Sheffield Wednesday are interested in signing Swansea City defender Joel Latibeaudiere when the transfer window opens. The Owls aren’t alone in the race for his signature, with Ipswich and Plymouth also keen.
The central defender is set to leave the Swans this summer with his contract up. Latibeaudiere’s agent has started sounding out clubs with his client now available on a free transfer.
According to the Swansea Independent, Wednesday are one of those clubs. Darren Moore will have compiled a list of targets for the Championship and it will be interesting to see if the 23-year-old is a player he’s keen on.
The Owls won promotion back to the second tier on Monday. A Josh Windass goal in stoppage time at the end of extra-time saw them defeat Barnsley 1-0 in the League One Play-Off Final.
Now, they must get a squad together capable of being competitive back in the Championship. The league looks stronger than it has done for years and it’s an exciting time for the Owls.
Latibeaudiere won’t be short of suitors this summer. He’s made 79 appearances in the second tier since joining Swansea from Manchester City three years ago, proving integral to the team.
Wednesday interested in Joel Latibeaudiere
The youngster would fit the ethos of the Wednesday squad quite nicely. At 23-years-old, he has bags of time on his side and he is capable of bringing some composure to the Owls’ defensive unit.
Latibeaudiere has the same agent as Michael Ihiekwe. As a result, this link perhaps does have some substance and it will be interesting to see who does land the man who was on Manchester City’s books.
Latibeaudiere has earned plaudits during his career. Steve Cooper called him ‘outstanding’ when he had him at Swansea and he still looks like a player with a very bright future ahead of him.
During 2022/23, the player collected 11 bookings for Swansea. That is two more than Liam Palmer who has collected the most for Wednesday and showcases a tenacious style of play.
Rumour rating: 7/10 – There is definitely a lot to like about this deal. If Wednesday could get something over the line for Latibeaudiere they would probably get a few attributes that they don’t already have.
The youngster is capable of playing out from the back comfortably. With that in mind, he could complement Ihiekwe and Dominic Iorfa very nicely and his Championship experience could be crucial.