Danny Rohl must make the bold call to release one of Sheffield Wednesday’s most high-profile players this summer.
Sheffield Wednesday now have just eight games to secure their Championship status for another year, but even after that, they will then face another challenge of handling their long list of contracts that need attending to.
There are currently eleven players who will see their contracts expire this summer, with a high number of key players potentially on their way out.
We can certainly surely the likes of Lee Gregory and Tyreeq Bakinson to leave Hillsborough permanently, while Sheffield Wednesday are likely to look to extend deals of Barry Bannan, Dominic Iorfa and others.
One star whose future remains in doubt is Josh Windass, who became a hero in Yorkshire when he netted the winner in the dying seconds of last season’s League One play-off final.
The ‘fantastic’ 30-year-old has three goals and an assist in his last seven games for the Owls, but the problem is that those appearances have been separated by two spells on the sidelines.
Windass has managed only 16 starts in the Championship this term, while he hasn’t featured since January and has most recently suffered another setback.
Supporters have already made it clear that the Owls should look to cut their losses and release Windass at the end of the season – a move that probably wouldn’t have been expected at the end of the previous campaign.
A costly risk not worth taking for Sheffield Wednesday
Windass was a key player for Sheffield Wednesday last time out, but his poor injury record, his age and his contract situation seems to raise more questions than answers in the club’s current position.
The midfielder is currently thought to be raking in around £15,000-per-week at Hillsborough and is one of the club’s highest earners – a figure that would most certainly put a dent in Sheffield Wednesday’s bank balance if they drop down to League One.
The club would probably be happy to cough up such cash in the Championship too, if he was fit and making a significant contribution to their battle against relegation.
However, Windass’ injury problems seem to be gradually getting worse, and offering him another five figures per week contract seems like a huge waste of money if he spends a large chunk of next season on the treatment table too.
Windass will also be approaching his 31st birthday next year, and Danny Rohl could look to instead bring some youth into his ageing squad as he looks to complete his first full season in Sheffield.
If the German coach sticks around then it could feel like a new era at Hillsborough, so perhaps it is time to part ways with Windass.
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