Yan Valery has completed a loan move from Sheffield Wednesday to BSC Young Boys, taking the Tunisia- and France-qualified right-back from the English Championship to the Swiss Super League. The deal is officially registered as a loan transfer, with the switch starting on 2026-02-09 and scheduled to run until 2026-06-30, after which he is due to return to the Owls and could face an uncertain future regarding his next permanent club.
The 26-year-old defender joins the Swiss champions with a current market value of €1.30m, a figure that underlines both his experience at a high level and the sense that his career still has room to grow. Young Boys secure short-term cover and competition on the right side of defence, while Sheffield Wednesday temporarily move one of their more valuable assets off the wage bill, knowing he is set to come back when the loan expires on 2026-06-30 unless another agreement is reached.
Valery’s move continues a career spent largely abroad from his birth nation, with the full-back now swapping England for Switzerland and the prospect of playing in the Super League rather than remaining in domestic football in Tunisia or France. Having represented clubs in the Premier League, Championship and Ligue 1, the switch to Bern offers him a new tactical environment and the chance to re-establish himself in a league where Young Boys are perennial title contenders and regular participants in European competition.
Born on 22 Feb 1999 in Champigny-sur-Marne, the 1.85m right-back has come through some notable academies and senior systems. He moved from Stade Rennais youth to Southampton’s academy in 2015, progressing from the U18s to the U21s and then into the first team by 2019. A loan to Birmingham City in the 2020–21 season gave him regular Championship exposure, before a permanent transfer to Angers SCO in Ligue 1 in 2022. From there, he returned to England with Sheffield Wednesday in 2024, adding another chapter to a career already marked by frequent cross-border moves.
Across those stints, Valery has built a reputation as a modern full-back, operating primarily as a right-back but broadly defined as a defender who is comfortable on the flank. His market value once peaked significantly higher during his early Southampton years and has since settled at €1.30m, reflecting both the competition for his position and the volatility of his playing opportunities. Recent assessments at Sheffield Wednesday showed a slight upturn in valuation during his time at Hillsborough before the loan was confirmed, suggesting his performances had started to stabilise.
While the current agreement is strictly a loan, the timing and structure highlight the possibility that Valery could move again or even edge towards free-agent status in the medium term, depending on how his parent-club situation evolves after his scheduled return. For now, the focus shifts to how effectively he adapts to Swiss football and whether a strong showing with Young Boys can reopen doors across Europe.
If the spell in Bern goes well, this stint in the Super League could prove a decisive phase in Valery’s career, either convincing Young Boys or another club to pursue a longer-term deal, or enhancing his standing enough to earn a more prominent role back in England. Either way, the loan starting on 2026-02-09 positions the dual-nationality defender at a pivotal crossroads, with his performances between now and 2026-06-30 likely to shape both his reputation and his next move.
