Sunderland AFC dodged a bullet amid alarming Sheffield Wednesday player trend | OneFootball

The striker was linked with a move to the Stadium of Light last summer.

Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday have been close rivals in recent years, with the pair doing battle in League One before securing Championship status.

Since achieving promotion to the second tier, the clubs have also competed off the field, with Wednesday securing the services of Ike Ugbo last summer, despite reported interest from the Black Cats.

While it seemed that the Owls had stolen a march on their rivals, Ugbo is yet to score a goal this season and it is increasingly looking like Regis Le Bris' side have dodged a bullet.

Sunderland were keen on Ugbo last summer

The Wearsiders were desperate to add a striker during the summer window and eventually signed Wilson Isidor after missing out on Alexandre Mendy.

In the midst of their transfer pursuit, the club tried to strike a late deal for Ugbo, who had spent the previous campaign on loan with Danny Rohl's side.

During his loan spell in South Yorkshire, the Canadian achieved a respectable goal return, scoring seven goals in 18 Championship appearances.

However, they were too late in the day to convince the player to move to the North East, with the 26-year-old opting to return to Hillsborough for an undisclosed fee.

Ike Ugbo is yet to score a goal while Wilson Isidor is flourishing

Ironically, Ugbo's first appearance for the Owls was a 21-minute cameo against the Black Cats back in August, with Le Bris' side running out 4-0 victors.

Since that defeat, the striker has failed to nail down a starting position in Rohl's side and has featured heavily from the bench.

Having made 29 Championship appearances for the South Yorkshire side, the Canadian international is still to find the net, which must be harming his confidence.

The statistics behind his performances make for worrying reading, with the player's expected goals (xG) at 1.02, while he only averages 0.31 shots on target per 90 minutes.

While Ugbo has faltered, other forwards have flourished, with Josh Windass and Michael Smith bagging 18 goals between them. Credit must go to Smith, who has pushed on despite being linked with an exit last summer.

As for Sunderland, they have been bagging goals aplenty this season, and currently rank as the fourth-highest-scoring team in the division with 49 goals.

The man who was tasked with scoring the goals this season, Isidor, has delivered in spades and already has 11 goals to his name, with six in his last 10.

Isidor currently ranks as the joint fourth-highest scorer in the second tier and ranks behind only Borja Sainz, Joel Piroe and Josh Maja.

Compared to Ugbo, Isidor's attacking statistics make more superb reading, with the Frenchman ranking in the top 92 percentile or higher in the league for expected goals (xG), shots on target and goal involvement.

When comparing Ugbo and Isidor's impact, it is evident which club got the better deal, with the duo at opposite ends of the attacking spectrum this season.