Aberdeen full-back Jack MacKenzie is reportedly a transfer target for English Championship side Sheffield Wednesday.

The defender is one of five first team players out of contract at Pittodrie at the end of the season, and he is now able to speak to other clubs.

The 24-year-old was previously linked with a trio of EFL sides earlier this season, with Wednesday, Preston and Stoke City all having reportedly shown interest.

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Sky Sports are now reporting that the Owls are back in for the defender, stating: "Sheffield Wednesday are interested in Aberdeen left-back Jack Mackenzie. The 24-year-old is out of contract in the summer and is able to speak to clubs directly.

"Aberdeen CEO Alan Burrows said last month that 'dialogue remains open' with their out-of-contract players, including Mackenzie, adding 'we hope they stay'."

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Dons boss Jimmy Thelin is set to lose several key men on free transfers next summer, with Duk, Jamie McGrath, Angus MacDonald and back-up goalkeeper Ross Doohan also out of contract at the end of the season.

However, the Swede has been highly active in the January window and has completed four signings so far to ease their ongoing injury crisis.

Winger Jeppe Okkels and centre back Alfie Dorrington have arrived on loan deals from Preston and Tottenham respectively.

Latvian centre half Kristers Tobers and Danish full back Alexander Jensen have been snapped up on permanent transfers from Grasshoppers and Swedish outfit IF Brommapojkarna.

Meanwhile Thelin will be given more money to spend this month in a bid to get his side back firing again having already spent over £1million on both Tobers and Jensen, reports the Daily Record.

The Reds' recruitment team are still actively working on a number of options, including strengthening their frontline options after Ester Sokler's injury ruled him out for several months.

Pape Habib Gueye should be back after the Scottish Cup game at Elgin, which will take some of the weight off the shoulders of Kevin Nisbet.

January is a notoriously difficult window to land top strikers but head of recruitment Nuno de Almeida is burning the midnight oil bringing options to the table from the UK, Europe and even Asia.

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The message from Thelin is it has to fit his player profile and the way he wants the side to play as he attempts to improve the talented squad he already has at Pittodrie.

Thelin admitted: "We want to build a long-term process from day one. We have talked about it. We have a clear plan of what we want to achieve, how we want the team to look in the future. Everything is clear for us, what we have to do. Then there’s a timeline.

"Sometimes it’s just like this and everything changes. We are still working against that goal and trying to be better in every department, stronger as a team and stronger as a club.

"From that point of view, we are on the same path as everyone. We are trying to help each other to be that strong team and the strong club we want to be."