Sheffield Wednesday have confirmed nine new signings this summer, but there is still much work to be done to bulk out the squad ahead of the new season.

The Owls are beginning life back in the League. One this summer with renewed optimism under Arise ownership. So far, David Storch and co. have hit all of the right notes in terms of providing the club with much-needed renovations both on and off the field.

One of the most pressing concerns at the start of their tenure was the state of the playing squad, which had been decimated over the previous year as a result of neglect in the final months of Dejphon Chansiri’s reign and the subsequent administration.

Only a few senior players were signed in mid-May, with much of the squad’s experience from last year returning to their parent clubs at the end of loan spells.

First-team players were required, but so were squad players, if Henrik Pedersen’s side was to first assure their survival in League One, and then advance further towards promotion contention.

The majority of the nine players who have arrived at Hillsborough are expected to be starters, including Louie Barry, who scored 15 goals in 23 games at the level two seasons ago.

Sheffield Wednesday should recruit Corey Blackett-Taylor following the Derby County update.

However, Barry is now the only recognised left-sided attacker in the Wednesday squad, and it’s likely that Henrik Pedersen will be looking for another before their League One opener against Leyton Orient on August 15.

The Owls could look no further than Derby County’s Corey Blackett-Taylor to fill that job, since he could be leaving Pride Park this summer.

The 28-year-old has an impressive third-tier record, netting eight goals for Charlton Athletic in both the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons, prompting a move to a Derby County team vying for promotion midway through the latter.

In the Championship, however, Blackett-Taylor has struggled to find games, whether due to injury or simply being unfavourable. He was loaned out to promotion-chasing Bolton Wanderers in January, where he scored twice and assisted once in seven games before suffering another injury in March, sidelining him for the rest of the season.

The wide receiver is now back at Pride Park, working his way back to fitness after recovering from his thigh injury, but it has been reported that the Rams are open to trade offers for him, particularly as he enters the final year of his contract.

There is no doubt about Blackett-Taylor’s ability at League One level; he simply needs to stay fit. If he can find it at Hillsborough, Sheffield Wednesday could gain another good depth option for the next season.

Corey Blackett-Taylor might be a suitable backup to Louie Barry in Henrik Pedersen’s new Sheffield Wednesday style.

Henrik Pedersen chose a 4-2-3-1 configuration for a behind-closed-doors encounter against Preston North End last Saturday, as the Owls are expected to be more forward-thinking now that they’re back in League One.

If that’s the system Wednesday uses in the third tier next season, Barry will undoubtedly be the left-sided attacker behind the main striker. Indeed, the 23-year-old scored against the Lilywhites from that spot.

However, there is currently no other natural left-winger at the club, and while the hope is that Barry can stay healthy after a truly terrible 18-month period of injury, cover will be required throughout a long 46-game season.

Having Blackett-Taylor on reserve would not place too much pressure on the 28-year-old to play every week, given his own injury troubles in previous seasons, but he would provide true quality off the bench that few other third-tier teams would have.

Bolton witnessed how much of an impact he could have when coming on against tired legs, scoring and assisting in a thrilling 3-2 comeback win over Wycombe Wanderers at the Toughsheet in March, and he could easily have a similar impact off the bench at Hillsborough.

And, if Barry suffered an injury or needed to be rested, Blackett-Taylor would ensure that the squad’s quality remained intact when Wednesday began to campaign for promotion to League One next season.