Carlton Palmer highlights Danny Rohl, Ian Poveda history as Sheffield Wednesday make West Brom move | OneFootball

The former Chelsea academy graduate has been linked with a move to Hillsborough.

Highlights

Carlton Palmer has referenced Ian Poveda's success at Sheffield Wednesday as he offers his verdict on the Owls' move to make Nathaniel Chalobah their ninth signing of the summer after his West Bromwich Albion exit.

The Star has reported that the Owls are in talks with the former Chelsea and West Brom midfielder over a deal that would see him join Danny Röhl's aspirational Owls.

They were said to be looking into the option of targeting him, but it looks like the progress on this deal has advanced.

Röhl is known to want to add more options to the middle of his team, as per the Star, and, when speaking to the Sheffield outlet earlier in the week, at St George's Park, he hinted that another signing, on top of the eight that he has already made since the end of last season, might be not too far away.

Carlton Palmer's verdict on Sheffield Wednesday, Nathaniel Chalobah move

"Danny Röhl and Sheffield Wednesday have had a busy summer thus far," Palmer told Football League World. "Eight new players have been brought into the football club as they look to build on last season's tremendous survival, and look to push on next season in the Championship and try to win promotion.

"The latest player to be linked is a defensive midfielder, Chalobah. He's been released from West Brom and, for me, I think that this is a bit of a gamble.

"He's 29, he is experienced, he's believed to be on over £20,000 per week, which would be a very expensive salary. Only Barry Bannan is believed to be on more money than that at Wednesday.

"West Brom finished in the play-offs last season and he only started seven games for them. Röhl is believed to be a fan of the former Chelsea player, but I think it's a gamble.

"I know that they are looking to strengthen in midfield with the loss of players that have moved on, like Will Vaulks. Barry Bannan and Svante Ingelsson are the only actual central midfield players.

"Looking at his record, he's a player that has always been out on loan. But Röhl does have a history. Look at Ian Poveda; he came to Hillsborough and lit up the place where previously he hadn't performed as well.

"On a free transfer, if he's prepared to take a cut in wages, he might be a gamble that's worth taking. But I don't think his performances have been enough to justify bringing him into the football club, and I'd look elsewhere."

Nathaniel Chalobah is a risk that might not be worth taking

Jamal Lowe, one of the many new faces at Wednesday's training ground, has said that he feels the club are in a position to challenge for the promotion, because of what the manager showed that he could achieve last season. That and the new additions give them a good chance, he told Rob Staton.

If they do manage to get to that place and are one of the teams in the hunt for the top six come the end of the upcoming campaign, it will be a remarkable achievement.

However, the more likely scenario is that they end up possibly just above mid-table, but not quite at the level of a play-off team.

The form that Wednesday showed at the end of last season was that of a team that would finish in or around those spots, albeit it was powered by an incredible feeling of togetherness as the group pulled themselves out of a seemingly insurmountable hole.

Now they have Lowe and others who should help them make this form a bit more consistent.

The need for more options in midfield is there, but for the price that they may have to pay for the productivity that they could get from Chalobah, it feels as if there may be better options out there still.