Sheffield Wednesday striker Josh Windass has been linked with a surprise summer move to Southampton.
Reports emerges this morning claiming that Sheffield Wednesday’s Wembley hero Windass is being eyed up by Southampton ahead of their return to the Championship.
The 29-year-old finished the season as Wednesday’s second-highest scorer in League One, netting 12 times and assisting seven more as he racked up 37 league appearances.
He’s a key player for the Owls and his goals would certainly need replacing should Southampton snap him up this summer, and here’s three strikers that the Owls should consider as potential Windass replacements…
Aaron Collins
The 2022/23 League One Player of the Season and Bristol Rovers’ Player of the Season looks destined for a move this summer, with the Championship looking like his likeliest destination.
Collins played in all 46 of Rovers’ league games last season, scoring 16 and assisting 11 more as his side finished in 17th place of the table.
Rovers boss Joey Barton previously revealed that there’s growing interest in Collins, with Barton also saying that Collins won’t come cheap this summer. But he’d certainly be a more-than-worthy replacement for Windass.
Ellis Simms
Simms shone for Sunderland during the first part of last season, scoring seven goals in 16 Championship outings before being recalled by Everton, where he’d play a bit part role in the Premier League.
And after Everton’s survival on the final day of the season, it now looks like the 22-year-old may quickly fall down the pecking order.
He’s said to be facing a contested summer with a permanent exit not ruled out, though Sunderland are keeping tabs on his situation and so if Wednesday want him, they’d have to act fast.
But Simms’ pace, power, and youth would give the Wednesday front-line some much-needed energy.
Will Keane
Wigan Athletic are in a bit of a mess right now. Their future is really up in the air and many of their players – if not all of them – could be looking for new clubs ahead of the 2023/24 season.
And one player who won’t be short of suitors if he’s looking for a new club is Keane. The former Manchester United youth man and one-time Wednesday loan player won the League One Golden Boot in the 2021/22 season, scoring 26 goals before netting 12 in the Championship last season despite his side finishing in last place.
He’s a big and powerful player with a clear eye for goal, and one-time Latics boss Kolo Toure said of Keane last season:
“Will has unbelievable talent. For me, he is a player who can play different positions, and always be in there to score goals.”
Keane would add definite Championship quality and experience to Darren Moore’s attacking ranks.