QPR shows why Sheffield Wednesday must take stern Wrexham AFC transfer stance | OneFootball

QPR shows why Sheffield Wednesday must take stern Wrexham AFC transfer stance | OneFootball

In partnership with

Yahoo sports
Icon: Football League World

Football League World

·28 Januari 2025

QPR shows why Sheffield Wednesday must take stern Wrexham AFC transfer stance

Gambar artikel:QPR shows why Sheffield Wednesday must take stern Wrexham AFC transfer stance

Michael Smith's contribution against QPR on Saturday showed why Sheffield Wednesday must reject Wrexham's approach for the striker.

It has been an excellent campaign for Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship so far, but they are facing a crucial week ahead of Monday's transfer deadline that could potentially define their season.


Video OneFootball


After narrowly avoiding relegation last season, Wednesday have made clear progress this campaign under manager Danny Rohl, and they currently sit 10th in the table, just three points from the play-off places.

Despite the Owls' strong form on the pitch, there have been problems behind the scenes at Hillsborough in recent weeks, but journalist Alan Nixon revealed that Rohl and owner Dejphon Chansiri have now resolved their dispute after a public disagreement.

It seems that work has now started on potential additions, with the likes of Stuart Armstrong and Emmanuel Dennis said to be on the Owls' radar, but while their priority will be strengthening the squad, they may also have to contend with interest in some of their key players.

Sheffield Wednesday facing big Michael Smith decision after Wrexham approach

Gambar artikel:QPR shows why Sheffield Wednesday must take stern Wrexham AFC transfer stance

Wednesday will not be overly concerned about the prospect of losing any of their stars over the coming days, but they do have a big decision to make on the future of striker Michael Smith.

Smith was first linked with a move to ambitious League One side Wrexham in the summer, and although a deal did not materialise on that occasion, it seems the Welsh outfit have retained their interest in the 33-year-old.

According to The Star, the Red Dragons have made an approach for Smith, who is out of contract at Hillsborough at the end of the season, as they look to bolster their forward line for their automatic promotion push.

Speculation about Smith's potential exit gathered pace after he was left out of the squad for the games against Coventry City and Leeds United earlier this month, with Rohl confirming that his omission was due to tactical reasons rather than any kind of injury.

Smith has been brought back into the fold again in recent weeks, and after he came off the bench to score the Owls' opening goal in their 2-0 win at Queens Park Rangers on Saturday, Rohl must take a clear stance on the striker as Wrexham continue to circle.

Sheffield Wednesday simply cannot afford to sell Michael Smith to Wrexham

Gambar artikel:QPR shows why Sheffield Wednesday must take stern Wrexham AFC transfer stance

Given that Smith scored just four goals in 34 games last season, it was widely expected that he would leave Hillsborough in the summer when news of Wrexham's interest emerged, and few would have complained if Wednesday had sanctioned his departure.

However, with the club's other strikers underperforming, Smith has played a much bigger role than anyone could have expected this season, and he once again underlined his value to the team on Saturday.

In what was an incredibly tight game against QPR, Smith was introduced from the bench in the 66th minute, and just six minutes later, he headed home Barry Bannan's cross to give the Owls the lead, giving them the perfect platform to go on to secure the victory, which was sealed by Callum Paterson in the 88th minute.

That was Smith's sixth goal in 29 appearances this season, which is particularly impressive considering that only nine of those have come from the start, and he has also provided six assists for his team-mates.

It seems unlikely that Smith will be offered a new contract in the summer, but right now, he is a crucial part of the Wednesday squad, and if they are to achieve a surprise play-off finish this season, they simply cannot afford to lose him this month.

Rohl will be delighted with the spread of goals from across the team this season, but the lack of a prolific striker has been a problem, with £2.5 million summer signing Ike Ugbo failing to find the back of the net in the league and Jamal Lowe scoring just three times, so the manager will no doubt appreciate Smith's contribution.

It is believed that any deal for Smith to make the move to Wrexham is unlikely at this stage, but even if the Red Dragons were to make a sizeable bid for the striker, the Owls must firmly reject their advances.

Lihat jejak penerbit