"A major problem" - Pundit urges Sheffield Wednesday to take clear Josh Windass action | OneFootball

In what is Danny Rohl's first pre-season in charge of the Owls, the German has plenty of big decisions to make as he looks to mould the squad into one which can progress further up the Championship table.

Many of his current squad are players which he inherited from Xisco Munoz, and was able to improve massively as Wednesday pulled off one of the greatest survival escape acts, going from no wins in their first 13 games to eventually finishing three points above Birmingham City in the relegation zone.

There are numerous players who are believed to be in talks with the club over potential contract extensions, and one of those is Josh Windass, with the 30-year-old not short of admirers from other EFL clubs, as well as the MLS.

Carlton Palmer issues verdict on Josh Windass' current situation

Here at FLW, we quizzed former Wednesday and England centre-half Carlton Palmer for his thoughts on the situation regarding Windass heading into the transfer window.

Palmer was quick to praise the 30-year-old for his involvements in Blue and White, but has urged the club to be somewhat cautious when it comes to the ongoing discussions.

"Josh Windass is out of contract this summer, and talks are ongoing with Sheffield Wednesday," the pundit began.

"Josh has been an integral part of Sheffield Wednesday in the last few seasons. Of course, he scored the winning goal at Wembley to get them promoted back to the Championship. He's hugely popular with the supporters, and is enjoying his time with Danny Rohl as I'm sure the rest of the players are."

"The likes of Stoke, West Brom, Derby County and Hull are all monitoring the situation with Josh, as well as him being coveted by clubs in the MLS. I know Josh has an American girlfriend, and going to America is something which would interest him," Palmer added.

"He's enjoying his football under Danny Rohl, but Sheffield Wednesday have to weigh up the option that Josh is 30 now, which is no age, but there will be a concern that he only played 25 Championship games last season - 28 in all competitions. If you're giving him a new long-term contract, that would be a problem."

"He played 34 in 22/23, nine in 21/22 and 41 in 2020/21, so you have to go a long way back to when he's played a large number of games. You've got to bear that in mind when signing Josh on a contract."

Despite the potential problems, Palmer continued to heap praise on Windass' ability and influence on this side, which has been backed up by results whenever he's in the team.

"Josh is a very talented player, he's been very integral. If you've seen the results when Josh plays, generally Sheffield Wednesday win, that's a fact," the 58-year-old claimed.

"When Josh is injured, it's a major problem. It happened in League One, but he came back at the end of the season and they got promoted. The same has happened in the Championship where he's come back and it coincided with an improvement in results and Wednesday stayed up."

He concluded: "You have to keep him on the football pitch. For me, as long as the deal stacks up, Sheffield Wednesday must try to keep Josh Windass at the football club."

Josh Windass' current situation with Sheffield Wednesday

As Palmer referenced, there are a number of clubs currently monitoring the attacker's situation in S6, which comes through a report from the Sheffield Star.

Windass scored three of his six goals this season in the last four games against Blackburn Rovers, West Brom and Sunderland, with the first of those winning the club's Goal of the Season award with an audacious lob at Ewood Park.

And, whilst ending the season in strong form and staking a claim for a new contract, with talks said to still be ongoing with the Owls hierarchy, that hasn't reportedly stopped Stoke, Derby, West Brom and Hull casting an eye over potential developments.

No clubs are said to be leading the race at this moment in time, along with MLS clubs such as Real Salt Lake, who were said to have made contact with Wednesday regarding a potential deal back in the January transfer window.

Sheffield Wednesday must keep hold of experienced players

Whilst prospects such as Anthony Musaba have flourished under Rohl's management, the German must also keep hold of some seasoned Championship players throughout his Hillsborough rebuild, and Windass definitely falls into that category.

Palmer is right to reference that his injury problems are a potential concern, but there is major proof that the 30-year-old is always a key player in crunch fixtures, which continued in the latter stages of this season.

Certainly, they should at least try to persuade Windass to stay in S6, or else another divisional rival could profit.