Sheffield Wednesday striker Michael Smith is not a target for Rotherham United, Millers boss Steve Evans has said.
Sheffield Wednesday have had a busy summer transfer window so far, but they’re not looking to end their business just yet.
A new talisman is at the top of the shopping list for Danny Rohl, and it could be that a signing pushes someone out the door. Charlie McNeill has come in while Jamal Lowe is another new addition who can operate there, but a leading number nine is wanted.
It remains to be seen just what the Owls’ stance is, but the experienced Michael Smith has been tipped with a move away from Hillsborough.
That has piqued interests among the fans at Yorkshire rivals Rotherham United, where Smith was signed from two years ago.
However, speaking to the Rotherham Advertiser, Millers boss Steve Evans has played down any potential interest in the Sheffield Wednesday striker.
Evans made no secret of his admiration for ‘Smudge’, but insisted no contact has been made with plenty of attacking options already on the books at the AESSEAL New York Stadium. He said:
“But we’ve had the best League One signing of the whole transfer window in Jonson [Clarke-Harris]. Would I love Smudge in the squad? Yeah, but we’ve a good balance.
“We’ve got Clarke-Harris, we’ve got Jordan Hugill, we’ve got Sam Nombe, we’ve got Asapa Osong and Joe Hungbo can play up there – he’s got great feet and is a very talented boy.”
When quizzed on whether money had anything to do with a decision not to pursue the Sheffield Wednesday man, Evans replied:
“It’s nothing to do with finances. We’ve never picked up the phone to Michael.”
Best for Smith?
Smith has been a great servant for Sheffield Wednesday over the past two years. He helped them win promotion back from League One but his game time fell away last season, especially under Danny Rohl.
As such, many are expecting that it will be him who moves on from the Owls if the door does open for a striker to depart Hillsborough this summer.
If that is the case, League One seems a likely destination for the 32-year-old.
Smith has starred at that level before, netting 75 times and providing 29 assists in 257 games in the third-tier. He has been an asset in the Championship before, but if regular starts are wanted, a League One switch could be for the best.
No Millers move
Smith’s return to Rotherham United would be an eye-catching one given that he left the club for Sheffield Wednesday in 2022. However, as Evans explained, there’s no real need for another striker as it stands.
The signing of Clarke-Harris means Smith would likely be hard pressed for regular starts too. Even then, there’s Hugill, Nombe, Osong and the versatile Hungbo to battle with for minutes.
His potential availability will pique interests elsewhere though, maybe even with another club towards the top end of League One.
It remains to be seen just how his immediate future pans out though with Sheffield Wednesday still on the lookout for another striker.
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