Sheffield Wednesday news: Takeover issue, North Stand concern, Josh Windass terms, Michael Smith update | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday remain in the twilight zone, ahead of the start of the 2025-26 season. Here's the latest news from the Championship crisis club.

Sheffield Wednesday remain mired in crisis as their summer staggers from disaster to disaster. Here's a round-up of the latest news from the troubled Championship club.

Things don't seem to be getting any easier for Sheffield Wednesday this summer. Memories of having finished in 12th place in the Championship at the end of the 2024-25 season already feel extremely distant for a fan base who've witnessed bad news following bad news since May.

Few of the problems that were starting to become glaringly apparent at the end of last season have been resolved. It's absolutely unclear whether Danny Rohl will be in charge of the team, while issues over paying wages on time have only become more serious as the summer has progressed. Here's a round-up of the latest stories to have emerged concerning the club.

The North Stand at Hillsborough has "extensive corrosion"

The BBC has reported that Sheffield City Council have not permitted a safety certificate for the North Stand at Hillsborough ahead of the start of the new season after "extensive corrosion" was found in its roof.

They confirmed that this was found in the minutes of the Safety Advisory Group for June, and that the club were aware of it at that time, because they requested that their first game of the 2025-26 season be played away from home.

The stand seats 9,255 people, and those who have purchased season tickets in the North Stand would have to be rehoused elsewhere in the ground until the necessary work is completed in the event that it's not completed by their first home game of the season, which is due to be at home to Stoke City on the 16th August.

Josh Windass agrees terms with Wrexham, though others remain interested

Two Wednesday players have left the club so far specifically because of issues over the late payment of wages, and the first of them hasn't taken long to find a new club.

It was always the case that Josh Windass would attract interest from elsewhere, as Wednesday's top goalscorer last season, and reports have confirmed that he has agreed terms with Wrexham. Talksport have reported that a medical is to be held.

Talksport also warn that they may face late opposition to his signature, with Coventry City and Norwich City both also taking an interest in him, but it is clear that Wrexham are in pole position to pick up the 31-year-old free agent.

Michael Smith may yet team back up with Windass at Wrexham

The other player to have left the club over the wages issue was striker Michael Smith, but his future is currently less certain than that of Josh Windass. The loss of both Smith and Windass is particularly significant, because Smith was Wednesday's second-highest goalscorer in the League last season behind Windass.

His future doesn't seem quite as clear-cut as that of Windass, but it's entirely possible that he could end up reunited with Windass at the Racecourse Ground, because Smith had been a Wrexham target for quite a long time before he became available as a free agent.

It was reported in August 2024 that the Red Dragons were due to open talks with Smith, who at that time had less than a year to run on his contract. The matter was not satisfactorily concluded then, but resurfaced in the January transfer window, although by this point it was already clear that Smith would be staying with Wednesday for the remainder of the season.

The club took up their option to extend his contract at the end of last season, but that only lasted for a few weeks before Smith was allowed to leave. Given this previous interest, it remains entirely possible that Smith and Windass could be reunited at Wrexham again next season.

The obvious route out of all this chaos is for Wednesday to be bought by one with the financial means and the know-how to turn the club's fortunes around, but news on that front has been less than encouraging.

BBC Sheffield's Rob Staton has confirmed that Wednesday are "back to the drawing board" following the collapse of takeover talks. Various groups, including one connected to the Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta and one fronted by the Italian businessman Francesco Guardascione, have been connected to the club, but as of the weekend takeover talks seemed to have completely stalled.