Two Sheffield Wednesday stars missing from pre-season training - are exits Imminent? | OneFootball

None of the players that Wednesday have offered new deals to have signed them yet.

Akin Famewo and Callum Paterson were not at the first day of Sheffield Wednesday's pre-season training amid ongoing uncertainty around their contracts.

Both of the players were offered new deals by the Owls after the end of last season, as was Barry Bannan. The Scottish midfielder, despite having yet to officially agree to new terms with the Championship side, did show up for the start of next term's preparations on Thursday. He is keen to stick around and sign a contract with Wednesday, as per The Star.

Wednesday are nearing an even more precarious position than they are currently in. Come Monday, if the players who are yet to be paid last month's wages do not receive the money that they are owed from this month on time, under FIFA rules, they will be allowed to hand in notices to terminate their contracts with the club.

Dejphon Chansiri, the club's chairman and owner, reportedly needs £5 million to cover the wages and bills that he needs to pay, according to Alan Nixon, which could come from a deposit made by a prospective buyer.

Akin Famewo and Callum Paterson not present for Sheffield Wednesday pre-season

Unless they agree to new terms before the end of the month, Famewo and Paterson won't need to worry about potentially handing in their notices to Wednesday as their current deals expire in just a number of days. Unlike their captain, who did turn up to training despite his deal being up next week, both players did not show up to Middlewood Road on Thursday.

It has been reported that the two of them have plenty of EFL interest. The central defender has been the subject of interest from newly promoted Charlton Athletic, as per The Star. Famewo spent two loan spells with the Addicks before he joined Wednesday from Norwich City in 2022. Paterson is being looked at by English second and third-tier teams, per the Sheffield outlet.

Even if they both agree to come back to the club, there's a chance that the three-window transfer ban that has been placed on the Owls, following multiple missed payments over the course of the last 12 months, could limit their ability to sign the trio that they have offered new contracts to.

Akin Famewo and Callum Paterson Sheffield Wednesday pre-season decision shouldn't receive any backlash

All the while, Wednesday are negotiating with manager Danny Rohl over an exit strategy for the German, who has been looking for a way out of Hillsborough since April. One of his assistants, Henrik Pedersen, is being eyed as a potential replacement, although there are other teams in this country and on the continent who also like the Dane.