Sheffield Wednesday's free agent options including ex-Hull City, Barnsley and Manchester United men

The Championship basement boys may have managed to get some loan recruits in during the winter window, but also lost some key figures.

Club legend Barry Bannan moved to Millwall, Bailey Cadamarteri linked up with Wrexham and Yisa Alao signed for Chelsea. The Owls also lost loan star Harry Amass and a fresh blow arrived following the closure of the window, as Yan Valery was borrowed by Swiss side Young Boys.

Valery’s departure has presented Wednesday with an opportunity to get a free agent through the door and it is an opportunity fans will be hoping is taken.

Relegation is on the horizon, yet the Hillsborough faithful are in dire need of something to cheer about over the course of the remaining 15 games.

There is also a strong need to for depth in order to avoid a further over-reliance on unproven prospects, as the Owls have named just 18 senior players in their EFL squad list.

At the weekend, after his side’s 4-0 defeat to Swansea City, Wednesday boss Henrik Pedersen said: “We can bring a free transfer player in now, so we will start to look. We also know this is a difficult market to find players now. We are doing all that we can. Now the game is done, we will put a lot of energy into finding a player who can come in and help us.”

The Yorkshire Post has taken a look at some of the free agents available to Wednesday.

Timothy Fosu-Mensah

Wednesday were linked with the 28-year-old earlier on in the campaign and it is easy to see the appeal. A versatile figure, Fosu-Mensah is comfortable in defence or midfield and boasts impressive pedigree.

Not only has he been capped by the Netherlands, Fosu-Mensah has represented Manchester United, Crystal Palace and Fulham in the Premier League and played for Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga.

Injury has hampered his career development but at 28, there is still time for the utility man to make a comeback. He has been without a club since 2024, therefore match sharpness will be a concern, but Hillsborough could be a place for Fosu-Mensah to rebuild his career and potentially help rebuild Wednesday in the process.

Brandon Williams

Another former Manchester United prospect, Williams has seen his stock plummet in recent years. He penned a one-year deal at Hull City in the summer but recently left the Tigers having made just one competitive appearance.

Williams can play at left-back or right-back and at 25, has time on his side. There is undeniably talent in the former England youth international and unlocking his potential is the challenge.

If he could be nurtured with regular minutes in Wednesday’s side, he prove to be a useful addition. He could even generate a fee in the future if a deal that runs beyond the end of the season was struck and his reputation was resurrected.

Amine Bassi

An attack-minded midfielder, the 28-year-old is available as a free agent after leaving MLS outfit Houston Dynamo.

He is no stranger to Yorkshire having impressed during a loan stint at Barnsley in 2022 and there was talk of interest from Derby County last month.

A switch to Pride Park did not materialise and the Owls could potentially capitalise by giving Bassi a new home in South Yorkshire.

Lucas Andersen

Andersen is also a forward-thinking playmaker without a club. The 31-year-old can operate as a playmaker or a winger and proved popular during his 15-month stay with Queens Park Rangers.

The former Denmark international left the London club at the end of last season and has not yet found a new home.

Kyle Naughton

As far as experienced figures go, there are few free agents quite as seasoned as Naughton. The 35-year-old has made 287 appearances at Championship level and a further 176 in the Premier League.

He was born in Sheffield and the prospect of finishing his career back in his hometown could prove tempting - even if it is with the arch rivals of his former club Sheffield United.

Naughton has been unattached since the summer, when his decade-long association with Swansea City came to an end.

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