Sheffield Wednesday are rapidly approaching the nitty gritty stage of the Championship campaign.
The Owls’ had high hopes of staying up after a stellar festive period that saw them claim six wins in ten games.
However, results haven’t quite gone their way recently and they now find themselves five points from safety with an extra game played.
Sheffield Wednesday are doing everything they can to remain in the Championship after a very tough season, while it appears they have already been planning ahead, with another bid for Duncan McGuire on the cards.
That will completely depend on whether they are relegated or not though, and so will a majority of their transfer business.
With Dejphon Chansiri still at the helm and financial problems still apparent, here are three players who Sheffield Wednesday could target who are out of contract in the summer.
Paddy McNair
Paddy McNair started his career at Manchester United, but has spent a majority of his career in the Championship.
The ‘terrific’ Northern Ireland international has 206 appearances in the second tier, having spent the last five and a half years with Middlesbrough.
McNair – who can play in defence and midfield – has been a regular for Boro for years now, but was sidelined for around a month with a back injury and has now failed to feature in the last seven games in all competitions.
There is little indication over whether Michael Carrick’s side will offer him a new deal, but he could be a very solid signing for another Championship club.
Danny Batth
Danny Batth is another player who has proven himself as a very capable Championship player.
The defender has won promotion on four occasions – once with Sheffield Wednesday – and was most recently named as Sunderland’s Player of the Year last season.
Despite that, Batth was let go in the summer and joined Norwich City on a one-year contract.
The 33-year-old has only managed four starts in the Championship this term though and could well be available for a return to Hillsborough at the end of the season.
Jamie Vardy
Definitely the most exciting of the three is Jamie Vardy, who could well bring his 14-year stint at Leicester City to an end this summer.
The striker has won the Premier League, the FA Cup, the Community Shield and the Championship, as well as the Premier League Golden Boot, Premier League Player of the Season and a number of other individual awards.
While he has 181 goals for the Foxes, Vardy has only made 10 starts in the second tier this season and could well be on his way out at the end of the season – especially if they are promoted.
Having spent his youth days with boyhood club Sheffield Wednesday, fans will be hopeful that a return for the 37-year-old may be a possibility.