Rotherham United looking to sign Sheffield Wednesday forward Mallik Wilks

The Millers are admirers of the 25-year-old, who has fallen down the pecking order at their South Yorkshire neighbours, and believe he would strengthen the squad they have assembled for a League One promotion push.

Discussions are continuing as they wait on a decision from the Championship Owls.

“Yeah, we like Mallik a lot,” manager Steve Evans confirmed to the Advertiser this morning. “Probably, at the minute, we can't afford his left boot, never mind his right boot.

“It just seems to be a breakdown in communications. We can't seem to get a definitive ‘yes’ or ‘no’. We get a 'Well, can you do this? Maybe, maybe not’.”

After making 13 signings in a summer rebuild, Rotherham are in the market for a wide player and a ‘number 10’.

Wilks, who came through the youth ranks at Leeds United and made one senior appearance, is mainly a winger but can also operate centrally.

The player shot to prominence in a 2018/19 loan spell with Doncaster Rovers, helping them reach the League One play-off semi-finals and scoring 16 goals in 55 games.

He went on to play for Barnsley and then Hull City, with whom he won promotion to the Championship, before joining Wednesday two seasons ago.

Talks are being conducted at the Millers' end by the club's director of football recruitment.

“The negotiations are at Rob Scott level,” Evans said. “I'd have probably thrown my dummy out and walked away had it been me. That's why Rob does what he does.”

It is not known if any move would be a loan or permanent deal.

Wilks, who scored 30 times in 91 matches for Hull, is believed to have a year left on his Hillsborough contract.

He has made only 13 starts and had 29 substitute outings for the Owls, hitting the back of on three occasions. Last term, he saw action 18 times in the second tier.

He featured in the first friendly of this pre-season, at Alfreton Town, but has since remained unused by boss Danny Rohil.

Rotherham have other targets in mind as they pursue the forward's signature.

Evans said: “Mallik is a player we like. There are two or three players in that role that he plays that we like too.

“It will be a case that if one of them lands we then have a decision to make on an order of preference.”