Frederico Venancio will cost Sheffield Wednesday £800,000 to buy permanently, The Sheffield Star reports.

Contrary to suggestions that Sheffield Wednesday will have to stump up a £2.6m fee, it has now been revealed that he will cost less than £1m.

Venancio joined Sheffield Wednesday on loan from Vitoria de Setubal in the summer transfer window, playing 25 games for the club and establishing himself as a firm fans' favourite.

The 25-year-old has now returned to his parent club - who play in the top division in Portugal - but he is open to a return to Hillsborough and this could be a priority for Sheffield Wednesday this summer.

But Wednesday face a battle to sign Venancio now, with a number of other Championship clubs alerted to the fact that the club missed out on their clause to make his deal permanent automatically as that expired in March.

Jos Luhukay holds the cards, though, with the former Portugal under-21 international preferring a return to Sheffield Wednesday.

The Verdict

At this price, Venancio could well turn out to be the signing of the summer.

He has helped shore up the defence at Hillsborough and if his solid performances can lead the Owls to promotion, then he would be one of the best bargain buys around.

With Sheffield Wednesday restricted in their spending by Financial Fair Play regulations, Venancio is a cheap and proven asset that they could add to their squad.

During his time in England, he looked more and more comfortable with each game he played and the Portuguese defender is now entering the prime of his career.

Sheff Wed fans - Would you take Venancio at this price? Let us know below...