Sheffield Wednesday must not make Michael Ihiekwe transfer mistake | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday defender Michael Ihiekwe is reportedly attracting interest from Championship and League One clubs.

It has been a quiet start to the January transfer window for Sheffield Wednesday, but there could be a number of incomings and outgoings at Hillsborough over the coming weeks.

After narrowly avoiding relegation last season, Wednesday have made clear progress under Danny Rohl this campaign, and they currently sit 10th in the Championship table, three points from the play-off places.

Few would have expected the Owls to be so high up the table at this stage of the season, and while Rohl has worked wonders with his existing squad, there is a feeling that reinforcements are needed if they are to achieve a surprise top six finish.

However, there are serious question marks over whether Rohl will be given backing in January after he hinted at a breakdown in communication with owner Dejphon Chansiri, and the lack of transfer activity would suggest that there is some truth to those claims.

So far, there have only been outgoings at Wednesday during the transfer window, with young midfielders Sean Fusire and Rio Shipston joining Carlisle United and Cork City on loan respectively, and defender Michael Ihiekwe is another player that has been linked with a move away from the club.

Michael Ihiekwe eyeing Sheffield Wednesday exit in January

Ihiekwe joined Wednesday from Rotherham United in the summer of 2022 along with his Millers team-mate Michael Smith, and it was a double deal that helped to lay the foundations for the club's eventual promotion from League One.

The 32-year-old had achieved promotion on each of the three previous occasions he had played in the third tier, and he made an immediate impact at Hillsborough, adding solidity and organisation to a defence that had been guilty of conceding plenty of cheap goals the previous season.

Unfortunately for Ihiekwe, he sustained a knee injury in November 2022 that kept him out for almost five months, and while his return came too late to salvage the Owls' automatic promotion hopes, he made his comeback just in time to play a crucial role in his side's successful play-off campaign, adding another promotion to the Championship to his impressive record.

Ihiekwe found himself out of favour under Xisco Munoz at the start of last season, but he was quickly brought back into the fold by Rohl, and he made 29 appearances in all competitions as Wednesday pulled off one of the most remarkable great escapes in second tier history.

However, this season has been much less productive for Ihiekwe, and he has made just four appearances in the league so far, with the last of those coming in the 3-2 home win over West Bromwich Albion at the end of September.

After being plagued by injury in recent months, Ihiekwe made his return as a half-time substitute in the FA Cup game at Coventry City on Saturday, but it remains to be seen whether that could be his final outing in an Owls shirt.

According to Football Insider, Ihiekwe is keen to depart Hillsborough this month in search of regular first-team football, and there have been "enquiries from clubs at the bottom of the Championship and at the top of League One", but Wednesday should be cautious about allowing him to leave.

Sheffield Wednesday must not sanction Michael Ihiekwe departure

Wednesday are believed to be "open" to letting Ihiekwe move on before the end of the transfer window, but that could prove to be a mistake, and Rohl should reconsider his stance on the defender.

The Owls have conceded an alarming 40 league goals this season, with only Oxford United, Cardiff City, Portsmouth, Luton Town and Plymouth Argyle conceding more, and it will be incredibly tough for them to reach the play-offs if they continue leaking goals at their current rate.

Wednesday have conceded at least twice in each of their last four league games, and with Ihiekwe now back to full fitness, some have questioned whether he could help to stabilise their leaky defence, just as he did last season.

With Dominic Iorfa ruled out for up to eight weeks with a muscle injury and Akin Famewo still unavailable, it would be a risky move for the Owls to allow any of their remaining centre-backs to leave, particularly as there is no guarantee Rohl will be able to bring in reinforcements amid his current standoff with Chansiri.

However, it is not just on the pitch where Ihiekwe could be useful, and as a leader and an experienced head in the dressing room, he could help to provide guidance to what is a fairly young team as they look to continue their play-off push.

It seems unlikely that Ihiekwe has a long-term future at Hillsborough beyond the summer, but there is no doubt that he could still add plenty of value during the rest of the season, and Wednesday should think twice about giving him the green light to depart this month.