The 6 Sheffield Wednesday players likely to never play for the club again

HIGHLIGHTS

•  Sheffield Wednesday faces a crucial summer with a big rebuild looming, including decisions on key players and potential departures.
•  Manager Danny Rohl’s future at the club is uncertain, with interest from other teams, putting pressure on owner Chansiri to back him in the transfer market.
•  Players like Reece James, George Byers, and Tyreeq Bakinson may have played their last games for the Owls, as Rohl’s plans evolve and exits seem inevitable.

Sheffield Wednesday are facing a big rebuild during what will be a crucial summer for the club.

Wednesday’s main priority will be keeping hold of manager Danny Rohl, who has done an outstanding job at Hillsborough since replacing Xisco Munoz in October.

Rohl is said to be on Sunderland’s list of targets as they continue their search for a permanent successor to Michael Beale, and there is likely to be further interest in the German over the coming months.

Owner Dejphon Chansiri must provide Rohl with backing in the transfer market this summer to convince him to remain at the club, but that seems uncertain given that most of the Owls’ 16 signings this season were loans or free transfers.

With the season now concluded, Wednesday’s seven remaining loan players, Jeff Hendrick, Ashley Fletcher, Momo Diaby, James Beadle, Ike Ugbo and Ian Poveda and Kristian Pedersen, will now return to their parent clubs.

The Owls also have 19 players out of contract this summer, and while they will be desperate to tie down the likes of Barry Bannan and Josh Windass, there could be a number of departures.

With that in mind, we looked at which Wednesday players have likely played their last game for the club.

Reece James

Defender James initially joined Wednesday on loan from Blackpool in July 2022 before making the move permanent in the summer.

James played a key role in the Owls’ promotion-winning campaign last season, scoring one goal and registering four assists in 34 appearances in all competitions, excelling at centre-back, left-back and in midfield.

However, James has found himself out of favour under both Munoz and Rohl this season, with the likes of Akin Famewo and Marvin Johnson preferred ahead of him at left-back, and the arrival of Kristian Pedersen on loan from Swansea City in January pushed him further down the pecking order.

It seems that James is not part of Rohl’s plans, with the likelihood of League One interest in his services this summer, it would be no surprise to see him depart.

George Byers

Midfielder Byers is one player that Wednesday supporters will not want to see leave the club this summer, but his exit looks inevitable.

Byers scored six goals and provided three assists in 29 appearances for the Owls last season, and he was a regular in the first half of this campaign, netting one goal and registering one assist in 22 games.

However, many of Byers’ minutes came as a substitute following Rohl’s arrival in October, and he was loaned out to League One side Blackpool in January.

Byers impressed for the Seasiders as they missed out on the play-offs on the final day of the season, but with his contract at Hillsborough expiring, it remains to be seen whether his performances at Bloomfield Road have been enough to earn him a new deal with his parent club.

Rohl insisted there was no issue between him and Byers after he joined Blackpool, but his release seems the most likely outcome this summer.

Tyreeq Bakinson

Midfielder Bakinson arrived at Hillsborough from Bristol City in July 2022, contributing one goal and one assist in 32 appearances across all competitions last season. However, he lost favor as the season progressed.

Initially given an opportunity by Munoz at the season’s start, Bakinson found himself sidelined again under Rohl. He subsequently moved on loan to League One’s Charlton Athletic in January.

While at Charlton, the 25-year-old aided in securing survival under Nathan Jones, although he didn’t start regularly. With his contract set to expire at Hillsborough, it’s highly likely that he will be released.

After an extensive pursuit, Wilks finally joined Hillsborough from Hull City in August 2022. Despite generating excitement among Owls supporters, his performance fell short of expectations. He managed only two goals and five assists in 26 appearances across all competitions due to injuries last season. Wilks has struggled with injuries again this season and hasn’t capitalized on his opportunities when fit, making it improbable that he’ll be a regular player next season. His time at Wednesday hasn’t been successful, and the club might be looking to recover part of his transfer fee this summer.

Michael Smith

Striker Smith, who joined Sheffield Wednesday from local rivals Rotherham United in June 2022, played a pivotal role in their promotion by scoring 20 goals and providing eight assists in 49 matches across all competitions last season.

Despite his contributions, Smith’s playing time dwindled in the Championship. Derby County showed interest in January, offering a significant wage contribution for a loan deal, but Wednesday reportedly demanded a high fee in return.

Now that Derby has secured promotion from League One, they might have the resources to pursue Smith again. Given that he doesn’t quite fit into Rohl’s tactical approach, it’s probable that Smith will depart this summer, potentially to Pride Park or another destination.

Lee Gregory

Striker Gregory, a beloved figure among fans, appears set to depart Hillsborough this summer. His impressive record of 11 goals and six assists in 47 matches during Sheffield Wednesday’s promotion-winning campaign was followed by a consistent start under Munoz this season.

However, his fortunes changed with Rohl’s arrival, seeing limited playing time and often being omitted from the matchday squad altogether since October. Despite interest from clubs like Derby and Mansfield Town in January, no agreement was reached with Wednesday, leaving fans puzzled about why Chansiri didn’t allow Gregory to leave given his apparent exclusion from Rohl’s plans.

Gregory is expected to leave the club upon the expiry of his contract, yet he will always be remembered fondly by Wednesday supporters for his significant contributions over the past three years.

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