Deadline approaches for Sheffield Wednesday contract decisions as fans await retained list

That doesn’t mean, however, that the retained list that so many fans are clamouring for is imminent – nor, though, does it mean that it isn’t. Clubs in the English Football League have until the third Saturday in May to let their players know their decisions, but there’s actually not obligation to make it public.

Most teams do, of course, just as Wednesday do every year, and you’d think that they’ll be doing so over the next week players up and down the country start to look for the next steps in their career ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

The third Saturday in May deadline also applies, for the most part, to those who have options in their contracts, with teams having until that point to tell players with said option whether it will be exercised or not. If the deadline is missed, the option can become null and void – leaving the player as a free agent in the summer.

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EFL Regulations state, “Any Club wishing to re-engage a Contract Player whose contract is due to expire on 30 June must, save as mentioned in Regulations 68.2.1 to 68.2.4 below, notify him in writing by the third Saturday in May in the final year of his contract whether or not they offer him terms of re engagement specifying (where applicable) such terms.”

They go on to say, “The Player must notify in writing the Club holding his registration within one month of the date on which notification of the said terms of re engagement were sent, whether or not he accepts their offer of re engagement. If the Player has not replied in writing to the Club's offer of re engagement by 30 June, the offer shall automatically lapse. In the case of an Under 24 Player, the Club's compensation rights shall not be affected.”

As things stand Wednesday will have over 20 players moving on from the club as loans and contracts expire, however discussions are ongoing with a number of those soon-to-be out of contract about extending their stays at Hillsborough.

Danny Röhl has made clear that he wants to finalise as much of his team as possible before preseason begins, and that will apply to those from the current group staying as well as the influx of new arrivals.

The Owls boss is expected back from holiday in the near future and is known to have had conversations with numerous parties in the last couple of weeks – fans, meanwhile, will be hoping for clarity on who will be moving on so that they can draw a line under the 2023/24 campaign and begin to look forward to the next one.