Once a leading man up top for Sheffield Wednesday, it's fair to say Michael Smith has tumbled down the Owls pecking order as of late.
Under Darren Moore during Wednesday's triumphant promotion campaign up to the Championship, the ex-Rotherham United man would help himself to 17 strikes from 42 games. In stark contrast, last season, the towering centre-forward would only manage to register a meagre four goals.
There were attempts to remove him from the building in January, but a move to link back up with his former Millers manager in Paul Warne at Derby County never came to fruition, with his future now up in the air again at Hillsborough this off-season.
It's been no secret either that the South Yorkshire side are targeting new striker recruits too, with one deal potentially in the works.
Wednesday interested in ex-Cardiff City star
As per a recent report by AfricaFoot, Wednesday are very much keen on snapping up the services of Las Palmas striker Sory Kaba this transfer window, with a loan-to-buy move originally the preferred move for all parties involved.
However, as per football journalist Darren Witcoop, an unnamed Championship outfit have now put forward a £1.3m bid to the Spanish club to try and tempt Kaba to join.
This mysterious second-tier club could well be Danny Rohl's side, who are itching to bolster their centre-forward spots, having found it difficult to try and gain back Ike Ugbo on a permanent basis so far.
Football journalist Alan Nixon revealed that Ugbo's current employers in Troyes want a bumper £4.5m for the former Chelsea youth player, and so Kaba could represent a cheaper and more effective deal in the long run.
What Kaba could offer Wednesday
Struggling out in Spain, minus scoring an occasional beauty like the goal below, Kaba would surely welcome a return to the Championship after starring previously for Cardiff City.
He could become even more of a deadlier finisher partnered next to Anthony Musaba in attack, and with his lofty 6 foot 3 frame, he might well be the best possible Smith replacement.
The powerful Guinean forward would amass eight goals from only 17 games playing in the Welsh capital, instantly becoming a major fan's favourite for those with connections to the Bluebirds in the process.
That electric purple patch Kaba experienced in Wales further makes Smith's drop-off in form for Wednesday look even more concerning, considering the notorious sharpshooter at League One level only managed four goals in contrast to 14 more contests last season.
Stat – per 90 mins*
Kaba
Smith
Games played
17
31
Started games
12
11
Minutes played*
68
40
Goals
8
4
Assists
1
0
Shots*
2.0
0.7
Big chances missed
9
3
Big chances created
2
0
Touches*
25.1
14.6
Total duels won*
5.9
3.0
As well as bettering Smith's output for the season when last in the second tier, Kaba was also more effective for the Bluebirds as an imposing presence, with 5.9 total duels won on average per game for Cardiff, compared to Smith's lesser three per game.
Described as a potentially "smart addition" for the club by pundit Carlton Palmer, Kaba could even hit double digits for Wednesday next to Musaba, with Rohl aiming to get the African striker back to his best in South Yorkshire to fire his team up the league.
The former AS Monaco man would accumulate eight goals and five assists in all competitions during his debut Owls season, and with Kaba next to him, Rohl's men could be dynamite going forward this coming campaign, even with Ugbo remaining at Troyes and Smith potentially gone.
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