Forget Danny Rohl: Sheffield Wednesday losing 53-goal ace would be devastating summer blow | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday may have to contend with the departure of top scorer Josh Windass this summer, as well the exit of manager Danny Rohl.

It is set to be a summer of big change at Sheffield Wednesday, with uncertainty hanging over the future of manager Danny Rohl and a host of key players.

Wednesday emerged as surprise play-off contenders following a strong first half of the season, but their promotion push collapsed after the turn of the year amid a significant decline in form and a host of off-field issues.

Despite that, the Owls still managed to record a top-half finish, which represents impressive progress after only narrowly avoiding relegation last season, but it is difficult for supporters to get too excited about what could come next with so much currently up in the air.

While Rohl is still officially Wednesday manager as things stand, in truth, his mind has been elsewhere for some time, and amid reported interest from Southampton, Leicester City, RB Leipzig, Crystal Palace and Fulham, he delivered what sounded suspiciously like a farewell interview after the 1-1 draw at Watford on Saturday.

It therefore came as little surprise when talkSPORT revealed on Thursday that Rohl has decided to depart Hillsborough this summer, and the German has even openly discussed his possible next move, leading to accusations of a lack of respect from some sections of the Owls fan base, with many feeling that such comments are inappropriate while he is still under contract.

One positive for Wednesday is that it seems there will be clarity on Rohl's position in the near future, meaning they will be able to bring in a replacement well in advance of the summer transfer window, but the 36-year-old's exit may not be the only major blow the South Yorkshire outfit will have to contend with this summer.

Sheffield Wednesday must prepare for Josh Windass departure

Wednesday are facing the prospect of a big rebuild this summer as a host of senior players are out of contract, including Pol Valentin, Michael Ihiekwe, Akin Famewo, Marvin Johnson, Barry Bannan, Stuart Armstrong, Callum Paterson, Anthony Musaba, Mallik Wilks, Josh Windass and Michael Smith.

While some calls will be relatively straight-forward for whoever takes over as Rohl's successor, others are more complicated, and the future of forward Windass has perhaps generated the most debate among the Owls faithful.

Windass initially joined Wednesday on loan from Wigan Athletic in January 2020 before making the move permanent that summer, and he has been at the heart of plenty of big moments during his five-and-a-half-year spell at Hillsborough.

The 31-year-old has come up with some crucial goals for the Owls over the years, most notably the 123rd-minute winner he scored against Barnsley in the League One play-off final at Wembley in 2023, and he has frequently stepped up when his team have needed him the most.

Windass finished the season as Wednesday's top scorer, having netted 13 goals in 47 appearances, and after scoring his 53rd goal in the blue and white stripes in the draw at Watford on the final day, he became the club's record goalscorer this century.

However, speculation about Windass' future gathered pace when his father, Dean, posted on social media that he was going to watch his son's "final game at Hillsborough" against Portsmouth last month, while Windass himself sent the rumour mill into overdrive when he refused to confirm whether he would remain at the club next season, instead stating that "it was always a huge, huge honour" to wear the shirt.

Josh Windass exit could have huge implications for Sheffield Wednesday

For a player who has delivered so regularly for the club, Windass does not quite enjoy the universal popularity among Wednesday supporters that you might expect, and he certainly divides opinion.

Some Owls supporters have frequently mistaken Windass' self-confessed confidence in his football ability as arrogance, and his often nonchalant goal celebrations have led to unfair accusations that he is not as invested in the club's cause as he should be.

Windass arguably produced the best form of his Wednesday career as he scored 10 goals in the first half of the season, but after his stunning strike from inside his own half against Derby County on New Year's Day, the forward found the back of the net on just three further occasions, and he was the subject of social media criticism during the latter months of the campaign.

It is fair to say that Windass' performance levels dropped after the turn of the year, but the same allegation could be levelled at many of his teammates, and while some feel it is the right time for him to move on, there is a danger that the Owls will only appreciate how important he was to the team once he departs.

After Windass, Wednesday's next highest scorers were Paterson and Smith, who both scored eight goals, but the pair are facing an uncertain future this summer, and the three strikers who are under contract for next season - Jamal Lowe, Charlie McNeill and Ike Ugbo - were hardly prolific during the course of the campaign, with the latter failing to net a single league goal after his £2.5 million summer arrival.

That raises serious question marks over where the goals will come from for the Owls next term if Windass does leave as expected, and given that owner Dejphon Chansiri is highly unlikely to be willing to spend big this summer, it will be difficult for the club to find a prolific goalscorer to replace him.

Windass was linked with a host of other clubs before signing a new contract at Hillsborough last summer, and he again remained at the club despite interest from Brazilian side Santos in January, but with his continued loyalty feeling much less certain this time around, Wednesday's troubled summer could be set to go from bad to worse.