Sheffield Wednesday Face Championship Battle For £1.3 Million-Rated Ace
Sheffield Wednesday are hoping to strengthen their backline this summer, with a new target emerging in the press after his contract in France recently expired.
The Owls have been extremely active since the transfer window opened last month. The club have already made nine new signings, including eight on a permanent basis. The only loanee is James Beadle who spent the second half of the previous campaign on loan at Hillsborough from Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion and will now reside, for the next twelve months, in South Yorkshire.
So far, Sheffield Wednesday have acquired fullbacks, forwards, midfielders and goalkeepers. The only position that is yet to see any improvement is at the heart of the defence. Last season, Bambo Diaby, Akin Famewo, Liam Palmer, Di’Shon Bernard and Michael Ihiekwe often rotated in the backline depending on whether or not head coach Danny Rohl wanted to play with a back four or three.
However, this is an area that the German manager believes needs to be strengthened this summer and the club’s attention has turned towards a promotion-winner in France. According to renowned French outlet L’Equipe, via the Sheffield Star, the Owls are believed to be interested in centre-back Mickael Nade who has recently left Saint-Etienne after ten years with the club.
Nevertheless, the publication is claiming that Wednesday face stiff competition for the central defender’s signature from fellow Championship outfit West Bromwich Albion, who are also looking for defensive reinforcements this summer.
Nade was a squad player last season in a Saint-Etienne team that managed to earn promotion to Ligue 1 after years of languishing in the second division of France. Despite being a free agent, the 25-year-old boasts a market value of £1.3 million, meaning his next club could be able to sell him on for a possible seven-figure sum in the near future.
Writer’s View
This is a no-brainer for Sheffield Wednesday. Nade is a left-footed centre-half which adds much more value to a potential sale if he hits it off at Hillsborough. However, the Owls have tough competition from West Brom and St. Etienne, as the latter are keen to keep hold of him ahead of the 2024/25 campaign in the French top-flight.
While the Yorkshire club are likely to be the side that misses out on his signature, they were also expected to be beaten to the signing of Jamal Lowe, who had garnered interest from a number of teams in the Championship, yet Rohl managed to entice him to join his squad instead. Perhaps the German coach will be the key once more to bringing Nade to the club over the next few weeks.
