'Ball is in Norwich City's court' over Jordan Rhodes, says Sheffield Wednesday boss Steve Bruce

The striker, an £8million signing from Middlesbrough in February 2017, is back at Hillsborough, having spent last season on loan with the Canaries. Rhodes claimed nine goals in 40 outings to help Norwich secure promotion to the Premier League.

The Canaries have previously expressed an interest in signing Rhodes on a permanent basis.

But although the Canaries remain admirers of Rhodes, Stuart Webber, the Canaries sporting director, has suggested it is unlikely he will return to Carrow Road.

Speaking at Owls in the Park, Bruce, who takes his Wednesday squad to Portugal for a 10-day training camp on Monday, said: "I had a conversation with Norwich which I reiterated to Jordan himself and really the ball is in Norwich's court.

"They are a Premier League team. We will wait to see if they eventually make a bid. At this particular moment, they haven't so where we are at the moment is we are starting pre-season and Jordan is our player. His loan deal has now run out so he comes back into the fray.

"Like I said when I first came into the club, for Jordan and everybody else, I will pick a team on what I see in front of me.

"He's not a bad one to have back, let's be brutally honest, so we will see.

"But when you look at the strikers we have got compared to wide players and midfield players, we are still a bit unbalanced so in that respect we still have a bit to do."

Kadeem Harris, Moses Odubajo and Julian Börner attended Owls in the Park, the club's community fun day, along with the rest of the first-team squad. The trio signed autographs and posed for pictures with fans, despite having not yet been officially unveiled as new signings.

Wednesday are currently unable to register new players because they under a soft transfer embargo due to filing their accounts late to the English Football League.

But The Star understands the Owls are close to satisfying the EFL's requirements and could have the embargo lifted this week.