Exclusive: Claim made on Josh Windass exit amid off-field Sheffield Wednesday "turmoil" | OneFootball

Joe Jacobson has given his thoughts on forward Josh Windass' expected summer departure from Sheffield Wednesday.

Pundit Joe Jacobson believes forward Josh Windass will be a big loss for Sheffield Wednesday if he leaves the club at the end of his contract this summer.

Windass initially joined Wednesday on loan from Wigan Athletic in January 2020 before making the move permanent that summer, and he has come up with some crucial goals for the South Yorkshire outfit over the past five-and-a-half years.

Most notably, Windass scored a 123rd-minute winner against Barnsley in the League One play-off final in 2023 to seal promotion for the Owls, and he also scored three goals in the final three games of last season to help the club retain their Championship status.

While it has been a quiet second half of the campaign for Windass, the 31-year-old is Wednesday's top scorer this season having netted 12 goals in 46 appearances in all competitions so far, and he has also provided six assists.

However, Windass, who was the subject of a bid from Brazilian side Santos in January, is out of contract in the summer, and his father, Dean, dropped a big hint last week that his time at the club could be coming to an end, revealing that he was going to watch his son's "final game at Hillsborough" against Portsmouth on Saturday.

Joe Jacobson on Josh Windass' Sheffield Wednesday future

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, ex-Wycombe Wanderers defender turned EFL pundit Joe Jacobson said losing Windass would be a big blow for Wednesday, but he admitted he can understand why the forward would be keen to move on this summer given the off-field issues at the club.

"I think Josh Windass has done amazingly well for Sheffield Wednesday," Jacobson said.

"He's scored some really important goals over the last five years, none more so than the winner in the play-off final against Barnsley to send them up.

"Of course, a player like that will be missed, and with the turmoil off the pitch that Sheffield Wednesday are going through, I wouldn't be surprised if a few players wanted to leave.

"It's never nice being at a club which has got uncertainty surrounding it.

"I'm sure there will be suitors for him, especially in the Championship, but it's a case of seeing what's out there in the summer.

"It's going to be a crazy window with lots of players out of contract.

"Josh Windass has moved around the country, he's been up in Scotland, and there's probably availability for him to go abroad, so it will be interesting to see where he goes."

Josh Windass exit could have huge Sheffield Wednesday impact

Since his stunning strike against Derby County on New Year's Day, Windass has scored just two goals, and some Wednesday supporters have become frustrated at his lack of contribution in recent months.

However, Windass is far from the only Owls player to suffer a decline in form during what has been a disappointing second half of the season, and having been a consistent performer and regular source of goals for the club since his arrival at Hillsborough, his importance to the team may only be fully appreciated after his exit.

As Jacobson says, it would have been difficult for Wednesday to convince Windass to stay at the club beyond the summer amid the current off-field turmoil and the likely departure of manager Danny Rohl, and it will be tough for them to find a replacement of similar quality.