“He Wants to Go” – Sheffield Wednesday dealt with transfer blow as Pedersen confirms star exit.

Sheffield Wednesday head coach Henrik Pedersen has confirmed that Yan Valery is set to depart the club, with the defender heading out on loan to Swiss side Young Boys.

The Owls have seen several senior players leave over the past year, and Valery is the latest first-team figure to move on, with his switch to Bern expected to be completed in the coming days.

Reports over the weekend suggested the Tunisia international would join Young Boys until the end of the season, and Pedersen has now verified that the deal is going ahead.

Valery was absent from Wednesday’s heavy 4-0 loss to Swansea City, along with Svante Ingelsson. While Ingelsson missed out for personal reasons and is expected to return against Millwall, Valery’s omission was directly linked to his impending exit.

Speaking to The Star, Pedersen admitted the departure represents a significant setback. He described Valery as one of the squad’s standout performers and acknowledged how difficult it is to lose a key player at such short notice, especially so close to a matchday.

However, he stressed that opportunities have now opened up for others and that the focus must remain on working with the players still available.

Pedersen also told BBC Radio Sheffield that the club had little room to manoeuvre once Valery made his intentions clear. He explained that while there had been previous interest, nothing materialised until very recently, with the move progressing rapidly once it became concrete.

The Wednesday boss added that although losing Valery after the transfer window is far from ideal, the club had no option but to accept the situation.

Sheffield Wednesday face Millwall on Saturday afternoon, with Valery’s move expected to be confirmed before Barry Bannan makes his return to Hillsborough.