Sheffield Wednesday now look set to make their first sale of the summer transfer window.
The Owls have already welcomed ten new players to the club, with Ike Ugbo taking it up to double figures as he arrived in a £3 million deal this week.
Sheffield Wednesday may not be done there either, with Danny Rohl previously admitting that he wanted to bring in another midfielder and centre-back.
However, anymore incomings may have to wait until some players have left, with Wednesday yet to earn a penny.
The club released eight stars at the end of the season, but there are still a number of fringe players taking up a hefty chunk of the wage bill.
The Owls could now offload a man who almost came close to returning to League One in the January window.
Sheffield Wednesday hero ‘in talks’ to leave permanently
According to journalist Alex Miller, Michael Smith is ‘in talks’ over a move to the third division.
He wrote on X: “Understand Wrexham are in talks with Wednesday over a deal for Michael Smith, as reported by @SportsPeteO.”
Football Insider reported yesterday that the Owls are open to offers for the striker as he enters the final 12 months of his contract at Hillsborough.
Smith only managed eleven starts in the Championship last season and netted four goals, but his previous form in League One clearly hasn’t gone unnoticed.
The ‘colossal‘ 32-year-old claimed 28 goal contributions in all competitions during the 2022/23 season, picking up a goal and an assist in the play-offs.
With Derby County failing to land him in January, Wrexham are now eager to bolster their attacking options following their promotion to the third tier.
The Welsh outfit already have six senior strikers on their books, including former Wednesday ace Steven Fletcher.
However, whether they can all make the step up to League One is another question.
Will the Owls now need to bring in a Michael Smith replacement?
It is unlikely that the Yorkshire outfit would make much from Smith’s exit, but it is his salary that remains the biggest issue.
He is currently one of Wednesday’s top earners and it would be massively beneficial to shift him out of the squad, to potentially make way for further signings.
Smith would likely jump at the chance to return to regular football in League One, though his departure could potentially leave Wednesday a little light up front.
While they have already signed Ugbo, Mallik Wilks is in talks to join Rotherham United and Bailey Cadamarteri looks set to leave on loan.
That would leave Ugbo and Charlie McNeill as their only natural No.9s, while the likes of Callum Paterson, Jamal Lowe and Josh Windass could all play there if needed.
This could still result in Wednesday pushing to sign another back-up option, as if Ugbo picked up an injury then they could really struggle to score goals.