Sheffield Wednesday linked with ex-Leeds United starlet as Sheffield United defender could leave

Sheffield United fans will be hopeful that this summer transfer window brings in new talent to help secure their promotion to the Premier League which they so agonisingly missed out on last season.

Wednesday will be in a similar position themselves as they look ahead to the 2022/23 season, hoping that this will be the last campaign they feature in the third-tier division of English football for some time.

The Blades and the Owls have already seen several players being linked with transfer moves, but Paul Heckingbottom and Darren Moore will hope to bring in much more talent over the summer weeks as the transfer activity intensifies.

Here is all the latest transfer news involving the two Steel City clubs:

New signing’s reputation already ‘tainted’

Sheffield Wednesday recently signed Rotherham’s Michael Smith and the striker is now mourning what could have been after his move back into the third tier league.

Smith scored 19 goals for the Millers on their way to promotion into the Championship but rejected a new deal that would have kept him on with the team into his fifth year.

The 30-year-old was recently speaking to the Rotherham Advertiser and admitted he knew what impact his decision was likely to have with the fans who had been his biggest supporters over his four years at the South Yorkshire side.

“I’m a smart enough lad to know that my Rotherham reputation built up over four and a half years is going to be tainted now. I made the decision and I’m big enough to take everything that comes with it.

“I’ve given my all for the club. It’s really sad that it’s ended this way. Football is completely ruled by emotion and I ‘get’ the response to what I’ve done.

“Hopefully, once the dust has settled a bit, people might understand. They might not. That’s just part and parcel of it.”

However, his move to Wednesday may hopefully bring with it another promotion that can see him join his former side in the second-tier.

Interest grows in cast out United star

Reports from Yorkshire Live have suggested that Nottingham Forest have shown interest in defender Max Lowe but as yet no conversations have been had.

Lowe, 25, spent the last season on loan at Forest and was the subject of a bid back in January but as it fell under United’s valuation, Forest were then unable to follow through.

The defender is set to return to the Blades training set up and will form part of the tour heading out to Portugal in July.

Speaking about his player, Heckingbottom said: “He did great for them but they are probably interested in other left backs. He’s our player and he did well in this league.

“From my point of view, it’s more important we get players in before we let them out.

“Max still has a few years left with us, so there’s no rush. He’s been at a team that has got promoted, fantastic, but that’s also fantastic for us because he’s our player.”

Wednesday closing in on Hull City striker

Hull Live have recently reported that Sheffield Wednesday look close to signing Mallik Wilks.

Wilks, who began his career at Leeds United, has been a regular feature in Grant McCann’s set up but was unable to get on the scoresheet as much as he had been in the previous season.

An injury to his foot in December limited his availability and now it would appear the 23-year-old is looking to move on.

The Tigers activated a one-year extension on his current contract last month, but the striker is expected to be made available to move on and there has been no shortage of interest with Wednesday among the front-runners to sign him.