Josh Windass and Barry Bannan react as Ike Ugbo seals Sheffield Wednesday exit | OneFootball

Josh Windass and Barry Bannan liked a social media post that confirmed Ike Ugbo had left Sheffield Wednesday to join Apollon Limassol.

It has been a chaotic summer transfer window at Sheffield Wednesday as they gear up for life back in League One.

Of course, the past year has essentially been dominated by takeover talk, and, pleasingly for the Owls, Arise Capital Partners completed their purchase of the club in May.

With the US group inheriting a Wednesday squad that was lacking in depth and quality, a busy summer was always on the cards, and the likes of Barry Bannan, Callum Slattery and Louie Barry are among a host of new arrivals at Hillsborough ahead of the new season.

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Josh Windass and Barry Bannan as Ike Ugbo departs Sheffield Wednesday

However, it hasn’t all been about incomings, and one player who has left Sheffield Wednesday is Ike Ugbo.

The striker joined the Owls after a productive loan spell, where he scored seven times in 19 games, so there was a lot of excitement when the former Chelsea striker linked up with the club on a permanent basis.

Yet, it’s fair to say that things haven’t gone to plan since, with Ugbo struggling for form, and he managed just a single goal across the two previous campaigns.

As well as that, there have been question marks over the attitude of the 27-year-old, which were reinforced when administrator Kris Wigfield stated on social media that it was ‘important’ the club got rid of ‘characters like this’.

So, there weren’t too many unhappy fans when it was announced that Cypriot side Apollon Limassol had signed Ugbo on a season-long loan.

And, interestingly, former Sheffield Wednesday player Josh Windass, who played alongside Ugbo, and current midfielder Barry Bannan were among those to like the post that announced his move on Instagram, which fans will no doubt read into in different ways.

Sheffield Wednesday need everyone pulling in the same direction this season

Clearly, there have been issues involving Ugbo behind the scenes, so it makes sense that the club have allowed him to leave, even on loan.

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Realistically, his form over the past few years means the Yorkshire outfit were never going to get anywhere near the £2m plus that they paid for the striker, so they had to compromise.

The huge turnover of players at the club means it’s going to take time for the new squad to develop an understanding, both on and off the pitch.

So, when that’s the case, it’s vital for Henrik Pedersen and the club that there are no bad apples, as they need to get everyone on the same page if this is to be a memorable season for the Owls.

It should be said that Ugbo hasn’t given his side of the story yet, and he may dispute the fact that he is perceived to be an issue, so he may welcome the chance for a fresh start as well.

Purely from a football perspective, this was a move that just did not work out after a promising loan spell, and it sums up why Wednesday found themselves in the situation they did under Dejphon Chansiri, as it was a waste of a transfer fee and seemingly big wages.

Now, though, it would benefit all parties if Ugbo does have a productive season in Cyprus, as that could open a market for the striker when he is scheduled to return to Hillsborough in 12 months, where he will still have a year left on his contract.