Luhukay was unaware of the restriction on Sheffield Wednesday transfers

MANAGER Jos Luhukay has revealed he did not know Sheffield Wednesday were heading for a transfer embargo when he joined the club.
Sheffield Wednesday manager Jos Luhukay.Sheffield Wednesday manager Jos Luhukay.
Sheffield Wednesday manager Jos Luhukay.

The Dutchman took over from Carlos Carvalhal in January, inheriting a squad decimated by long-term injuries.

But any hope of a summer overhaul was dashed when the Owls were hit with an EFL transfer embargo in April for breaking Financial Fair Play rules.

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Several players were allowed to leave over the summer – without being replaced – and yesterday’s transfer deadline day passed without incident.

But a pragmatic Luhukay insists he does not feel under pressure and believes the Owls’ squad still boasts enough quality to compete in the Championship.

“I must accept the situation from the club about the finances,” he said. “You have ideas over the last six months how the team can be in the new season.

“I must work with the players, I have trust in them, and see what the future brings.

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“Our team is different in numbers. We gave eight players away, so we have gone from 28 to 20 players, and nobody comes in.

“We must handle that, that’s what we do every day to get the best out of the players.”

Asked if he was aware of a potential transfer embargo when he arrived in Sheffield, Luhukay replied: “No, I did not speak about that. It was not the same situation as the one we have now. It is different.

“Of course it is not so easy. It is not that I don’t have trust in my team and players. I trust my team 100 per cent, but when you have possibilities to find new players you look for extra quality, which you maybe don’t have in this team – or in positions – and that is what is not possible.”

Sheffield United midfielder Ricky Holmes, 31, yesterday completed a season-long loan move to Oxford United