Sheffield Wednesday must resist January call despite obvious positive | OneFootball

Highlights

Sheffield Wednesday have a conundrum in the January transfer window regarding the potential sale of Josh Windass.

The Owls forward has been a key part of the team in their recent return to form under manager Danny Rohl, winning five of the past eight games to help them battle against the threat of relegation.

With the chance to climb out of the relegation zone if they win their next game and see rivals Huddersfield lose, Wednesday will need to keep their key squad together for a difficult second half of the season.

However, with interest in Windass from abroad, the decision to sell or keep the winger is one that the Wednesday board may struggle with this January transfer window.

Josh Windass is attracting interest in January

The Owls could cash in on Windass during the January transfer window, with no signs of a new contract on the horizon for the Englishman amid reported interest from abroad.

Sky Sports have reported that Argentine Primera Division outfit Club Atletico Talleres are interested in signing Windass on a free transfer in the summer, in a deal that would make him the first ever Englishman to play in the Argentinian top division.

Windass signed a two-year contract with Wednesday in 2021, with a one-year extension that was activated by the club to keep him at Hillsborough until the summer of 2024.

This means that he is able to leave on a free transfer at the end of the season, and has the ability to sign a pre-contract agreement with clubs outside of England as early as this month. He could sign a deal with Club Atletico Talleres in January before moving to the club at the end of the season.

The Owls have the option to try and broker a transfer deal for the forward this month, in an attempt to recoup some money in order to sign a replacement for the former Rangers winger.

However, this could be a short-sighted decision by the club and could be the nail in the coffin for their Championship ambitions.

Sheffield Wednesday retaining Windass could equal survival

While having the money to spend on a replacement immediately may be a positive for Wednesday, the issue of a potential relegation is one that is staring them in the face as they move into the second half of the season.

Under previous manager Xisco Munoz, they looked certain for the drop, but their form has improved since the appointment of Rohl in October last year.

Under the new boss, the Owls have won five of their last eight matches and given themselves a fighting chance of staying in the Championship, although that is partly down to the fantastic performances of Windass.

As a versatile attacker who can play all across the front three and behind the striker, his inclusion in the squad is vital for a long, torrid season in the Championship for Wednesday. Having been instrumental in victories over Blackburn Rovers and Hull City already this season, losing Windass could prove a bridge too far for Wednesday's fight against relegation.

While getting some money in for Windass in January for a replacement sounds like a sensible thing for the Owls to do, an extra six months for the star could mean the difference between finishing in the bottom three or not.