Stoke City have emerged as the latest club to be linked with a move for Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Svante Ingelsson, joining Portsmouth and Millwall in an increasingly competitive race for the Swedish international’s signature ahead of the end of the January transfer window.
The 27-year-old could be on his way out of Hillsborough before the month is out, with interest continuing to grow in his services. Journalist Darren Witcoop has reported that Stoke City are keeping a close eye on Ingelsson’s situation at Wednesday, although they are far from alone, with both Millwall and Portsmouth already actively pursuing a deal for the combative midfielder.
Stoke are currently pushing to re-establish themselves in the Championship’s top six after slipping out of the play-off places in recent weeks. Having spent a large portion of the campaign among the division’s frontrunners, Mark Robins’ side are eager to strengthen their squad during the final days of the window in order to reignite their promotion challenge.
Ingelsson has been identified as a potential addition, but Stoke will need to fend off serious competition. Millwall and Portsmouth have both shown strong interest throughout the window, meaning the battle for his signature could go right down to the deadline.
The Swede has been in demand for much of January. Millwall, who recently snapped up former Wednesday captain Barry Bannan, have already had an offer rejected for Ingelsson as they look to further raid the South Yorkshire club. Portsmouth, meanwhile, are also keen to bolster their midfield options and are said to be determined to land Ingelsson, despite already securing Ebou Adams from Derby County earlier this month.
Stoke’s entry into the race adds another layer of intrigue. Robins is reportedly keen to add depth to his squad, particularly with injuries taking their toll. Although the Potters are not short of midfield options — with players such as Tomas Rigo, Ben Pearson, Tatsuki Seko, Steven Nzonzi, Lewis Baker and Bosun Lawal already on the books — there is still a desire to bring in fresh energy.
Baker has spent close to three months sidelined through injury, while veteran midfielder Nzonzi is approaching the end of his contract and has yet to commit to an extension beyond the current season. Ingelsson, therefore, could offer a different dynamic and much-needed reinforcement in the centre of the park.
According to Alan Nixon, Sheffield Wednesday are holding out for a fee of around £500,000 to allow the midfielder to leave this month. Any club willing to meet that valuation quickly would put themselves in a strong position to secure his services.
Beyond the immediate transfer battle, Stoke City are aiming to make this campaign their most successful since returning to the Championship. Relegated from the Premier League seven years ago, the Potters have yet to finish in the top half of the table since 2018, with their last top-half Championship finish coming nearly two decades ago when they earned promotion.
Robins is now focused on guiding Stoke not just into the top half, but firmly back into the play-off mix. Despite a dip in form over the past couple of months, optimism remains, especially with January additions already secured. Milan Smit has arrived on loan with an obligation to buy for £4.8 million from Go Ahead Eagles, while goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu has joined on loan from Southampton.
More signings are expected before the window closes, and Ingelsson could be one of them. However, with financial fair play considerations in mind and rival clubs circling, Stoke will need to act decisively. With Millwall and Portsmouth waiting in the wings, time is very much of the essence if the Potters are to win the race for the Sheffield Wednesday midfielder.
