There could be a midfield exodus at Sheffield Wednesday this summer, with Kieran Lee, Joey Pelupessy and Sam Hutchinson all out of contract in the coming months. The Owls could offset the loss by bringing in one or two new faces, but they’ll have to be thrifty in the market due to a lack of transfer funds.
One player who is currently a free agent and would improve the midfield is Tom Carroll. The 27-year-old left Swansea City in January and has yet to find himself a new club, so Wednesday have an opportunity to strengthen the midfield without parting with a lot of money.
Jack army, It’s been a pleasure to play for your club for the past 3 years..There’s been some great highs with memories that will stay with me forever and real lows that have been tough to take…its hard to thank everybody but I’ve been fortunate to have worked with some.. 1/2
— Tom Carroll (@tom_carroll92) February 2, 2020
…really top people, from the kitmen & women to the groundskeeper..Il miss playing at the liberty but hopefully we’ll cross paths again! Finally best of luck to the boys, what a great bunch, I’ll miss you all! @SwansOfficial Best of luck for the future ❤️ 2/2
— Tom Carroll (@tom_carroll92) February 2, 2020
As per Transfermarkt, four of the Owls’ five signings were on loan in 2018/19. five of their 11 signings in 2019/20 were on loan and five were free transfers. They spent less than £1m in the last two transfer windows, so any replacement for an outgoing midfielder has to be a free agent on loan.
Carroll joined Swansea in January 2017 and was a regular in his debut season, making 20 appearances. In 2017/18, he featured 45 times across the board and contributed six goals. Things fell apart in 2018/19, however, with the midfielder racking up less than 800 minutes of football. And in 2019/20, Carroll managed fewer than 400 minutes in the Championship.
Injuries decimated Carroll’s playing time in his last 18 months at the Liberty Stadium, leading to his contract being terminated at the end of the winter transfer window. The 27-year-old’s fitness woes would make him a gamble for Wednesday, but the Owls are desperate for experienced players at a low price – they could always trial him before putting pen to paper on a permanent deal.