Tom Cannon signs: Identifying 3 ideal Ike Ugbo alternatives for Sheffield Wednesday | OneFootball

It is a big summer for Sheffield Wednesday after they secured survival in the Championship.

The Owls looked destined to make an immediate return to League One after a disastrous start to the season under Xisco Munoz, but they achieved safety after a remarkable turnaround under Danny Rohl as they finished 20th in the table.

Wednesday received a huge boost last week as Rohl signed a new-long term contract at the club, and it could be a busy summer ahead as the German looks to rebuild his squad.

Cameron Dawson, Liam Palmer, Dominic Iorfa, Di'Shon Bernard, Will Vaulks, Barry Bannan and Josh Windass have all been offered new deals at Hillsborough, while Ciaran Brennan, Reece James, George Byers, Tyreeq Bakinson, Juan Delgado and Lee Gregory have been released at the end of their contracts.

Loanees James Beadle, Kristian Pedersen, Jeff Hendrick, Momo Diaby, Ian Poveda, Ike Ugbo and Ashley Fletcher have returned to their parent clubs, but the Owls will be keen to bring some of their loan stars back to the club this summer.

According to The Star, Wednesday have made contract with Troyes over the potential signing of Ugbo, but any deal for the striker is not expected to be completed before this summer's Copa America, where he is featuring for Canada, and the Owls are likely to face competition for his signature.

Ugbo scored seven goals and provided one assist in 19 appearances for Wednesday after his arrival in January to help them to survival, but amid uncertainty over whether the club will be able to secure his return, we looked at three potential alternatives the Owls could consider.

Mika Biereth

The Star claim that Wednesday have reignited their interest in Arsenal striker Mika Biereth.

Biereth spent the first half of last season on loan at Scottish Premiership side Motherwell, scoring six goals and providing five assists in 15 appearances, and the Owls were keen to bring him to Hillsborough in January after he was recalled by the Gunners, but he instead made a temporary move to Sturm Graz.

Biereth scored nine goals and registered four assists in 22 games for Sturm Graz, featuring in the Europa Conference League, and helping them to win both the Austrian Bundesliga title and the Austrian Cup.

Arsenal will reportedly hold talks with Sturm Graz over a potential permanent deal for Biereth, but Wednesday are looking to sign him on loan, and he is also attracting attention from other clubs in the UK and Europe, so the Gunners are facing a big decision on his future.

Biereth would be a gamble given his lack of Championship experience, but having pursued him in consecutive transfer windows, Rohl is clearly a big fan of the 21-year-old.

Tom Cannon

Leicester City striker Tom Cannon is another player who has previously been on Wednesday's radar, and the Owls were first keen to sign him on loan from Everton last January, but they missed out to Preston North End.

Cannon scored eight goals and provided one assist in 21 games during his temporary spell at Deepdale, and Wednesday were again interested in him in the summer following promotion, but he made a permanent move to Leicester City for a fee of £7.5 million.

Injury prevented Cannon from making his debut for the Foxes until December, but after he scored three goals in two games against Huddersfield Town and Millwall in early January, it looked as though he was finding his feet at the club.

However, Cannon made just one substitute appearance in the final two months of the season, frequently being left out of the matchday squad altogether, raising serious questions about whether he has a future at the King Power Stadium.

Enzo Maresca's imminent departure to Chelsea could open the door for Cannon to be given an opportunity under a new manager, but if he was out of favour in the Championship, it seems unlikely he will feature regularly in the Premier League.

If Cannon becomes available, he will have no shortage of second tier suitors, and Preston and Blackburn Rovers are said to be eyeing a loan move for the 21-year-old this summer.

Cannon has proven he can be a prolific scorer at Championship level, and he would also be perfectly suited to Rohl's pressing game, so Wednesday should certainly join the race for his signature.

Mateo Joseph

Another player that should be on Wednesday's radar this summer is Leeds United striker Mateo Joseph.

Joseph enjoyed a strong breakthrough season at Elland Road this term, and he hit the headlines when he scored twice in the Whites' 3-2 defeat at Chelsea in the FA Cup in February.

The 20-year-old came off the bench to score a crucial late equaliser in the 2-2 draw at Watford a few weeks later, but despite Leeds' poor form towards the end of the season, and an injury to Patrick Bamford, Joseph was not handed an opportunity from the start.

Manager Daniel Farke opted to start Joel Piroe for all three play-off games in Bamford's absence, and with the Whites desperately needing a goal as they trailed Southampton 1-0 in the final at Wembley, Joseph was only introduced for the final seven minutes of the game.

All of Joseph's 20 league appearances this season came as a substitute, suggesting Farke does not yet feel he is ready for the Championship, and with the German remaining in charge despite failing to achieve promotion, Joseph's minutes could be limited once again next season.

Farke could decide that a loan move would be beneficial for Joseph's development, and the Owls should be keeping tabs on his situation.

Joseph has shown huge potential for Leeds this season, and given the way that Rohl has improved young players during his time at Hillsborough so far, the prospect of him working with Joseph is incredibly exciting.