Preston North End pursuing free transfer swoop for attacker after Sheffield Wednesday exit | OneFootball

Another departing Sheffield Wednesday forward may be joining a fellow Championship side on a free deal

Former Sheffield Wednesday striker Michael Smith is attracting interest from fellow Championship side Preston North End.

Joe Crann of the Sheffield Star has reported that the 33-year-old, who departed Hillsborough last week along with Josh Windass after their contracts were ended by mutual consent, is liked by North End boss Paul Heckingbottom, who himself enjoyed a two-year spell at Sheffield Wednesday during his playing career before managing Steel City rivals Sheffield United.

With Windass set to join Wrexham imminently, too, it looks like Smith could be another player set to face his former club in the Championship next season.

Preston North End join list of Michael Smith admirers after Sheffield Wednesday exit

According to The Sheffield Star, Preston North End have joined the race to bring in Michael Smith on a free transfer following his departure from Sheffield Wednesday.

The 33-year-old had his contract terminated by mutual consent last week following the latest round of financial troubles at Hillsborough, and it seems that clubs are wasting no time in trying to bring Smith in ahead of the new season.

Both Blackpool and MK Dons, who are currently managed by Paul Warne, who Smith played under whilst at Rotherham United, have been reported to have shown interest, but now it's Preston who have become the latest side to throw their name in the hat.

Smith had spent the last three years at Hillsborough, contributing to their memorable 2022/23 promotion out of League One and helping establish the Owls back in the second tier, scoring 12 times in the last two seasons.

Preston, meanwhile, finished just one point above the drop last season and will be looking to kick on under Heckingbottom next term.

The Lilywhites have been fairly active thus far in this summer's transfer window by completing deals for Odel Offiah, Daniel Jebbison, Thierry Small, Jordan Thompson and former Owls defender Pol Valentin, but are on the search for proven second-tier goalscoring nous after losing Emil Riis on a free.

The last two seasons have shown that Michael Smith is still a solid option up top for Championship sides, despite slowly heading towards the twilight years of his career.

He completely matched his xG, ranked in the top 20% of Championship strikers for getting shots off and hitting the target with them, and created 31 chances too, according to Fotmob.

Additionally, there weren't any more efficient strikers in the division at winning aerial duels than 'Smudge,' as the dominant frontman won 128 at a success rate of 63.1%. Whilst he could return to League One and be dominant there, too, remaining in the Championship should be the priority.

Last season saw Smith double his goalscoring tally from the 2023/24 campaign, too, so he can still provide that 10-goal-a-season threat. For a Preston side who scored just 48 times last season and have lost Emil Riis this summer, Smith seems a smart option.

So, out of all the possible options, Smith and Preston make the most sense, but it'll be an even bigger cause for frustration for Sheffield Wednesday supporters, seeing players who excelled last season leave the club to join a fellow Championship side for nothing.