Sheffield Wednesday hoping to secure contract extension for key man amid continued interest from QPR and Millwall

The Wednesday manager said in a pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s trip to Charlton Athletic that he was hoping to seal new contracts for members of his current squad.

And The Star understands one of those players is Josh Windass, for whom the Owls rejected two bids from Championship Millwall – one believed to be in the region of £1m – earlier this summer.

Windass has had surgery on a hamstring injury suffered in a preseason run-out at West Brom last month and will spend the opening weeks of Wednesday’s League One campaign watching on from the sidelines.

But that has not deterred Wednesday from entering discussions to tie last season’s top goalscorer down beyond the terms of his current deal.

His existing contract would keep Windass at the club until the end of the season, though the club have a year’s option on the 27-year-old that when activated could keep him at S6 until the summer of 2023.

The Star also understands that the likes of Millwall and QPR retain an interest in Windass and are keeping tabs on his situation, though his injury means any firm bids in the short-term seem unlikely.

Sam Hutchinson signed a new contract with the Owls last week, while 19-year-old understudy goalkeeper Luke Jackson extended his deal.

Asked of any further contract negotiations, Moore confirmed there was existing activity within the club on that front and that it was all part of a major Owls rebuild that has seen a raft of new players through the door this season.

Moore said on Thursday: “We are in talks with one or two more here. Hopefully we can bring that to a conclusion and some of those players will see fit to extend and stay on.

“It is all part of building and laying the foundations for the future.”

Without Windass, Wednesday’s League One campaign got underway on Saturday as they battled to a hard-earned goalless draw at likely promotion hopefuls Charlton Athletic.