David Storch faces Sheffield Wednesday threat - it involves Derby County and Middlesbrough | OneFootball

A number of sides are eyeing up a move for Max Lowe as the experienced defender approaches the end of his contract at Sheffield Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday will be desperate to retain as many prised assets as possible heading into League One, in which a new and exciting dawn now awaits at Hillsborough following David Storch's recent takeover of the club.

The Owls endured a crisis campaign marred by points deductions and off-field turmoil as a result of former chairman Dejphon Chansiri, although Arise Capital Partners' purchase at the start of the month - led by Storch - has left Wednesdayites finally looking forward to a prosperous future.

Storch himself, of course, now has significant work to undertake both on and off-the-pitch in a bid to rebuild Wednesday ahead of the 2026/27 League One campaign and beyond.

Infrastructure and budgeting processes will naturally be taking place away from the field in the coming weeks and months, although the Owls will also be eager to provide Henrik Pedersen with a squad capable of competing in English football's third-tier while retaining a high number of assets after last summer's squad exodus saw the likes of Djeidi Gassama, Anthony Musaba, Michael Smith and Josh Windass all leave Hillsborough - before Barry Bannan's January switch to Millwall, too.

There are a few looming contractual situations to be ironed out as players head towards the expiration of their current deals in the blue-and-white quarters of the Steel City, and Svante Ingelsson and Max Lowe are among those poised to be out of contract this summer at the time of writing.

Both players have, however, earned admirers in recent times, and Lowe's future at Wednesday could now come into fresh doubt amid emerging interest in the full-back's services.

Derby County, Leicester City and Middlesbrough eyeing Sheffield Wednesday's Max Lowe

This latest development comes via a Monday morning report from The Star, which has claimed that Leicester City and Derby County have both made their interest clear as they plot a potential raid for Lowe.

The 29-year-old did, of course, begin his career at Derby before moving to the Owls' Steel City rivals Sheffield United, and there appears to be an interest in returning his signature to Pride Park ahead of the following campaign.

Meanwhile, the report has added that Middlesbrough are also interested in sealing a move on the condition that their ongoing bid for promotion to the Premier League falls short, with Kim Hellberg's side having played out a 0-0 draw at home to Southampton in the first leg of the play-off semi-finals.

It's said that Lowe, who is separately stated to be of interest to Stoke City alongside the aforementioned Ingelsson, is receptive to renewing his terms with Pedersen's side in spite of relegation to League One.

However, Wednesday's budget constraints will remain intact following Storch's takeover, and they will need to be shrewd in any forthcoming dealings this summer. Players on retained contracts will reportedly be subjected to a wage drop of between 40 and 50 per cent, which could cast doubt over a number of futures at the club as yet another rebuild looms.

Lowe has been an ever-present for Pedersen throughout the campaign when fit, making 28 appearances in the Championship.

How exactly the left-back feels about joining a side with potential promotion ambitions in the second-tier next season, though, despite his own stance on penning fresh terms with the Owls, remains unclear right now.

Retaining Max Lowe would be key for Sheffield Wednesday in 26/27

Retaining Lowe's services represents a crucial call of duty for Wednesday's key decision-makers, whose squad-building efforts will revolve around a sweeping turnover of players and a young-ish make-up of the club's roster following the emergences of multiple exciting homegrown academy products in the recently-concluded campaign.

Somebody of Lowe's standing and experience, then, will be vital across a gruelling 46-game slog in League One, and his proven quality over the years at Championship level means that he would be a huge asset in the third-tier.

Wednesday may be heading into a new era, but Lowe has been through it all already and still has plenty to offer as the club looks to rebuild and enjoy a sense of rejuvenation under Storch's ownership.

It's no great surprise that Lowe has a series of second-tier suitors, though the Owls must be doing everything in their power to ensure that the popular defender remains in blue-and-white.