Sheffield Wednesday look to be nearing a number of new signings, having been linked with a shock swoop for former Blades defender Max Lowe recently, as they aim to soften the blow of Will Vaulks’ exit.

The central midfield warrior has now officially left Hillsborough behind for pastures new at Oxford United, joining the newly promoted side U’s over sticking it out in South Yorkshire, which will sting from Wednesday’s perspective.

The former Rotherham United man made 37 appearances for Danny Rohl’s men last campaign, as they pulled off an almighty relegation escape, with worries now getting the better of the Owls that other stalwarts will exit further down the line.

Any concern about Callum Paterson joining Vaulks out of the door has been quashed for now, with Wednesday’s retained list confirming a new deal had been activated for the long-standing servant, who can star under Rohl next campaign.

Callum Paterson’s numbers for Wednesday

The 29-year-old is now very much part of the furniture in South Yorkshire, having amassed 155 appearances for the Owls since joining in 2020, proving himself to be a dependable and versatile squad member in the process.

Yet, last campaign was, arguably, the rockiest patch of his lengthy Hillsborough stay to date, which saw him go missing for large portions of the season, with only 25 games tallied up in the end in the league.

Therefore, there must have been a real concern he would be just allowed to leave this summer like Vaulks, but he did prove his worth towards the business end of the gruelling campaign, as Wednesday bravely battled to stave off the Championship drop-zone.

Paterson would feature in some capacity, often being utilised as a late substitute, in all of Wednesday’s unbeaten six-game run to close out the dramatic season, managing to win 100% of his duels in his team’s final home win against West Bromwich Albion, despite only being on the pitch for 14 minutes.

Endearing himself to the hardened Wednesday masses by excelling in their promotion story of the 2022/23 season too, with ten goal contributions managed, it would have been a sad end to his time with the Owls if he did abruptly exit like Vaulks.

It would’ve been even more of a bitter pill to swallow, losing the 29-year-old for potentially nothing, when you consider his transfer value – according to Football Transfers – hasn’t been dented that much despite his lack of game-time.

Paterson’s transfer value in 2024

Paterson’s valuation is still sitting at a pretty hefty £1.1m, even after finding himself on the periphery at points last campaign under Rohl, which actually sees him come in as being more of a valued asset than Barry Bannan currently, in the German manager’s tight-knit camp.

The Scottish attacking midfielder is worth a lesser £1m in contrast, even whilst donning the captain’s armband for the Owls last season, which further reinforces the fact that keeping the 29-year-old was the correct call, instead of letting him leave.

Never seeing his value fall below £500k since joining from Cardiff City in 2020, it would have been a disaster to lose Paterson for nothing, with his price tag now double that.

Vaulks, in contrast, would walk away from South Yorkshire with an estimated lesser value of £591k next to his name compared to Paterson’s £1.1m, with Rohl’s men now waiting to see if they regret letting the Welshman go down the line, or whether it was the swift decision they had to make at the time.

Dread over Paterson’s future will, no doubt, become a pain at the end of the next campaign, despite it being solved for the time being, as his contract nears close to its expiry date once more.

Related

Ihiewke upgrade: Sheffield Wednesday eyeing up perfect Valery partner

Sheffield Wednesday could add yet another new recruit to their defence alongside Yan Valery.