Michael Smith? The 3 Sheffield Wednesday players that need to prove a point in pre-season or risk 2024/25 axe | OneFootball

We looked at three Sheffield Wednesday players that will need to prove their worth during pre-season.

Highlights

It is a big summer for Sheffield Wednesday after they secured survival in the Championship.

The Owls looked destined to make an immediate return to League One after a disastrous start to the season under Xisco Munoz, but they achieved safety after a remarkable turnaround under Danny Rohl as they finished 20th in the table.

Wednesday received a huge boost last month as Rohl signed a new long-term contract, and it could be a busy summer as the German looks to rebuild his squad.

The Owls have already made three signings this summer, with Ben Hamer, Max Lowe and Yan Valery arriving at Hillsborough, and that is unlikely to be the end of the club's summer transfer business.

Ciaran Brennan, Reece James, George Byers, Tyreeq Bakinson, Juan Delgado and Lee Gregory have been released at the end of their contracts, while Cameron Dawson and Will Vaulks have turned down the offer of a new deal to join Rotherham United and Oxford United respectively.

There could be further departures from the club before the closure of the window, and we looked at three players that will need to prove their worth to Rohl in pre-season.

Pol Valentin

Few would have expected Pol Valentin to be on a list of players with a point to prove after his excellent second half of the season, but the Spaniard is facing an uncertain situation at Hillsborough.

Valentin joined Wednesday from Sporting Gijon last summer, and after a difficult start to his time in South Yorkshire, he found himself out of the team after Rohl's arrival.

However, Valentin was handed an opportunity over the festive period, and he certainly took his chance, establishing himself as the Owls' number one right-back and playing a crucial role in the club's survival.

Valentin was one of Wednesday's most improved players over the course of the campaign, and after making 40 appearances in all competitions, many assumed the 27-year-old would retain his place in the team next season, but his spot is now under threat after the signing of Valery from Angers.

Valery is known to Rohl from his time as a coach at Southampton, and given the fact that the Owls paid a transfer fee for the Tunisian international, it seems likely he will be a starter.

Valentin will still have an important role to play next term, but with competition from Valery and Palmer at right-back, he will certainly need to impress Rohl in pre-season.

Mallik Wilks

While Valentin has shown that he can be a consistent performer in the Championship, the same cannot be said for Mallik Wilks, and he is the Wednesday player with the biggest point to prove in pre-season.

After a lengthy transfer pursuit, the winger joined the Owls from Hull City in August 2022, but he failed to live up to expectations in an injury-disrupted first season at the club as he scored two goals and provided five assists in 24 games in all competitions.

Wilks continued to be plagued by injury last season, and after he scored just one goal in 18 appearances in all competitions, his future at Hillsborough looks incredibly uncertain.

The 25-year-old struggled to make an impact whenever given a chance by Rohl last season, and as Wednesday are likely to strengthen in the wide areas this summer, he could be pushed even further down the pecking order.

According to Football Insider, League One trio Charlton Athletic, Reading and Stockport County are all interested in Wilks, but Owls owner Dejphon Chansiri has been known to set unrealistic valuations of players in the past, so his future may not be resolved until late in the window.

With pre-season set to get underway, Wilks will need to come back fit and show Rohl what he is capable of, but after a disappointing two-year spell at the club, his exit seems inevitable.

Michael Smith

Striker Michael Smith arrived at Hillsborough from Rotherham United in June 2022, and he scored 20 goals and registered eight assists in 49 games in all competitions to help Wednesday to promotion from League One in his first season at the club.

Smith's game time became limited in the Championship under both Munoz and Rohl, and he was linked with a move to League One side Derby County in January.

According to BBC Derby Sport, the Rams made a loan offer for Smith, including a "significant wage contribution", but Wednesday were said to be "demanding an excessive fee in return".

Smith remained with the Owls, and while he was not a regular starter, he was an important part of the squad in the second half of the season, particularly in the latter stages of the campaign as Rohl took a more direct approach.

However, Smith scored just four goals in 34 games last season, which raises doubts over his future at the club, and there are question marks over whether he fits into Rohl's style of play.

Bringing in attacking reinforcements will be a priority for Rohl this summer, so Smith could find his minutes restricted once again next season, and if he does not impress in pre-season, he is another player that could be moved on.