Potential transfer twist shared as Birmingham City and Stoke City rival Sheffield Wednesday in striker pursuit | OneFootball

Birmingham City and Stoke City are keen on Sheffield Wednesday transfer target Ike Ugbo, although the striker would like to return to Hillsborough.

Highlights

Birmingham City and Stoke City are pushing to sign Troyes’ Ike Ugbo, although the striker is keen on returning to Sheffield Wednesday after his successful loan spell at Hillsborough.

Ugbo starred for Danny Rohl’s side as they defied the odds to stay in the Championship last season, with the 25-year-old scoring seven goals in 18 appearances, with all of those coming in games that won the Owls points.

Therefore, bringing Ugbo back to Yorkshire has been a priority for Wednesday this summer, but the Sheffield Star has revealed that they’ve failed with an opening offer for the player.

Ike Ugbo transfer latest

Interestingly, they also claim that Stoke and Birmingham are closeley monitoring Ugbo, even if it has been stated that a return to Wednesday is the priority for the Canadian international.

However, if Wednesday can’t agree a fee with Troyes, they are running the risk that other clubs can muscle in to do a deal.

It’s unclear what sort of fee the French side want for the former Cardiff City loanee, but the side suffered relegation to the third tier last season, so they aren’t in the strongest negotiating position, even if Ugbo is under contract until the summer of 2026.

Ike Ugbo could continue to flourish under Danny Rohl at Sheffield Wednesday

Even though he’s only 25, the move to Wednesday was, incredibly, the ninth club that Ugbo has turned out for in his career, and that doesn’t include Chelsea, where he came through the ranks but didn’t play.

So, it feels like it’s time for him to settle down at a club, and that’s presumably why Ugbo will be pushing to stay with Wednesday, because the move went so well for him last season.

Rohl’s man-management and tactical approach got the best out of the ex-Genk man, and he played some of the best football in his career so far.

The German worked out a way to play to Ugbo’s strengths, and he was a constant threat during the run-in with his movement and pace, and he crucially took the big chances that came his way.

Of course, other clubs saw this, and that’s why the likes of Birmingham and Stoke are also keen on Ugbo, and that interest puts pressure on Wednesday to get this deal done swiftly.

Ike Ugbo interest is understandable

Ultimately, this could come down to finances, and if the Owls don’t stump up the cash for Ugbo, then it opens up the possibility that the likes of Stoke or Blues could sign the player.

As outlined above, it’s easy to see why clubs are chasing Ugbo, because there aren’t many goalscorers on the market, and his form with Wednesday suggested he could be prolific if he is given a run at this level.

With Birmingham in League One, they would normally be outsiders in this discussion, but the ambition and financial power of their owners means they could be seen as an attractive option.

Elsewhere, Stoke are hoping to kick-on under Steven Schumacher, so they could also appeal.