The Sheffield Wednesday players who are going to leave in 2025 if nothing is done | OneFootball

We looked at which Sheffield Wednesday players are set to leave the club at the end of their contracts in the summer.

It has been a decent season so far for Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship, but manager Danny Rohl is facing a number of big contract decisions in the second half of the campaign.

After narrowly avoiding relegation last term, Wednesday have made clear progress under Rohl this season, and while a play-off push may be a step too far at this stage, a top-half finish is certainly a realistic ambition.

It was a busy summer for the Owls as 11 new signings arrived during the course of the transfer window, and many of those new additions have made a big impact in the opening months of the season.

In addition to their strong transfer business, Wednesday also tied the likes of Liam Palmer, Di'Shon Bernard, Dominic Iorfa, Barry Bannan and Josh Windass down to new contracts, meaning that they will avoid a repeat of the nightmare scenario that saw 19 senior players out of contract this summer.

However, there are still a number of Owls stars who are about to enter their last six months of their current contracts, and we looked at who will be leaving in the summer as things stand.

Pol Valentin

Defender Pol Valentin made the move to Wednesday from Spanish side Sporting Gijon last summer, and he made 40 appearances in all competitions last season.

Valentin endured a tough start to his Owls career, but in his defence, he was far from the only player to struggle under Xisco Munoz, and he became one of the club's most improved players over the course of the campaign, establishing himself as a firm fan favourite.

The 27-year-old's place in the team has been less secure this season following the arrival of Yan Valery from Angers in the summer, but there are many Wednesday supporters who feel that he deserves to start much more frequently.

Maccabi Tel Aviv had a bid rejected for Valentin in September, but it is believed that the Israeli side could make another approach in the future, so the Owls may need to open negotiations with the Spaniard soon if they are to keep hold of him.

Akin Famewo

Defender Akin Famewo joined Wednesday from Norwich City in the summer of 2022, and he has been a consistent performer for the club over the past two-and-a-half years.

Famewo found it difficult to establish himself in the team in the early stages of his time at Hillsborough, but Rohl is certainly a big fan of the 26-year-old, and he was in fine form until he suffered a serious muscle injury in late October that is expected to keep him out for a few more months.

Injuries have been a problem for Famewo during his time at Wednesday, but despite that, the club are reportedly keen to tie him down to a new contract, and that would be a deserved reward for his strong performances this season when fit.

Marvin Johnson

Winger Marvin Johnson arrived at Hillsborough from Middlesbrough in August 2021, and Wednesday triggered their option to keep him at the club for a further year this summer.

Despite playing a key role in the club's promotion from League One in the 2022-23 campaign, Johnson was surprisingly frozen out by former manager Munoz at the start of last season, much to the frustration of Owls supporters, and he even ended up training in Dubai.

However, Johnson was immediately brought back into the fold by Rohl, and he went on to play a crucial part in Wednesday's survival last season, scoring four goals and providing four assists in 30 appearances.

Having just turned 34, Johnson is entering the latter stages of his career, but if he can maintain his current form, it will be a no-brainer for the Owls to offer him another extension in the summer.

Callum Paterson

Callum Paterson made the move to Wednesday from Cardiff City in September 2020, and he has played in a host of different positions for the club over the last four years, including centre-back, wing-back, central midfield and up front.

As with Johnson, the Owls activated their option to keep Paterson at Hillsborough for a further year this summer, but despite Rohl opting to retain his services, he found himself out of favour at the start of the season.

It was revealed in August that Paterson was free to leave the club if a suitable offer came along, and given that he did not make his first league appearance of the season until early October, it looked as though a January exit for the 30-year-old was inevitable.

Paterson has forced his way back into contention in recent weeks, putting in a number of committed performances after being introduced from the bench, but that is unlikely to be enough to save his Wednesday career.

Michael Smith

Striker Michael Smith joined Wednesday from Rotherham United in June 2022, and he played a key role in his side's promotion from League One in his first season at the club, scoring 20 goals and registering eight assists in 49 games.

Smith's minutes became a little more limited in the Championship, and after he scored just four goals in 34 appearances last season, he was widely expected to depart Hillsborough in the summer, with Wrexham believed to have been one of the clubs interested in the 33-year-old.

However, with Ike Ugbo, Jamal Lowe and Charlie McNeill all struggling for form, Smith has played a much bigger role this season than anyone could have expected, and his transformation has been one of the biggest surprises of the campaign.

There are still question marks over whether Smith has a long-term future at the club, particularly as bringing in a new striker is likely to be a priority for the Owls in January, but he has certainly done his chances of earning a new contract no harm.