It has been a tough season for Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship so far.
The Owls were promoted from League One last season after beating Barnsley in the play-off final at Wembley in May, but they are in serious danger of making an immediate return to the third tier.
Wednesday made their worst start to a season in their history, resulting in the sacking of Xisco Munoz in October, and while performances and results initially picked up under Danny Rohl, their form has declined once again in recent weeks.
The Owls suffered a comprehensive 4-0 defeat against relegation rivals Huddersfield Town at the John Smith’s Stadium on Saturday, leaving them sitting 23rd in the table, eight points from safety.
| Championship Table (As it stands February 5th) | ||||
| Team | P | GD | Pts | |
| 17 | Swansea City | 30 | -9 | 33 |
| 18 | Blackburn Rovers | 29 | -13 | 33 |
| 19 | Birmingham City | 29 | -11 | 32 |
| 20 | Stoke City | 30 | -14 | 32 |
| 21 | Huddersfield Town | 30 | -14 | 31 |
| 22 | QPR | 30 | -14 | 28 |
| 23 | Sheffield Wednesday | 30 | -28 | 23 |
| 24 | Rotherham United | 29 | -29 | 19 |
Forward Josh Windass played a crucial role for Wednesday last season, scoring 16 goals and providing seven assists in 42 appearances in all competitions, and he wrote his name into the club’s history books when he scored a 123rd-minute winner in the play-off final to seal promotion.
Windass has struggled with injury at times this campaign, but he has remained an important part of the team, scoring four goals and registering two assists in 22 games so far.
However, Windass’ future is uncertain as he enters the final six months of his contract, and we rounded up all the latest news on the 30-year-old’s situation at Hillsborough.
Latest on Josh Windass’ Sheffield Wednesday future
Windass initially joined Wednesday on loan from Wigan Athletic in January 2020 before making the move permanent that summer, and he has attracted plenty of interest from elsewhere during his time in South Yorkshire.
According to The Star, Southampton were keen on Windass in the summer following their relegation to the Championship, but the Saints did not test the Owls’ resolve with a bid.
Argentinean side Club Atlético Talleres reportedly made a six-figure offer for Windass in the summer of 2022, and Sky Sports Transfer Centre (January 4, 2:50pm) claimed that they had reignited their interest and were plotting a summer move.
The Athletic’s Tom Bogert reported last month that two MLS sides were keeping tabs on Windass, but a move to the United States did not materialise.
Wednesday will have been delighted to keep hold of Windass in January, but with his contract set to expire in the summer, speculation about his future will soon gather pace once again unless he signs an extension.
Josh Windass’ wages at Sheffield Wednesday
According to Capology, Windass earns £15,000 per week and £780,000 per year at Wednesday, although it should be stressed that this is an estimate.
That would make Windass the club’s joint-eighth highest paid player, along with Callum Paterson and Ashley Fletcher.
Windass receives significantly less than the Owls’ highest-paid player, midfielder Jeff Hendrick, who takes home £35,000 per week, although parent club Newcastle United are likely contributing to his wages, while Barry Bannan, Kristian Pedersen, Michael Smith, Will Vaulks, Ike Ugbo and Michael Ihiekwe also earn more than the forward.
While Wednesday chairman Dejphon Chansiri has been reluctant to pay transfer fees in recent years, he is known to be willing to pay high wages, so he should be able to make Windass a decent offer in the summer, but that could change if the Owls are relegated to League One.
Josh Windass’ contract situation at Sheffield Wednesday
As previously mentioned, Windass’ contract at Hillsborough expires at the end of the season, but according to The Star, the Owls are set to open talks with the forward over an extension.
It is no surprise that Wednesday are keen to keep hold of Windass given his importance to the side, and they recently received hope that he could commit his future to the club when he spoke of how much he is enjoying life under Rohl.
“He’s not really spoken to me individually that much, but the way he sees football and coaches football is the way I see it,” Windass told the Sheffield Star last month.
“He’s the best coach I’ve ever had by far and the way he sees football and explains it with Henrik (Pedersen) and the staff, I think they’re unbelievable to be honest at what they do.
“I said when he first got the job, if it’s good enough for Thomas Muller, then it’s good enough for us!
“He shows us clips of Bayern Munich now, they’re a far better team but the ideas and stuff is the same.
“He’s taught us a lot and it’s all stuff that’s right. It’s nice to have someone come in who shares your belief in how football should be played.”
However, with relegation looking increasingly inevitable following the defeat to Huddersfield at the weekend, it remains to be seen whether Windass would be willing to drop down to League One again, and with the prospect of significant interest in the summer, the Owls could be facing a battle to hold on to one of their key men.