Sheffield Wednesday have been busy in the early parts of the summer transfer market, looking to rebuild a squad in preparation for their League One return.

Eight players have already arrived at Hillsborough, including a returning Barry Bannan, to reinforce Henrik Pedersen’s team, which has been ravaged over the last year due to previous ownership’s mismanagement and subsequent administration.

However, the most active team in the EFL in terms of transfers is still in the early stages. Sheffield Wednesday is likely to have about 20 new faces by the time the window closes on September 1, implying that the club’s executives would still have to work long hours to get deals completed.

However, the South Yorkshire side has had a relatively quiet week in that regard, with no new signings confirmed since last Saturday. That might change soon, and Bannan may not be the only midfielder leaving Millwall this summer.

Sheffield Wednesday go closer to signing Billy Mitchell.

According to the Sheffield Star, Sheffield Wednesday are close to signing Billy Mitchell, a recently departed Millwall midfielder.

The 25-year-old became a free agent at the end of last month, ending an 11-year affiliation with his hometown club, where he made 196 appearances in all competitions, including 184 in the Championship.

Millwall’s retained list from mid-May stated that Mitchell was in talks about a new contract, but with Jenson Metcalfe added to the engine room to supplement the likes of Casper De Norre and Luke Cundle, the likelihood of competitive minutes would have been limited.

Mitchell was left on the bench for both Millwall’s play-off semi-finals against Hull City. During the regular season, he started 24 games for Alex Neil’s team, which suffered a little injury crisis in the midst of the season, affecting the 25-year-old at times.

According to The Star, Championship club Watford, as well as Scottish Premiership sides, have indicated interest in bringing Mitchell to Vicarage Road. However, the Owls are optimistic about progressing discussions and landing the midfielder ahead of them.

Mitchell would give much-needed midfield reinforcement and depth, while former Millwall teammate Bannan and former Motherwell player Callum Slattery have already signed this summer.

How Sheffield Wednesday and Millwall supporters responded to Billy Mitchell’s links

Sheffield Wednesday fans are mainly enthusiastic online about the reports tying them to Mitchell. There are some concerns about his injury history, but the general belief is that the 25-year-old will be a valuable addition to their League One squad.

In response to the Star’s Alex Miller’s report on X, one fan wrote, “Proper signing this, does the running, got a bit of quality with a pass.” Should rip it up at our level. “I’m buzzing with that.”

Another stated, “I played 30 games last season, totalling 2,161 minutes, which is a lot of Championship football. Good calibre of player, especially for League 1, and we need that defensive midfielder,” while one said, “This is just confirmation we ain’t aiming for the playoffs; Storchy is going for the crown. What a player.”

Millwall fans have also responded to the reports, with many believing he had turned down several contract offers in recent weeks. Some were quite upset that he had probably rejected them for a League. One transfer, while others expressed their belief that their former player is too excellent for the third flight.