Much like Darren Moore before him, Danny Rohl has found out the hard way that a working relationship with Sheffield Wednesday chairman Dejphon Chansiri can become fractured.
The German boss won’t be overly pleased with the Owls’ lack of transfer activity, alongside cursing his side’s luck that Shea Charles has been recalled by Southampton, which was officially confirmed by Chansiri at a fiery five-hour fans forum.
However, with new developments suggesting that talks between Rohl and Chansiri have taken place, it would indicate that the South Yorkshire outfit could be busy in the final two weeks of the window with incomings.
The 35-year-old could well want some more attacking reinforcements, with Josh Windass standing out as the Owls’ top scorer, whilst other attackers unfortunately fade into the background.
Josh Windass' importance at Sheffield Wednesday
Windass is way out in front as Wednesday’s leading marksman in the Championship this season with ten strikes next to his name.
Michael Smith follows behind on five goals – but with various clubs circling for his signature this January – the Owls will feel they could miss out on being able to surge up the table based on their over-reliance on the enigmatic 31-year-old to come up trumps.
The standout Wednesday attacker is prone to a spell on the sidelines with injury too, with his numbers for the 2023/24 season seeing him fit for just 25 league games away from his impressive output of six goals and two assists.
But, if he can remain injury-free and keep up his current blistering form – which saw him score four times across the course of December before firing home a pearler versus Derby County – Rohl will know that he can be key to his team rising up the league standings.
But, with others arguably not pulling their weight up top, the door could open for the South Yorkshire side to go all out to land a dream partner for Windass.
Sheffield Wednesday could try to sign "incredible" attacker
As has been reported widely this month, Rohl’s side are one of a whole host of EFL clubs sniffing around Aston Villa ace Louie Barry, with a new twist perhaps boosting the Owls’ chances of landing the electric forward.
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Indeed, according to a report from Football Insider, Villa’s preference lies in Barry being moved onto a Championship club on loan this month amidst interest from further afield in the form of Celtic, with Wednesday potentially seeing the 21-year-old as an ideal player to bring in to help out Windass.
After all, Barry had put together his own back catalogue of audacious strikes playing for Stockport County in League One before being recalled, with one curled effort notably just one taster of his stunning 15 goals from 23 league appearances.
Barry entering the building as a statement move would no doubt see a hot-and-cold Djeidi Gassama drop out of the first team fold completely, with the number 41’s output not always at its sharpest.
Games played
23
24
Goals scored
15
3
Assists
2
1
Shots*
3.1
1.2
Big chances missed
6
0
Big chances created
5
1
Looking at the table above, the Wednesday target completely wipes the floor with Gassama in terms of their numbers in the EFL, with Barry far more willing to take risks to catch an opposition goalkeeper out.
On the contrary, his counterpart recedes into his shell far too often down the left, with 12 fewer goals next to his name despite making one more appearance.
It is, of course, all dependent on whether the “incredible” winger – as he was once labelled by Declan Rice – can tear defences apart in the same manner he did in League One in the division above.
But, if he is capable of similar heroics, he could completely transform Wednesday’s attacking game.
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ByStephan GeorgiouFeb 3, 2025
