Sheffield Wednesday transfer pitch to Leeds must highlight big Huddersfield Town issue | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield Town are set to lock horns over the loan signing of Harry Gray

One of the most highly-rated youngsters out of the Leeds United academy is set to go out on loan to League One again this season, as Harry Gray looks to further his first-team development away from Elland Road.

Gray is the son of Andy Gray, the grandson of Frank Gray, the great nephew of Eddie Gray and the younger brother of Archie Gray, all of whom played for Leeds in their careers, with Eddie highly recognised as one of the greatest players in the club's history.

Therefore, it's no secret that the 17-year-old is well thought of in the Whites' fold, and after 15 goals in 22 appearances for Leeds' under-21s, it's evident that his next steps are to be exposed to senior football, and his first move came in January, when he joined Rotherham United.

The young frontman was unable to save the Millers from relegation to League Two, but did score three times in 20 third-tier games, and the expectation is that this season, he'll be sent to a better League One side and have the whole year to make an impact.

It's being reported that Leeds are favouring yet another local move to a Yorkshire side, with Huddersfield Town and Sheffield Wednesday amongst the frontrunners to land him, but it should be the latter that Leeds choose, rather than the former.

Huddersfield Town issues present red flags in Harry Gray pursuit

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It's arguable that, with the financial backing of Huddersfield under Kevin Nagle, and the fact that Sheffield Wednesday are still in the early stages of a rebuild from the ashes of Dejphon Chansiri's reign, the Terriers are better suited to make a promotion run next season.

However, that doesn't necessarily indicate that the Accu Stadium is the better place for Gray to continue his development in what's expected to be an important year for the 2008-born star.

While Huddersfield have lofty ambitions, they have fallen quite short of achieving them in the two years they've spent in League One, finishing outside the play-offs in both campaigns, which has led to a real toxic atmosphere brewing in that part of West Yorkshire.

That's clearly had its effects on some of the players, too, if they don't live up to the hype that those in the stands create around them.

Recently, the likes of Alfie May, Joe Taylor and Dion Charles, three potent frontmen at third-tier level before moving to Huddersfield, have failed to live up to their goalscoring prowess or hefty price tags at the Accu Stadium, which has fueled the frustration amongst the fanbase.

Gray didn't benefit from a rather negative environment at Rotherham last year, as the Millers sank without a trace and suffered their second relegation in three years from the Championship to League Two, and while Huddersfield won't be in any relegation danger, you'd expect a failure to be amongst the early pace-setters could see a similar setting being cultivated in the stands.

Sheffield Wednesday need strikers more than Huddersfield Town — Harry Gray could be that man

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Additionally, while Huddersfield are seemingly going through a little reshuffle at the top end of the pitch, with the likes of May and Charles leaving on loan, and perhaps Taylor to follow, too, new Terriers boss Martin Drury still has some good line-leading options to choose from.

Ashley Fletcher arrives from Blackpool this summer, following a couple of great seasons on the Fylde coast. Last season, he netted 21 times in all competitions.

Plus, Bojan Radulovic, when fit, was arguably Huddersfield's best striker last year, scoring eight and assisting five in just 23 third-tier outings. If both of them can stay fit, then the Terriers will have a strong striker core already, and Gray would be a clear backup option, perhaps even fourth-choice if Taylor stays put, too.

Meanwhile, Sheffield Wednesday's rebuilding state means that players are being targeted all across the pitch, and Henrik Pedersen's side will definitely be on the lookout for a new starting striker this summer.

Whether it was by design or not, Hillsborough proved to be a great place for young players who lack experience in a senior setup to prove themselves last season, and while the Owls can now sign players once more, there'll still be some focus on younger stars as Wednesday sets down a plan to get back into the Championship as soon as possible.

Granted, Sheffield Wednesday may want to focus more on developing their own 17-year-old striker in Will Grainger, who signed a new three-year deal this summer, but Gray's talents cannot be ignored, and he could provide good competition in a young frontline in South Yorkshire next year.

The atmosphere at Hillsborough hasn't been this positive in a long time, while the same definitely cannot be said about the Accu Stadium. That, plus the current striking options that both teams have, should sway Leeds towards choosing Sheffield Wednesday as Gray's next destination. The Owls, on their part, need to make that point very clear.