Sheffield Wednesday fans must still be baffled by £2.5m deal | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday's Ike Ugbo looks set to leave the club during the summer transfer window, in what has been a forgetful spell with the Owls.

Most clubs have had their fair share of players that have failed to hit the heights that were originally expected of them after signing.

Sheffield Wednesday certainly fall into that bracket. They've had some players that have gone on to become legends at Hillsborough, whilst others have struggled to make any sort of impact whilst with the club.

The Owls will be targeting promotion back into the Championship at the first time of asking, after being relegated from the second-tier last term.

There were plenty of off-field problems at Sheffield Wednesday last season, which were caused by former owner, Dejphon Chansiri, who has since departed the club.

David Storch's consortium have taken charge of proceedings, and he is a popular figure amongst the club's supporters already, putting the foundations in place for a new start in what will hopefully be the right direction.

Ike Ugbo heading for Sheffield Wednesday exit

One player that has found it tough to make a notable impact with Sheffield Wednesday is Ike Ugbo, who signed for the club back in August 2024 for a fee believed to be in the region of £2.5m.

It's recently been reported that Cypriot side, Apollon Limassol, are believed to be keen on a loan deal to sign Ugbo before the transfer window shuts.

If the forward was to depart on loan this summer, then it seems unlikely that he'd be seen again in a Sheffield Wednesday shirt, which wouldn't be the worst thing for all involved.

The Sheffield Star revealed that Ugbo had been working on an individual training program over pre-season, instead of being part of the Owls' first-team preparations for the upcoming 2026/27 League One campaign.

A move elsewhere is the best move for all parties involved, and it certainly falls into the category of being some of the worst transfer business that Sheffield Wednesday have conducted in recent years.

Ugbo's struggles with Sheffield Wednesday

There were high hopes for Ugbo when he first signed for Sheffield Wednesday, and that was justified, having caught the eye in a loan spell with the Owls prior to a permanent move to Hillsborough.

Ugbo started out on the books with Chelsea, but failed to make a senior appearance for the Blues, as he spent the majority of his time on loan at various clubs.

It was in the 2019/20 campaign that the striker started to make a name for himself, as he scored 13 goals in 29 appearances for Dutch side, Roda JC.

That was then followed up by 17 goals in the following season for Belgian side, Cercle Brugge, which remains Ugbo's best individual season for goals.

Ugbo signed for Sheffield Wednesday on loan in the second-half of the 2023/24 season, and he scored seven goals in 18 appearances for the Owls, in what was a successful short spell with the club, as they finished 20th in the second-tier standings under the management of

Danny Röhl.

Off the back of that impressive loan spell with the Owls, it was certainly a surprise to see Ugbo struggling for confidence and much-needed form in front of goal, and that's seemingly hampered his development with the club.

The 27-year-old hasn't scored a single league goal in two seasons with Sheffield Wednesday, and has only found the back of the net once in each of his last two seasons, both of which came in the EFL Cup.

It's difficult to pinpoint where it went wrong for Ugbo in his permanent spell with Sheffield Wednesday. The fee Chansiri paid French side, Troyes, at the time of his transfer was certainly justified on the back of his loan form for the Owls.

He's fallen down the pecking order in Henrik Pedersen's plans though, and a temporary or permanent move will be the best for both the player and the club, who won't be needing his services moving forwards. At the age of 27, he's still got a chance to recapture his best form, and a move to Cyprus with Apollon Limassol could be the perfect opportunity to do just that.

Sheffield Wednesday are a team with promotion ambitions, and a fresh start is needed for Ugbo, and so it seems as though it'll only be a matter of time before his departure is confirmed.

When that time comes, it will give a chance for reflection, with the overwhelming feeling sure to be how a promising loanee, that looked worth every penny of £2.5m, turned out to be one of Hillsborough's biggest flops.