Sheffield Wednesday will now be preparing for another rollercoaster season in the Championship after Danny Rohl's Owls pulled off a miraculous relegation escape to stay put in the second tier.
A six-match unbeaten run to close out the campaign ensured Wednesday didn't fall through the trapdoor, with three wins on the bounce right at the end putting a smile on the face of everyone associated with the South Yorkshire titans.
Still, there will now be a feeling at Hillsborough that Wednesday will want to kick on and not be resigned to another relegation battle next season, with the potential for a number of positive incomings to walk through the door in the summer.
The rejuvenated Owls could even look to reignite a failed deal from the January transfer window, especially with the recent development that Lee Gregory is now a free agent.
Wednesday looking at failed transfer target again
Casting your mind back to January, it's easy to forget about a major transfer saga that transpired at the bottom end of the Championship table.
Blackburn Rovers and Wednesday tussled over the signature of Orlando City striker Duncan McGuire right until deadline day, with the American centre-forward looking to have sealed a deal to join the Riversiders at the very last moment at the expense of Rohl's men.
But, due to a last-second paperwork issue, a deal never went through and now Wednesday could look to pounce again to further add insult to injury.
The Sheffield Star are reporting that Rohl's men are still keen admirers and could look to clinch a move this time around for their failed transfer target, softening the blow of club legend Gregory leaving in the process.
How McGuire would fit in at Wednesday
Anthony Musaba would, no doubt, love to line up alongside the deadly American centre-forward if a move can finally be done, with the 23-year-old winger enjoying himself with electric displays at the close of the campaign even when games became more pressurised.
Musaba's assists total for Wednesday – which stood at a respectable five from 48 contests this season – would very much rise you imagine if McGuire relocates to South Yorkshire.
McGuire has continued to live up to his "lethal" billing handed out to him by Orlando boss Oscar Pareja in 2023, even with the disappointment of a failed EFL move hovering over him, with six goals from 13 games this year.
Player
Club
Games played
Goals scored
McGuire
Orlando
50
21
Gregory
Wednesday
101
29
Sourced by Transfermarkt
With the 23-year-old attacker not far off Gregory's Owls total playing out in America, from half the games, the failed Blackburn signing could come into his own even more by lining up alongside the likes of Musaba in his new location.
In the latter stages of the campaign, Musaba and other attackers at Rohl's disposal were unstoppable at points alongside Troyes loanee Ike Ugbo with the Dutchman assisting Ugbo's opener away at Millwall in mid-February before firing home his own effort.
The ex-AS Monaco man took over goalscoring duties more frequently when push came to shove in crunch clashes from here on in, scoring against West Bromwich Albion in the penultimate game of the season to heroically play his part in the emphatic 3-0 victory.
If the Owls cannot get Ugbo back permanently, and need another new face up top with Gregory exiting, attempting an ambitious capture of McGuire again could be the way to go.
