Sheffield Wednesday may face rising uncertainty off the pitch, but on it, they are in a very healthy position.
The Owls currently sit fifth in the Championship standings with just one game to go before we reach the halfway mark for the season – this is even a better start than what they managed in back-to-back playoff campaigns.
But doubts are mounting over whether they’ll be there come the new year as the possibility of a 21-point deduction hangs over their head after the English Football League charged them for financial misconduct over the sale of Hillsborough stadium.
The man who steered Wednesday towards their last form of reasonable success was Carlos Carvalhal, and much of that squad still remains in south Yorkshire.
Most notably his top goalscorer for both playoff runs, Fernando Forestieri.
Although, the 29-year-old’s future at the club is increasingly wearing thin just like their situation behind the scenes.
Forestieri’s contract expires in the summer, and since Garry Monk took the helm, he’s only been able to start just one game following a six-match ban – while he’s not been in the squad in recent weeks through injury.
His season has been quite the stop-start nightmare.
To make matters worse, it appears that the club is targetting additions in January which would make his position amongst the squad even less important.
This week the club have been linked to a bunch of strikers, including Liverpool starlet Rhian Brewster, Charlton Athletic’s Lyle Taylor and Bristol Rovers frontman Jonson Clarke-Harris.
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A couple of months ago Monk was also reported to be keen on reuniting with former Birmingham City prospect Bez Lubala.
It would be hard to deny that the 40-year-old is after a striker if any of these reports ring true, meaning Forestieri is surely on borrowed time at Hillsborough.
They could cash in on him next month in order to free up some cash as well as a squad position, if that’s the case, then the Carvalhal signing will depart having scored 39 goals in 125 appearances for the Owls.
And in other Wednesday news, Alan Nixon reveals what else the club will target in the January transfer window