Sheffield Wednesday have 12 players out of contract at the end of next season.
Sheffield Wednesday have plenty on their plate right now, and the contract status of several key players is a somewhat unwanted side order.
Injured stars Barry Bannan, Kieran Lee, Gary Hooper and Keiren Westwood are among those whose deals expire in 2019.
And given the state of Wednesday’s recently published accounts – which revealed £21 million losses – sales are perhaps to be expected during the summer transfer window.
Yet while the aforementioned quartet may well attract attention from other clubs, it is the potential loss of another player which is arguably of greater concern to the Owls.
Lucas Joao – along with Adam Reach, whose contract expires in 2021 despite worrying reports on the contrary – has effectively carried Wednesday in recent weeks, scoring five goals from only seven league starts since Jos Luhukay took charge in early January.
Still only 24, which is three years younger than any Owls player – besides Morgan Fox – who is out of contract in 2019, he has the potential to be worth the most of all in years to come.
So when it comes to choosing which item to attack first with their forks, Wednesday should start with Joao and hope they’re not too full for the rest.
The Owls – quite literally – cannot afford a repeat of this year’s (likely) mistakes with Sean Clare and George Hirst.
Should Sheffield Wednesday prioritise a new deal for Joao?
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