Failed Sheffield Wednesday, Derby County deal may come as Wrexham contract warning: View | OneFootball

Striker Jack Marriott's failed loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday may be a concern for Wrexham as they weigh up whether to offer him a new deal.

Sheffield Wednesday will be hoping for a much-improved campaign in the Championship this season.

Wednesday narrowly avoided relegation last season following a remarkable turnaround under Danny Rohl and there is plenty of optimism that they can climb the table in the year ahead.

It was a busy summer for the Owls with 11 new signings arriving at Hillsborough, including the likes of James Beadle, Yan Valery, Max Lowe, Shea Charles, Jamal Lowe, and Ike Ugbo, and many of the new additions have already made a big impact.

This summer's transfer window was largely viewed as a success but not all of Wednesday's transfer dealings have been as positive over the years, and there have been plenty of underwhelming signings during owner Dejphon Chansiri's tenure.

While he is far from the most high-profile transfer flop of the Chansiri era, one notable example of a failed signing is striker Jack Marriott, who spent the 2020-21 season on loan with the Owls from Derby County.

Marriott joined Wednesday on loan from Derby in October 2020 on the final day of the transfer window and there was hope that he could be the man to score the goals to keep the club in the Championship.

Some Owls supporters were concerned by the signing of Marriott given that he had scored just three goals in 37 games for the Rams the previous season. Still, there was an acceptance that it was going to be difficult to attract a prolific striker with the club sitting bottom of the table after a points deduction. He was seen by most as a decent option in the circumstances.

Marriott was immediately thrown into the starting line-up by Garry Monk after his arrival but he struggled to find his form and he was sidelined for over two months after suffering a calf injury in November.

The 30-year-old found his game time limited after returning to fitness in January and he made his last appearance for Wednesday in March before being left out of the matchday squad for the rest of the season after falling out of favour under new manager Darren Moore.

In Marriott's defence, his time at Hillsborough was severely disrupted by injury and the constant managerial changes throughout the season did not help him but the fact that he was unable to break into a team that ultimately suffered relegation is a poor reflection on the striker.

The forward failed to score a single goal or register an assist in an Owls shirt and it is fair to say that his spell in South Yorkshire is one that both parties will be desperate to forget.

Jack Marriott's Sheffield Wednesday struggles are a warning to Wrexham

After underwhelming stints with Peterborough United and Fleetwood Town after his Wednesday exit, Marriott is currently rebuilding his career with Wrexham.

Marriott joined the Red Dragons in January, and although he scored just once in 17 appearances in the second half of last season as Phil Parkinson's men won promotion from League Two, he has been a surprise starter in League One so far this season.

The striker has enjoyed an excellent start to the campaign and he is currently among the top scorers in the third tier, with five league goals in 10 games and his impressive form keeping talisman Paul Mullin and the experienced Steven Fletcher out of the team.

Marriott's contract at the SToK Cae Ras is set to expire in the summer, giving Parkinson a big decision to make on whether to offer him a new deal or not, and his time at Hillsborough may be a cause for concern for the 56-year-old.

Wrexham are targeting a third consecutive promotion this season, and should they find themselves in the Championship next term, there would be serious question marks over whether Marriott could deliver after his struggles during his loan spell at Wednesday and his second season at Derby.

He did score some crucial goals in his first season at Pride Park, while he also netted nine goals in 30 games for relegated Peterborough in the 2021-22 campaign, so it could be argued that he deserves another chance in the second tier.

However, the Red Dragons are known to be incredibly ambitious under the ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, and they will want to continue their progress once they eventually reach the Championship, so if they were to achieve promotion this season, Parkinson may need to make a ruthless call on Marriott's future.

Wrexham will want to make any contract call based on more than just one strong season and the striker's failed Derby, Wednesday deal may well warn them off an extension.