Fletcher, Fox and Forestieri reject new Wednesday deals
STEVEN FLETCHER, Morgan Fox and Fernando Forestieri have rejected new Sheffield Wednesday contracts.
The Owls have released Sam Hutchinson and Sam Winnall whilst ending David Bates’s loan from Hamburg, but Paul Jones, Kieran Lee and Atdhe Nuhiu have signed extensions until the end of the season.
Yesterday was the deadline to decide on players whose deals were due to expire on June 30, but the Owls are still negotiating to extend Alessio Da Cruz, Jacob Murphy, Connor Wickham and Josh Windass’s loans.
They opened negotiations with top-scorer Fletcher and full-back Fox before the Covid-19 pandemic. Manager Garry Monk was, however, critical of Forestieri’s fitness after omitting the Argentinian from his 20-man squad for Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest. Fletcher was injured six minutes after coming off the bench but Wickham, on loan from Crystal Palace, started and scored.
Fletcher, who joined as a free agent four years ago, has 13 goals in 30 appearances this season. The next highest scorer is five-goal Murphy, on loan from Newcastle United.
The Owls have won just two of 15 Championship games without Fletcher this term, whilst Fox re-established himself as a key player under Monk. Bates only figured once, in the League Cup. Banned for six games in September for using racist language, Forestieri has made just eight Championship starts and nine substitute appearances in 2019-20, scoring twice.
Earlier this month, Wednesday triggered 12-month extensions in Osaze Urhoghide, Matt Penney and Joey Pelupessy’s contracts.
Eight points clear of the relegation zone, they are this week contesting a misconduct charge with possible penalties ranging from a fine to a points deduction of eight to 21 points.