How Sheffield Wednesday XI may look; Mallik Wilks among 8 new signings

Follow us on Google Discover

How on earth can Sheffield Wednesday fail?

Dangerous words maybe. But if football was played on paper, the bookies would already be cashing out on the prospect of a League One trophy all dressed up in blue and white ribbons. With the new season just a few weeks away, Darren Moore’s Sheffield Wednesday squad reads like a roll-call of proven third-tier talent.

The Owls already had the division’s most talented, most influential player in Barry Bannan in their ranks, and have now supplemented their string-pulling Scot with the sort of eye-catching signings most managers at this level can only dream of.

Michael Ihiekwe was the colossus at the heart of Rotherham’s promotion-winning side in 2021. He is joined at Hillsbrough by former Millers team-mate Michael Smith; A 6ft 3ins target who scored 25 goals in all competitions last season. Ihiekwe was included in last term’s League One Player of the Season. Smith, a major upgrade on Florian Kamberi and Callum Paterson, missed out only by the skin of his teeth.

Michael Smith and Mallik Wilks together up top?

An old-school, ‘little-and-large’ partnership between Smith and Lee Gregory will have third-tier defenders quaking in their boots. Especially if Mallik Wilks arrives from Hull City to provide further attacking thrust.

Hull City’s vice-chairman Tan Kesler insists that Wednesday will have to up their initial £200,000. But talks between the two clubs are ongoing (Examiner Live).

Wilks was Hull’s top scorer when they won the League One title in 2021. What’s more, he showed on Humberside that he is capable of thriving alongside an old-school targetman – a la Smith – in Josh Magennis.

“I think he has huge potential,” Tigers coach Shota Arveladze tells The Hull Daily Mail. “He’s a player who can do things by himself, he can decide things and change a game.”

Wilks struggled to make the adaptation to Championship life but, in stark contrast, Will Vaulks arrive with an impressive track record further up the footballing pyramid. Vaulks, perhaps the most high-profile of Wednesday’s many arrivals, joins on a free from Cardiff City. And the tireless Wales international plus Bannan already look like the finest central midfield partnership in the division.

It’s not long since Newcastle United were being linked with a £7 million swoop for the former Falkirk man.

Will Vaulks; Signing of the season?

Former Sheffield United stopper Ben Heneghan is another new arrival who boasts lower league experience by the bucketload. Ditto Reece James, arriving on loan from The Tangerines on Thursday.

Harlee Dean could also return after spending the second half of last term in the Steel City. Despite the signings of Ihiekwe and Heneghan, Sheffield Wednesday remain keen on a permanent deal (Birmingham Mail).

One area where Moore is somewhat lacking, however, is at left centre-back. Presuming he persists with a 3-5-2 system, it remains to be seen who will feature presumably next to the rampaging Marvin Johnstone or newbie James on the left-hand side.

So while the addition of 23-year-old Akin Famewo for £50,000 from Norwich City has gone under the radar, he could prove invaluable, given his versatility, ball-playing style and natural left-footedness. 

Famewo, like every one of Wednesday’s other new signings, has League One experience. He’s played over 60 games on loan at Charlton Athletic in the last two seasons. 

All in all, this is a team with depth, talent and bucketloads of third-tier nous. With expectations understandably high, Moore will have nowhere to hide if all those new signings struggle to gel and Wednesday stumble out of the blocks in August.