Sheffield Wednesday may have some regret over 2016 Newcastle United, Derby County decision: View | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday may wish they had cashed in on star striker Fernando Forestieri in the summer of 2016.

Highlights

Sheffield Wednesday will be hoping for a much-improved campaign in the Championship next season.

The Owls may have only narrowly avoided relegation last season after a remarkable turnaround under Danny Rohl, but with the German signing a new long-term contract this summer, there is optimism that the club can challenge at the top end of the table in the year ahead.

A promotion push could be a step too far for Rohl's side, but the positive feeling is certainly back at Hillsborough, and ambitions have not been this high since Wednesday reached the Championship play-offs in two consecutive seasons between 2015 and 2017 under Carlos Carvalhal.

Fernando Forestieri was a key part of the side that almost achieved promotion to the Premier League, and the striker will always be fondly remembered by Owls supporters.

Forestieri scored 40 goals and provided 17 assists in 134 appearances for Wednesday after joining from Watford in the summer of 2015, and while he produced a number of incredible performances on the pitch, it was not all plain sailing during his five-year spell in South Yorkshire.

The most infamous incident of Forestieri's time at the club came in August 2016 when he refused to play in the 0-0 draw at Norwich City amid transfer interest from elsewhere, and while he did rebuild his relationship with the fan base over the following years, owner Dejphon Chansiri may have some regrets that he did not cash in.

Sheffield Wednesday reject Derby County and Newcastle United's Fernando Forestieri interest

Forestieri enjoyed an outstanding debut season at Hillsborough, scoring 15 goals and providing eight assists in 39 appearances in all competitions as Wednesday reached the play-off final, where they were beaten by Hull City.

Owls supporters had not seen a player of Forestieri's quality wear the blue and white stripes for many years, and unsurprisingly, his performances did not go unnoticed by other clubs.

Derby County reportedly made a £7 million bid for Forestieri in August 2016, while Newcastle United, who had just been relegated from the Premier League, were also said to be interested in the striker.

Understandably, the Owls were reluctant to sell their star man as they looked to mount another promotion push, but Chansiri's firm stance did not appear to go down well with Forestieri, and amid increasing speculation over his future, he refused to play against Norwich.

Forestieri was fined by Wednesday, and the following week, he released a statement apologising to his team-mates, Carvalhal and supporters, stating that there had been "misunderstandings" with the club.

"I can only repeat that never once did I even consider leaving Sheffield Wednesday, and I am sorry if anyone ever thought that was the case," Forestieri said, quoted by BBC Sport.

"If I could turn back the clock I would but I cannot. Sometimes in life you have to make mistakes so you can learn from them. All I can do is ask for forgiveness from everyone who has been so supportive towards myself and my family during my very happy time at Hillsborough so far."

There was initial anger among the Owls fan base, but Forestieri was quickly welcomed back into the fold, and while he failed to reach the same heights as the previous season, he still scored 12 goals and registered five assists in 38 games in the 2016-17 season as Carvalhal's men once again suffered play-off heartbreak, this time losing on penalties to Huddersfield Town in the semi-finals.

However, that would prove to be the beginning of the end for Forestieri at Hillsborough, and with injuries plaguing him over the next three years, he struggled to rediscover his form.

There were still glimpses of Forestieri's class, most notably the outstanding long-range strike he scored in the 2-2 draw at Norwich in April 2019, but his final few years at Wednesday were disappointing, and he was released at the end of his contract in 2020.

Dejphon Chansiri will look back with frustration at Fernando Forestieri saga

Of course, it would have been an incredibly controversial move if Chansiri had sold Forestieri to a promotion rival in Derby or Newcastle in 2016, and it would have caused widespread anger among supporters, but with the benefit of hindsight, the Owls would surely have cashed in on him.

With Wednesday spending heavily during the early stages of Chansiri's reign, the income from Forestieri's sale would have helped to balance the books, and it may even have prevented the points deduction that led to the club's relegation to League One in 2021.

Instead, Forestieri spent much of his latter years in S6 on the sidelines, while likely taking home big wages, and the Owls did not receive a transfer fee when he eventually departed the club.