Sheffield Wednesday are finalising a deal to sign Sil Swinkels from Aston Villa. The 22-year-old centre-back has been on the books of the Midlands club since 2020.

What happened?

Swinkels has managed just two senior outings for Villa and has been loaned out to Bristol Rovers, Exeter City and Chesterfield. He ended last season in League Two with the latter, helping the Spireites reach the semi-final stage of the play-offs.

Why it matters for Sheffield Wednesday

The Athletic has claimed a move to Wednesday is being finalised, with the clubs coming to an agreement over the payment structure of the deal. This will reportedly give Villa matching rights, allowing them to match any future offers submitted to Wednesday for Swinkels’ signature.

What comes next?

It has been suggested the former Netherlands youth international intends to travel for a medical in the next 48 hours. There is thought to have been interest from Belgium, France, the Netherlands and elsewhere in the EFL, but it is the Owls who appear poised to win the race. As of the current season, Sheffield Wednesday's league standing is 24th in League, 0 pts, 2W-12D-32L from 46 games, with a recent form of WLLDD. Their last result was a 2-1 win against West Brom on 2026-05-02. | Stat | Value | | --- | --- | | League standing | 24th in League, 0 pts, 2W-12D-32L from 46 games | | Recent form | WLLDD | | Last result | Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 West Brom (2026-05-02) | Sheffield Wednesday owner David Storch said: 'I am a believer that you build a strong foundation and a strong infrastructure. The strength of this club will come from the leadership. With the steps we’ve taken I believe we have ingredients to carry us through a couple of divisions from where we are.'