Sheffield Wednesday have rejected a loan approach from Derby County for striker Michael Smith, reports The Star.
Smith, 31, has recently become a subject of interest from Derby County. Rams boss Paul Warne had Smith at Rotherham United before the striker left for Sheffield Wednesday ahead of last season, going on to score 18 and assist seven more in the 2022/23 League One season.
Previously commenting on the matter, The Star’s Joe Crann gave this view:
And now The Star have revealed that ‘the loan approach has been rejected by Wednesday’, adding that Smith is set to play a role under new boss Xisco Munoz who saw his Wednesday side suffer an opening round defeat v Southampton on Friday.
The same report adds that a second bid is ‘not believed to have yet materialised’, with the Rams now looking like they’re pursuing other targets.
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Wednesday not out of the woods
Whilst the main focus for Sheffield Wednesday this summer has been signing players, they remain a club with some assets – like Smith – and so there was always going to be some kind of interest in their players.
But like Crann points out, loaning out Smith would make no sense whatsoever, and as per The Star’s latest report, Wednesday rejecting Derby’s loan bid suggests that the club sees no sense in it either.
Munoz has a very finite squad with very few players with proven Football League experience. Smith is one of those players though and so keeping him beyond this month should be key.
Wednesday return to action v Stockport County in the EFL Cup tomorrow night.