Middlesbrough and Wrexham on red alert as striker leaves Sheffield Wednesday | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday confirmed Michael Smith's exit from the club on Thursday evening

Middlesbrough and Wrexham are two of the clubs on high alert following Michael Smith’s exit from Sheffield Wednesday.

According to the Daily Mail, the Owls’ Championship rivals are circling around the forward following his departure from Hillsborough.

Smith had his contract with the Yorkshire outfit terminated through mutual consent amid financial issues behind the scenes which has seen some players gone unpaid in three of the last four months.

The 33-year-old contributed eight goals and four assists in Danny Rohl’s side last season as the team finished 12th in the table.

Michael Smith eyed by Wrexham and Middlesbrough

It’s believed that a number of Championship and League One clubs are considering an approach for Smith given he is now a free agent.

Both Wrexham and Middlesbrough have been named as sides with an interest in the forward.

It remains to be seen what Smith’s preference is at this stage, with confirmation of his departure from Sheffield Wednesday coming on Thursday.

He, along with Josh Windass, will be hoping to find a new team ahead of the new campaign, which gets underway in just a few weeks.

Wrexham are readying for life in the Championship after gaining promotion from League One at the first attempt under Phil Parkinson last season.

Meanwhile, Rob Edwards is now in charge at Middlesbrough, replacing Michael Carrick as manager earlier this summer.

Michael Smith’s Sheffield Wednesday departure

Sheffield Wednesday confirmed Smith’s exit from the club with a statement on Thursday evening.

The Yorkshire outfit thanked the forward for his contributions to the team since joining in the summer of 2022, with Windass also leaving as well.

“The Owls can confirm that the current contracts of Michael Smith and Josh Windass have been terminated by mutual consent,” wrote the club, via their official website.

“Both players leave Hillsborough with immediate effect.

“Smith made 127 appearances for the Owls, scoring 33 goals, since signing in June 2022.

“Windass posted 182 appearances, scoring 53 goals, having joined Wednesday – initially on loan – in January 2020.

“Sheffield Wednesday thank Michael and Josh for their services and wish them well for the future.”

Clubs should be circling around Smith

Smith showed last season that he is still more than capable of competing at a Championship level, playing a hand in 12 goals for Sheffield Wednesday as they finished 12th.

He would be a solid addition at Middlesbrough, bolstering their attacking options and adding some depth to Edwards’ squad.

Wrexham are more in need of a proven goal scorer at this level, especially as their priority will be to just survive in the division beyond one year.

Given the excitement surrounding the Red Dragons, they could prove a very tempting proposition for the 33-year-old.