Sheffield Wednesday: Josh Windass and Will Vaulks developments will not help Dejphon Chansiri - View | OneFootball

It is a big summer for Sheffield Wednesday after they secured survival in the Championship.

The Owls looked destined to make an immediate return to League One after a disastrous start to the season under Xisco Munoz, but they achieved safety after a remarkable turnaround under Danny Rohl as they finished 20th in the table.

There were fears among Wednesday supporters that the club would lose Rohl this summer, but the German signed a new long-term contract at Hillsborough last month.

It could be a busy summer for the Owls as Rohl looks to rebuild his squad, and loanees James Beadle, Kristian Pedersen, Jeff Hendrick, Momo Diaby, Ian Poveda, Ike Ugbo, and Ashley Fletcher have returned to their parent clubs, while Ciaran Brennan, Reece James, George Byers, Tyreeq Bakinson, Juan Delgado and Lee Gregory have been released at the end of their contracts.

Cameron Dawson, Liam Palmer, Dominic Iorfa, Di'Shon Bernard, Will Vaulks, Barry Bannan and Josh Windass were all offered new deals, but so far, only Palmer and Bannan have committed their futures to the club.

It was revealed earlier this month that Dawson is set to leave the club in search of regular first team football, and Vaulks turned down a new contract to join newly-promoted Oxford United earlier this week.

Football Insider revealed on Friday morning that Windass is the latest player to reject a new deal with Wednesday, and he will reportedly leave the club amid interest from Coventry City, Hull City, Derby County, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion and Birmingham City.

Dawson's imminent exit is not a surprise, but it is a huge blow for the Owls to lose Vaulks and Windass, and their decision to leave will increase scrutiny on owner Dejphon Chansiri.

Dejphon Chansiri is under pressure after Josh Windass and Will Vaulks news

Forward Windass joined the Owls from Wigan Athletic in January 2020, and he has been a crucial player for the club over the last four-and-a-half years, contributing with some crucial goals, most notably a 123rd-minute winner against Barnsley in the play-off final at Wembley last May to secure promotion from League One.

The 30-year-old scored seven goals and provided two assists in 28 appearances during an injury-disrupted season this term, and he once again stepped up when his team needed him, netting three goals in the last three games to help secure survival.

It was reported last week that Windass was on the verge of signing a new contract with Wednesday, but he is now set to leave the club, suggesting that there has been a significant chance in circumstances, or he has received a better offer from elsewhere.

While Windass did struggle with injury this season, he was a regular starter whenever fit under Rohl, and it will be incredibly tough for the Owls to replace him with a player of similar quality, particularly given Chansiri's reluctance to spend transfer fees, so there is no doubt his exit is a huge blow.

Midfielder Vaulks played a key role in Wednesday's promotion after joining from Cardiff City in the summer of 2022, but he surprisingly found himself out of favour under Munoz at the start of the season.

Vaulks was linked with a move to Derby County last summer, but he remained at Hillsborough, and he enjoyed an impressive turnaround in fortunes after Rohl's arrival in October.

The 30-year-old registered three assists in 37 appearances in all competitions this season, and he was deservedly voted as the club's Player of the Year by supporters.

It was a big shock to see Vaulks reject a new deal with the Owls to join Oxford, and his explanation of the reasons behind his decision will be concerning for Wednesday supporters.

"I can’t say too much. The only thing I can say is that Oxford showed massive ambition. They have a structure in place, a budget they’re allowed to spend, and a manager and a head of recruitment that want to get things done," Vaulks told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"I didn’t feel that from Wednesday, but I’m not going to be bitter about it. I can’t go into too much detail about it, but, rest assured, it’s not me being greedy or anything like that, it’s just sometimes you need to feel wanted and that you’re going to be part of something moving forwards.

"That’s what Oxford did, and they were so professional in the way they did it. From minute one they made it clear they were heading in the right direction. So, we shake hands and move on. It’s always hard when you get put on a retained list or an offered list, as you never know what that means. I can leave with my head held high, I have no qualms about that."

It seems that Vaulks did not feel wanted by Wednesday, and that is surprising given the fact he was their best player this season, while his comments imply that he feels there is a lack of structure at the club, which could be seen as a direct criticism of Chansiri.

Vaulks will be a big loss for the Owls both on and off the pitch, and his departure leaves Bannan as the only central midfielder at the club, putting pressure on Chansiri to give Rohl the backing needed to bolster that area of the team.

Chansiri rightly received praise for convincing Rohl to sign a new contract at the club, but the optics of two of Wednesday's key players turning down new contracts are not good for the owner.

Whether Vaulks and Windass' departures are for financial or football reasons, it is clear that the offers made to them were not attractive enough, and Chansiri will now need to spend on replacements, which will cost more than it would have done to have kept hold of the pair.

Protests against Chansiri have subsided in recent months, but it will not take long for that discontent to return again, and developments this week have made it even more essential that Rohl is supported in the transfer market.