Big questions remain with return for Sheffield Wednesday striker confirmed – contract details and more..
News of a premature Sheffield Wednesday return for Bailey Cadamarteri has accelerated thoughts around where his Owls future lies – and how the club can best develop his talent heading into next season.
The hotshot youngster, who was sent out on loan to the League One outfit to collect some valuable match minutes and experience, played 32 times across all competitions for the Imps, scoring eight goals along the way. It was hoped that he would finish the campaign with Lincoln after making his comeback from an injury that kept him out of contention for nine matches from the turn of the year, though it has since been confirmed he will miss the rest of the campaign.
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Speaking to BBC Lincolnshire, Imps boss Michael Skubala confirmed he would return to Middlewood Road for the Owls to have a closer look at a recurrence of a groin issue. Cadamarteri later confirmed he would miss the rest of the campaign through injury on social media.
“When he had his groin injury before we knew there was a high recurrence rate with that,” Skubala said. “He obviously came back in for a little bit, but he’s felt it again so that’s pretty bad news for him. It’s looking like the season is probably done for him and he’s going back to Sheffield Wednesday to get reassessed.
“It’s a real shame because he was really starting to get going and we’ve had some moments with him before he got injured. Unfortunately he has got injured and I think that’s going to be him for the season.”
What next for Cadamarteri?
It doesn’t feel long since Wednesday lined up for the first time with the talented triplet trio of Cadamarteri, Djeidi Gassama and Anthony Musaba – a front three whose combined age came to just 62 – in a gnarled December 2023 win at Preston North End. The progress of all three this season have taken different paths; Gassama has undertaken a steep upward journey, Musaba’s has been less clear and Cadamarteri’s via League One.
Speaking to The Star in November, the youngster spoke candidly on his ambition of re-joining the Wednesday first team reckoning next season having enjoyed that five-goal breakthrough campaign last time out. The teenager was thrust into senior responsibility into a side struggling for goals after the arrival of Danny Röhl and played an important role in the Owls’ remarkable survival effort – and it’s something he wants to pick up on in 2025/26.
Cadamarteri said: “The reason I’ve come is here is to help Lincoln and to help myself, it’s an important step in my career. I want to be a Sheffield Wednesday player and I’ve come here to put myself in good stead to be a Sheffield Wednesday player next year. The more starts, the more games I can get under my belt, the more goals I can get and the more experience I can get onto my CV, the better off I’ll be.”
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Last month Röhl suggested conversations would take place over the next months with regard to how best to direct Cadamarteri’s career in the short-term, along with those of Wednesday’s other bright spark youngsters. Pre-season proved a fine opportunity for young players to catch the eye of Danny Röhl last summer and with the striker having already done so – and having benefitted from a season of League One football – it would seem he would be in a good position to press his case.
