Darren Moore should strive to re-sign these former Sheffield Wednesday players ahead of starting the new League One season to see the Owls go one better and secure promotion.
The Hillsborough natives raise the curtain for the 2022/23 term at home to Portsmouth on July 30 looking to build on last term’s fourth-place result. Sheffield Wednesday missed out on the automatic spots to Wigan Athletic and Rotherham United by seven and five points.
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Play-off football would not return the Owls a place back in the Championship, either, after losing to Sunderland in the semi-finals. The Black Cats, meanwhile, would go on to win 2-0 against Wycombe Wanderers at Wembley to end the club’s four year stay in the third-tier.
Moore has been active in the market already this summer attempting to assemble a squad capable of clinching promotion. Sheffield Wednesday have agreed six permanent transfers and one loan deal so far, while Bristol Live cite talks with Bristol City over Tyreeq Bakinson.
A clutch of former Sheffield Wednesday players could also aid Moore’s mission to take the Owls back to the Championship. So, with that in mind, who should the Owls try to re-sign?
Sheffield Wednesday should try to re-sign former player Kieran Lee of Bolton
One former Sheffield Wednesday player whom Moore should now look to re-sign is Kieran Lee of Bolton Wanderers. The midfielder left Hillsborough in 2020 after eight years, during which he made 217 appearances across all competitions, and moved to the UniBol in 2021.
His first full season for Bolton last term saw the 34-year-old offer a leading presence in the engine room over 30 appearances. Lee also registered six goals and six assists, with five of each offered over 25 League One fixtures before suffering a season-ending heel spur issue.
Bolton lost Lee for the remainder of the campaign in February and could now feel they can move on from him. Wanderers only lost three of the 15 third-tier fixtures he sat out, which should offer Moore reason to believe the UniBol natives would consider letting him move.
Sheffield Wednesday should try to re-sign former player Morgan Fox of Stoke
Another former Sheffield Wednesday player whom Moore should look to re-sign is Morgan Fox of Stoke City. The left-back joined the Potters from the Owls in 2020 after three years at Hillsborough, during which he made 103 appearances across all competitions for them.
Fox has so far only enjoyed 35 outings in Stoke colours, though, including just 10 outings in last season’s Championship campaign. He may now feel he is beginning to waste his career on the bench at 28 years old. And even when he does play, it is not necessarily at left-back.
The former Wales U21 international’s appearances with Stoke have featured games at left-midfield and centre-back, as well as at left-back. In fact, five of his 10 Championship games last season came from central defence to just one appearance from his preferred position.
Sheffield Wednesday should look to re-sign Frederico Venancio of Eibar
Moore can strive to further strengthen his defence this summer by trying to re-sign former Sheffield Wednesday ace Frederico Venancio of Eibar. The Portuguese spent the 2017/18 season on loan to the Owls from Vitoria Setubal, after which he joined Vitoria Guimaraes.
Eibar made their move for the centre-half last summer, and he remains under contract until 2024. The 29-year-old was also an important player for the Ipurua Municipal Stadium outfit with 29 outings last season, including starting all 27 of his games during the La Liga 2 term.
Venancio additionally helped Eibar to record 11 clean sheets in the Spanish second-tier last season. Moore would surely welcome his record and another impactful centre-half to help Sheffield Wednesday produce an improved defensive line for the 2022/23 promotion race.
Moore should bring Liam Shaw back to Hillsborough from Celtic
Moore should also look to take Liam Shaw back to Hillsborough this summer as the former Sheffield Wednesday player is unlikely to hold a substantial place at Celtic. The 21-year-old left the Owls for the Bhoys last summer, but has so far only made two competitive outings.
Shaw additionally departed Parkhead this January to join Motherwell on loan, having failed to break into Ange Postecoglou’s plans. But he would also only hold a reserve role with the Well, making eight appearances across all competitions and starting just two of 20 fixtures.
The Sheffield Wednesday product had established a considerable first-team presence with the Owls in 2020/21 following his senior breakthrough. Shaw made 19 of his 24 outings for the Hillsborough natives in the Championship that term, whilst scoring his first senior goal.
Sheffield Wednesday should re-sign Theo Corbeanu after loan from Wolves
Sheffield Wednesday should look to hold talks with Wolves over re-signing Theo Corbeanu after his productive loan spell last season. The centre-forward joined the Owls last August, but left Hillsborough in the winter and moved on loan to MK Dons for the rest of the term.
Corbeanu had offered two goals and three assists across his 18 appearances with Sheffield Wednesday. He also started six of his 13 League One games, before opening 10 of 17 third-tier outings with MK Dons. The Canada international was also a versatile attacking option.
The six-cap Ontario native featured from across the frontline with games from both wings, and can play through the centre. But Corbeanu is unlikely to find his League One loans lead to Premier League minutes, so Sheffield Wednesday should now try to re-sign him on loan.
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