in the weeks that have followed the end of the season.
It was only a month ago that Sheffield Wednesday survived the relegation battle by three points.
Their Championship status has made several priorities so much easier for them to handle, with Danny Rohl already putting pen to paper on a new contract.
Barry Bannan and Liam Palmer both followed the German, extending their stays after so many years at Hillsborough.
The Owls have already been linked with a number of players too, despite the transfer window not opening for a couple of weeks.
It is all going very smoothly for the club, but with a very busy summer approaching, they need to get their priorities straight.
Here are the three things Danny Rohl should prioritise at Sheffield Wednesday now.
Danny Rohl’s three main priorities at Sheffield Wednesday
New contract for the ‘colossus‘
Sheffield Wednesday are eagerly waiting for five more players to sign new contracts at the club.
While the Owls will be eager to see the likes of Josh Windass and Will Vaulks put pen to paper, one of their main priorities should be confirming Di’Shon Bernard’s future.
The 23-year-old moved to Hillsborough on a free transfer last summer and has been vital to the club’s incline, making the third-most clearances (95), the second-most blocked shots (24) and won the most headers (78).
He is also one of the younger members of the squad and still has bags of potential to reach.
If Wednesday don’t tie him down then there is no doubt he will join another club higher up in the Championship.
The return of the loanees
Sheffield Wednesday have made it very clear that they want to bring Ike Ugbo, James Beadle and Ian Poveda back to the club.
Like Danny Rohl’s contract, the Owls need to ensure this happens early doors – whether it’s just one of them or all three.
Rohl doesn’t want to be waiting around trying to bring them all back for weeks and then discovering a deal can’t be done and then being short on options elsewhere.
The club need to work their socks off to get those deals across the line and fast.
Barry Bannan’s new partner
While Will Vaulks proved another important figure for Sheffield Wednesday last term, there is no doubting that the club desperately need new midfielders.
Barry Bannan is likely to stay in the starting line-up, but some healthy competition for Vaulks would only benefit the team.
The Owls have already been linked with former Reading midfielder Ovie Ejaria, though whether that is the right direction to be heading in remains to be seen.
Wednesday need a quality midfielder who will get stuck in and spray passes out to the wingers – someone who can do a bit of everything.
While the club remain in talks over new contracts with players, midfield is definitely one position that is waring particularly thin.
Three Sheffield Wednesday players Danny Rohl should send out on loan during summer window.
Sheffield Wednesday are quickly approaching the summer transfer window, as they prioritise players who will be able to push them into the top half of the Championship.
The Owls have already offered seven players new contracts, with Liam Palmer and Barry Bannan extending their stays so far.
Meanwhile, six players left as free agents and another seven left at the end of their loan spells.
All their departures has left the squad looking rather thin, so Wednesday can expect a very busy transfer window as they look to bulk it up again.
While the main focus will be bringing fresh faces in, Danny Rohl could look to send some players out on loan who maybe aren’t ready to make an impact on the senior team.
Here are three players that the German coach should send out on loan.
Three Sheffield Wednesday players to loan out
Pierce Charles
Pierce Charles put pen to paper on a new contract last month and is expected to have a big future at the club.
Rohl has previously declared his appreciation for the goalkeeper, but it seems unlikely that he will be making regular appearances for the senior team just yet.
With Wednesday looking to bring James Beadle back, they should opt to sent Charles out on loan to pick up some valuable game-time.
The 18-year-old is highly-rated but is never going to develop and grow enough if he is only playing academy football.
Charles would have surely made those suggestions in discussions with the club before he signed a new deal.
Joey Phuthi
Sheffield Wednesday have recently extended Joey Phuthi’s contract with the club, having impressed for the U21s.
The 19-year-old has been praised for his ‘exciting’ season, having made his senior debut in a defeat to Coventry City on Boxing Day.
Pol Valentin and Liam Palmer are likely to remain ahead of him in the pecking order, while the Owls could also look to bolster their backline in the transfer window.
Phuthi arguably isn’t ready to play regular Championship football and could instead be sent out on loan.
Bailey Cadamarteri
Bailey Cadamarteri proved to be an important player during his breakthrough season, but fell down the pecking order in the second half of the campaign.
Sheffield Wednesday will be desperate to bring in at least a couple of forwards this summer, with Ike Ugbo on the transfer target list once again.
Cadamarteri was already unable to establish a regular place in the team behind Ugbo, but even more competition could force him even further away from the starting line-up.
The striker is too good to sit on the bench every week and could instead benefit from going elsewhere, perhaps in League One. Of course, this would only happen if the Owls do bring in a couple of attackers.
