Sheffield Wednesday are set to keep manager Henrik Pedersen in charge of the Owls next season, pending their proposed takeover by Arise Capital.
The US-based consortium, led by David Storch, will keep the Danish man in charge if they complete their takeover of the club, after their turbulent season on the pitch.
Reported by The Sheffield Star, Wednesday will be looking to rebuild their side after being relegated from the Championship last month.
Joe Crann is also reporting that Owls’ top goalscorer, Jamal Lowe, will remain at the club next season after triggering an appearance-based clause in his deal.
These latest takeover talks finally appear to show light at the end of the tunnel for stricken Wednesday supporters, who have gone through more emotions than words can describe over the past few years. 90 minutes away from the Premier League in 2016, the Owls gradually declined after another failed play-off campaign the following season.
That eventually resulted in their relegation to League One in 2021, though they earned their place back in the second-tier two seasons later. As has come to be the norm, Wednesday did it the hard way, going 23 games unbeaten and still failing to win automatic promotion. Then came perhaps the most dramatic play-off campaign of all time, overturning a 4-0 first leg deficit to Peterborough United before defeating South Yorkshire neighbours Barnsley at Wembley.
Chaos off the pitch with the unexpected departure of Darren Moore continued on it, as the Owls look set for an immediate return to League One. Nevertheless, Danny Röhl came in to keep Sheffield Wednesday up, turning them into a mid-table outfit last term. But having been stripped of their key players this campaign and having 18 points deducted, they are still on minus points and have broken countless unwanted records.
In February, James Bord pulled out of his takeover attempt of the South Yorkshire outfit, leaving the club fighting for its very existence. However, while nothing is complete with this latest attempt to buy the Owls, Storch appears to be doing all he can to secure the immediate future of Sheffield Wednesday.
How Do The Pair Fit Into Sheffield Wednesday’s Plans?
After a campaign to forget, it would be no surprise if Storch wanted a fresh start with new personnel across the board. However, there also needs to be some continuity within the club, and that starts at the top with the manager. Pedersen has almost had a free hit this year, with virtually everyone expecting Wednesday to get relegated. It has been an incredibly difficult job in keeping what is undoubtedly the worst EFL side motivated when they have been so uncompetitive, through no fault of the players and staff.
The 48-year-old moved to South Yorkshire from Vendsyssel FF in October 2023, assisting the now Rangers boss Röhl. After the chaos of last summer, he was eventually given the permanent manager’s job at the end of July, leading the club to an unlikely League Cup victory over Premier League Leeds United the following month.
Under the Danish manager, no player has scored more goals than Jamal Lowe this season. It seems only right that he will continue in S6 next term, in a division where he previously scored 15 times for Portsmouth. Replicating those sorts of numbers this year was never a realistic or likely scenario, though Lowe has found the net four times, contributing to three goals in his last five appearances. Keeping him on board will help Wednesday’s rebuild come the summer.
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