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According to a report from The Sun, Sheffield Wednesday and Reading are under a ‘soft transfer embargo’ from the EFL for failing to comply with their regulations.
The Owls have allegedly failed to produce their accounts for the past financial year, and now the EFL want to keep tabs on their business this summer.
How could this affect Wednesday?
This could cause serious problems for the Yorkshire club in the transfer window.
They will need to run any signings they want to make by the EFL before finalising them, and if they are not seen as a financially viable signing by the higher-ups, then they can block the move.
This may mean that Steve Bruce’s side can’t spend heavily this summer, and it may not allow the club to push on for a playoff place.
Since the arrival of Bruce in February, the Steel City outfit have been one of the best teams in the division, but this latest update may stop them from progressing.
That said, the Owls were of course under a transfer embargo this time last year, so they should be used to working under these restrictions.
What happens if they break it?
A soft transfer embargo doesn’t mean that a club can’t sign new players, but if they do so without the EFL’s permission, they could land themselves in hot water.
Birmingham City were in a similar position last season where they weren’t under a full embargo, but they had strict conditions on signing players.
The Blues bought Kristian Pederson during this time without the EFL’s permission, and that led to them being docked nine points later in the season.
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Wednesday should do everything they can to avoid sanctions like that so they must tread this line very carefully in the summer.