Sheffield Wednesday should capitalise on Peterborough United news to replace Southampton man | OneFootball

Recently released Peterborough United midfielder Hector Kyprianou could the perfect replacement for Shea Charles at Sheffield Wednesday.

With the Championship season now concluded, it is set to be a big summer of change at Sheffield Wednesday.

Wednesday emerged as surprise play-off contenders after a strong first half of the season, but their promotion push collapsed amid a significant decline in form following the turn of the year, as well as a host of off-field issues.

The Owls did still manage to secure a top-half finish, which represents excellent progress for the club after only narrowly avoiding relegation last season, but given the current uncertainty at Hillsborough, it is difficult to be too optimistic about the future.

Wednesday manager Danny Rohl is widely expected to leave the club this summer amid reported interest from the likes of Southampton, Leicester City, RB Leipzig, Crystal Palace and Fulham, and the German all but confirmed his imminent departure after giving what sounded suspiciously like a farewell interview after the 1-1 draw at Watford on Saturday.

While Rohl's behaviour over the past few months since first being linked with Southampton has left a sour taste in the mouth of some Owls supporters, there is no doubt that he will be a huge loss for the club, and he will not be the only high-profile exit this summer.

Replacing Shea Charles will be a tough task for Sheffield Wednesday

In addition to Rohl's departure, Wednesday could also be set to lose a number of their star players this summer, most notably forward Josh Windass, who finished the season as the club's top scorer with 13 goals.

While Windass' exit has not officially been confirmed, one player whose time at Hillsborough has come to an end is Shea Charles, with the midfielder returning to parent club Southampton after the conclusion of his loan spell.

Charles joined the Owls on a season-long loan in August, and he quickly established himself as a key part of the midfield, with all but one of his 43 appearances this season coming from the start.

The 21-year-old was signed by the Saints from Manchester City in a deal that could be worth up to £15 million in 2023, and he proved exactly why the South Coast outfit were willing to pay such a substantial fee for him during his time with Wednesday, bringing plenty of class and quality on the ball to the midfield, as well as adding physicality and defensive protection.

Charles scored one goal and provided five assists for the Owls, but his influence on the team was far greater than those numbers suggest, and while he was mainly deployed in midfield, he was also able to seamlessly slot into the centre of defence when needed.

The Northern Ireland international was voted Wednesday's Player of the Year, underlining just how popular a figure he became among the fan base, while he also earned wider recognition as he was nominated for the Championship Young Player of the Season, but he was beaten to the award by Sunderland's Jobe Bellingham.

With Southampton now preparing for life back in the Championship, Charles is likely to be a crucial part of their plans for the second tier, which means there is little chance the Owls will be able to bring him back to Hillsborough this summer, and there is even a possibility that he could be reunited with Rohl at St Mary's next season.

One of the biggest challenges facing whoever takes over from Rohl at Wednesday will be finding a replacement for Charles, but a recent announcement from Peterborough United could potentially provide them with a bargain option.

After avoiding relegation from League One, Peterborough confirmed this week that midfielder Hector Kyprianou will be departing the Weston Homes Stadium at the end of his contract after informing the club of his desire to move on.

Kyprianou spent three years with Posh after making the move from Leyton Orient in 2022, during which time he helped them to two play-off finishes, as well as back-to-back EFL Trophy victories, the most recent of which came in April when Darren Ferguson's side beat Birmingham City at Wembley, and the midfielder scored the all-important second goal to seal the win.

Despite being just 23 years of age, Kyprianou wore the captain's armband for Peterborough this season, and such was his impressive form at club level, he has established himself as a regular for Cyprus on the international stage.

Kyprianou scored five goals and provided one assist in 40 games for Posh this campaign, showing that he has an eye for goal in addition to his defensive attributes, and his pass accuracy of 81% suggests that he possesses a similar level of quality on the ball as Charles, while he also won 55.7% of his tackles and 52.7% of his duels, underling the tenacity and work-rate he would bring to the Wednesday midfield.

As FLW exclusively revealed, Cardiff City and Plymouth Argyle were both keen on Kyprianou in January, while Swansea City also reportedly showed interest and Watford had a bid rejected, so he is likely to have no shortage of suitors this summer once he becomes a free agent.

The managerial saga means that the Owls could potentially fall behind their Championship rivals in the transfer market, but as they begin their search for a replacement for Charles, they should look no further than Kyprianou.