Sheffield Wednesday receive offer for key man from Derby County but questions remain

Smith played a crucial role in the Owls’ promotion bid last season, scoring 18 League One goals to help spearhead their march into the Championship ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Reports in the media had suggested that Warne, who enjoyed some good times with Smith at Rotherham United, was eager to tempt him to Pride Park, and now The Star understands that they have come forward to Wednesday with an official loan bid.

Whether the Owls would be willing to consider letting the 31-year-old go on a temporary basis, especially considering his goal return last season, remains to be seen – and it would seem unlikely that a loan move would serve much of a purpose for the club.

With 59 direct goal contributions over the past two seasons ‘Smudga’ has been a key feature in securing back-to-back promotions for the Millers and Wednesday, and with Derby already one of the favourites to push on this season bringing the forward on board would offer them a huge boost to their promotion credentials.

Wednesday are unlikely to want to let Smith leave on loan, and with two years left to run on his Owls deal they’re very much in the driving seat when it comes to any negotiations that do take place – and with only a substantial fee giving them the chance to replace him then that could be the only viable option for Derby to pursue.

Smith didn’t feature on Friday night as Xisco’s side were beaten by Southampton 2-1.