Sheffield Wednesday in talks with agents over new deals - when they expect answers

Owls boss Danny Röhl made clear some weeks ago that the situation would be broached with the great number of players coming to the end of their deals at S6 ahead of what could stand to be yet another summer turnover of players regardless of what divisional status they secure for next season.

The Star understands that Josh Windass, Di'Shon Bernard and Barry Bannan are among the players Röhl intends of keeping at S6, though negotiations will have to be had to make that happen. The likes of Liam Palmer, Dominic Iorfa, Cameron Dawson and others are also believed to be approaching the end of their deals.

"I have had some conversations of course," Röhl told The Star. "I have had a lot of conversations with my players. Nearly everybody knows what is in my mind and we have now had some conversations with the agents. But we know also it is not easy to make a plan for next season of course. It is our job to prepare the right steps so we can make them when we know exactly where we are. This is our situation, we are positive and everybody recognises how we improve players, how we want to play football. This is helpful, to show them the next step and the way to go together. The final decisions will come later in the season, of course."

Wednesday sit seven points and a weighty goal difference short of the safety spots in the Championship table heading into this weekend's important away clash at out-of-form Millwall. Röhl is a manager that has spoken about the medium and longer-term vision he has for Wednesday and while he is not dwelling too much on the prospect of the drop to League One, he did concede the club have to prepare for both eventualities both in terms of contracts and in the transfer market.

Röhl said: "For me I have only one situation in my mind because I don't want the negative thing, I am still on positive things. But of course you need to start deciding what happens 'if' and what could you squad look like 'if'. It is a topic but for me it is about my direction, being positive and sticking to what is in my mind. I have players I want to stay next season in the Championship to make the squad better. At first we must take the right points and the right results."