Wrexham interested in popular Sheffield Wednesday figure - approach expected
League One high-flyers Wrexham have retained their interest in Sheffield Wednesday striker Michael Smith, The Star understands.
The big-spending Welsh club, who are backed by Hollywood money, are gunning for a second promotion on the spin having made the jump from League Two last season and are on the hunt for more options up top. They sit third in the third tier, level on points with second-placed Wycombe Wanderers and two points shy of two-in-hand leaders Birmingham City.
Wrexham were among the clubs to launch an interest in Smith over the summer. Though he was left out of the matchday squad for their FA Cup clash at Coventry City over the weekend, he has proven an important feature in the Owls squad, racking up five goals and six assists across all competitions. The Star is told Phil Parkinson’s side retain a firm interest in the forward and are expected to test the waters in the current transfer window.
Smith is out of contract in the summer and as things stand it is not known where Wednesday’s stance would lie on a potential sale - or what their valuation of the Geordie target man would be. In what has been a much talked-about window so far, Owls boss Danny Röhl has spoken about a desire to bring impact players into the squad and it could be that players are moved out to free up funds for any incoming targets.
Asked about Smith’s exclusion from the Owls squad that lost out on penalties at Coventry on Saturday, Röhl told The Star: “The situation is that I can only nominate a squad with 20 players and everybody is fit - or nearly everybody. I sometimes have to make some hard decisions and in this case it was Liam and Michael.
“For me it was more about giving the opportunity to someone like Olaf or Icky, who were both out for a long time after a long, long injury,” he continued. “Then you have to make a decision, it was in front, a decision not to go with three strikers and just one as a sub. For me it was then about giving some players minutes. If some players didn’t get minutes it is not easy but this is where we are.”