Sheffield Wednesday leading Rangers transfer race amid Derby, Preston interest | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday could be set to land their long-standing target

Sheffield Wednesday are said to be leading the race for their long-standing summer target, Scott Wright.

That's according to a fresh update from Football Insider, with the publication claiming that the Owls are in "pole position" to land the winger's signature at this moment in time amid interest from fellow Championship sides.

Wednesday are looking to progress up the division this upcoming season after Danny Rohl masterminded one of the greatest survival escapes last campaign, eventually finishing three points above Birmingham City thanks to a final day victory over Sunderland.

In order to do so, a high amount of player turnover has already commenced in S6 this off-season, with the German boss adding a number of experienced and dynamic performers to the ranks across the summer window to date.

Despite already possessing an abundance of names in wide areas, it would seem that more depth and quality is being targeted, and Wright has definitely been a man Wednesday have set their sights on for quite some time.

Wright and the Owls have almost become inseparable when it comes to links over a potential move to Hillsborough this summer, as proven by this latest update from Football Insider.

It was first revealed in late June by the Daily Record that the Owls had expressed an interest in acquiring the 26-year-old from the Light Blues, before Football Insider once again claimed that the club had tabled a contract offer to acquire his services at the start of this month.

Furthermore, it was stated by Darren Witcoop at the beginning of this week that Preston North End had ramped up their pursuit of Wright alongside Wednesday, with the second tier duo alongside Derby County all sending enquiries for the former Aberdeen man's signature.

However, this fresh update claims that the Steel City outfit are in "pole position" to land the winger at present ahead of their divisional rivals, with a fee of less than £1m mooted as Gers boss Phillipe Clement deemed the former Scotland youth international surplus to requirements alongside the likes of Connor Goldson, Kemar Roofe and James Tavernier.

Despite taking such a stance, Wright featured in Rangers' pre-season friendly defeat to Birmingham City in the inaugural Trevor Francis Memorial Match at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park, replacing Mohamed Diomande before scoring the SPFL side's only goal of the game in a 2-1 defeat to the League One side.

Regardless of Wednesday reportedly leaving the way, no talk of an agreement being reached between the two sides has been revealed at present.

Sheffield Wednesday looking to improve their wide options

Rohl has seemingly made no secret about his desire to improve the Owls' squad in wide areas, as, alongside Wright, former Celtic wonderkid and last season's starring light for Blackpool, Karamoko Dembélé has also continuously been linked with a move to Hillsborough.

It was revealed by the aforementioned Witcoop that Wednesday had tabled a bid for the Brest winger's services after a successful loan stint at Bloomfield Road, although they face competition from the likes of Derby and Bolton Wanderers, with Ian Evatt revealing that the third tier side have made at least four offers for players in the region of at least £1m.

Scott Wright move would be the best for all parties

Despite the exit talk surrounding him, Wright has been a regular feature across all competitions for Rangers since moving from Pittodrie three-and-a-half years ago.

This window is perhaps the best chance the SPFL side will get to make any form of profit on the initial £200,000 investment under Steven Gerrard, with his deal concluding in the summer of 2025.

This included a strong role in the Gers' route to the 2022 UEFA Europa League Final defeat by Eintracht Frankfurt, as well as making 33 appearances across all competitions last season, scoring four times.

Such pedigree showcases that whilst Clement has no interest in keeping the winger at Ibrox, Wright has the ability to be a key performer for a Championship side, and could solve a number of problems which Rohl is looking to address before the season opener against Plymouth Argyle.