Sheffield Wednesday are in the League One play-offs five years on from falling short in the Championship play-offs, so where are Carlos Carvalhal’s last transfers as Owls boss now?
Carvalhal led the Hillsborough natives to back-to-back top-six finishes in the 2015/16 and 2016/17 campaigns. But the Portuguese now in charge of Braga could not get the South Yorkshire outfit across the line, losing to Hull in the 2016 final and Huddersfield in 2017.
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The Owls hoped they were adding the final touches to a promotion-clinching squad in the summer of 2017. But the final touches Carvalhal made to his Hillsborough ranks did not do the trick, and he left that December with the club only 15th in the second-tier standings.
Sheffield Wednesday would not feature in the Championship play-offs again before their relegation to League One last season. The Owls could now secure an instant return if they edge Sunderland in the play-off semi-finals, then either MK Dons or Wycombe Wanderers.
Darren Moore does not have any of Carvalhal’s last transfers as Sheffield Wednesday boss during the 2017 summer market at his disposal for the League One play-offs, with all five now away from Hillsborough. So, where are those Carvalhal felt were the missing pieces?
Rhodes kicked off Carvalhal’s last transfer window as Sheffield Wednesday boss
Carvalhal kicked off what would be his last transfer window as Sheffield Wednesday boss by signing Jordan Rhodes permanently. The 14-cap Scotland star had spent the second half of 2016/17 on loan from Middlesbrough, but stayed at the Owls in a £10m deal.
Boro had deemed Rhodes surplus to requirements in the Premier League at the Riverside before his temporary exit. He helped fire Sheffield Wednesday to the play-offs with three goals and three assists, but only scored three more before Carvalhal’s Christmas Eve exit.
The Oldham-born striker ended 2017/18 with five goals in 31 Championship games before joining Norwich on loan. Rhodes returned to Sheffield Wednesday for two years, yet was released in 2021. He joined Huddersfield, but has been a dud with three goals in 25 games.
Sheffield Wednesday made Boyd first new arrival of Carvalhal’s last transfer spree
Sheffield Wednesday followed Rhodes’ permanent arrival with a free transfer for George Boyd, as Carvalhal added the midfielder following his Burnley contract expiring that year. Yet he would only remain at Hillsborough until 2019 when joining Peterborough for free.
The two-cap Scotland international made a slow start to his Owls career before suffering a shoulder injury. Boyd missed 20 Championship games and only featured in four before the axe fell on Carvalhal’s reign. He would play just 45 further games before leaving the Owls.
Boyd’s return to Peterborough where he previously spent seven years would only last 15 months, though. He left the Posh in October 2020 before finishing his career with Salford City later that season. The winger would call time on his playing career in October 2021.
Carvalhal used Portuguese ties to land defender Venancio on loan
Carvalhal used his Portuguese ties for Sheffield Wednesday to sign Frederico Venancio on loan from Vitoria Setubal in what was his last transfer window at the helm. The centre-half would go on to play just 20 Championship matches for the Owls, with one under Carvalhal.
Venancio did not make his English second-tier debut until Carvalhal’s final game in charge of the Owls against Middlesbrough. Yet the former Portugal U21 international would then become a mainstay of the backline at Hillsborough under his replacement, Jos Luhukay.
Sheffield Wednesday elected against pursuing a permanent transfer for Venancio after his loan spell. He instead joined Vitoria Guimaraes until last year when the 29-year-old joined Eibar in a permanent transfer, where he has so far made 24 La Liga 2 outings this season.
Van Aken on second club since 2021 Sheffield Wednesday exit after horror debut
Joost van Aken left Heerenveen for Sheffield Wednesday for €3m (£2.5m) on the eve of deadline day in August 2017. His Owls career would last until 2021 when released by the Hillsborough natives, but included a loan move to Osnabruck for the 2019/20 campaign.
The centre-back left South Yorkshire to join Zulte Waregem after playing just 33 games for the Owls. Yet Van Aken only lasted six months in Belgium before the Essevee released him and the former Dutch U21 international returned to Heerenveen on a short-term contract.
Injuries have restricted the 27-year-old’s game time in the Eredivisie as he bids to convince Heerenveen to take up a one-year option in his short-term deal. He also earned a red card on debut for Zulte Waregem last July in what would prove to be his only game for the club.
Butterfield final Sheffield Wednesday transfer of Carvalhal’s last window
Carvalhal closed what would be his last transfer window in charge of Sheffield Wednesday with a deadline day deal for Jacob Butterfield. The midfielder joined the Owls on loan from Derby County and would return to Pride Park the next summer after playing 23 matches.
Butterfield was a consistent member of Carvalhal’s plans but struggled to establish himself under Luhukay. His Rams career would go on to feature a loan move to Bradford before he joined Luton Town in 2019. Yet Butterfield only lasted a single season at Kenilworth Road.
Luton released Butterfield in July 2020 and he remained without a club until that October when he joined Melbourne Victory. The former England U21 international would only stay in Australia until July 2021, and eventually joined Premiership side St Johnstone in December.
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