"Not a big blow" - Pundit plays down Ian Poveda, Sheffield Wednesday snub as Sunderland win transfer battle | OneFootball

The former Leeds United winger enjoyed an impressive loan spell with the Owls last season, but they appear to have lost his signature to Sunderland.

Ian Poveda appears to be joining Sunderland on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract with Leeds United, but pundit Carlton Palmer believes it won't be a big blow for Sheffield Wednesday.

Poveda looks to have been captured posing for photos in Sunderland's 2024/25 home shirt, outside Sunderland's Academy of Light training ground on Wednesday morning, and it has since been revealed by Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie that the Colombia international has undergone a medical to finalise the deal.

This comes after it was revealed yesterday in The Northern Echo that the Black Cats held an interest in signing the free agent winger this summer, with a deal having moved quickly to see the tricky winger head to Wearside.

The former Manchester City academy graduate joined Leeds United back in 2019, and has largely spent his time contracted to the Whites out on various loans within the Championship.

Blackburn Rovers, Blackpool, and most recently Sheffield Wednesday have all sampled Poveda's talents in recent seasons, and now the 24-year-old appears to be heading to the Stadium of Light to take the next step in his career.

Carlton Palmer plays down potential Sheffield Wednesday, Ian Poveda blow

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Palmer believes that whilst Poveda impressed as a Wednesday player last season, he won't be too big of a miss to Danny Rohl's side, who were wanting to bring the left-footed dynamo back to Hillsborough on a permanent deal.

"Sunderland appear to have beaten Sheffield Wednesday to the signing of Poveda. The 24-year-old enjoyed an impressive loan spell at Hillsborough last season, playing a key role as the Owls avoided relegation to League One," Palmer told FLW.

"But, it appears that the Black Cats have won the race if the reports are to be correct. It was one of those, he was a free transfer, he did really well at Sheffield Wednesday, I would've bet any money that he would've gone back to Sheffield Wednesday under Danny Rohl.

"He played some unbelievable football, but as a free agent, he was always going to be very attractive to a lot of football clubs, and obviously his agent and the player would want to get the best deal possible.

"He's assembled a very good and competitive squad for next season, so it will be disappointing because he'd done very well for the club, but he knew the player was going to be out of contract.

"You look at the signings they've made and the timings of those signings, and Poveda wasn't through the door early. So, I'm almost certain that Danny Rohl knew that he probably wouldn't be able to get the player.

"He was interested in getting other players over the line, which he has done. It's one of those things, disappointment because he was a fan's favourite and did a really good job, but that's the way it goes when players are free agents, and they have the ability to choose where they want to go.

"Sunderland will be a good move for the player."

Sometimes, the data doesn't tell the complete story, as if you were to take Poveda's 10 appearances, zero goals and one assist for Wednesday last season at face value, then you'd probably wonder why multiple Championship sides have been clamouring to sign him this summer.

But to those who graced Hillsborough's terraces in 2023/24, they will largely tell a different story on Poveda's impact, as his directness and attacking flair often put Wednesday on the front foot in games.

It's of no coincidence that the Owls finished the season unbeaten in their final six matches, and the Colombian's presence in the team contributed to that significantly.

Therefore, despite already making additions on the flanks this summer, Poveda is no doubt a player that the majority of Owls fans would've liked to see back in blue and white this season, and seeing him join a fellow Championship rival has to be seen as a blow.

Poveda provides protection if Sunderland lose Jack Clarke

Sunderland aren't short of strong options on the wing, for now at least, as Jack Clarke and Patrick Roberts have both proven themselves to be capable of being star players at Championship level.

However, in the case of Clarke, that form hasn't gone unnoticed, with Premier League side Ipswich Town the latest to be potentially lining up a move for the ex-Leeds United and Spurs winger.

If Clarke does leave this summer, it would leave a huge void on Sunderland's left flank, a void that Poveda could then be asked to fill.

Whether this is indeed the reasoning behind signing Poveda won't be made clear until any Clarke departure occurs, but it will perhaps raise a few eyebrows as a potential precursor.