"I'm absolutely delighted" - Claim made as Sheffield Wednesday close in on £3m Ike Ugbo deal | OneFootball

FLW's Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit has given his reaction to the imminent signing of striker Ike Ugbo from Troyes.

This article is part of Football League World’s 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Sheffield Wednesday are reportedly closing in on the permanent signing of Troyes striker Ike Ugbo.

That's according to The Star, who claim that while the deal is not yet done, significant progress has been made and the move could be confirmed in the next 48 hours.

There had been concern that the Owls could miss out on the signing of Ugbo after Sunderland made a late bid last week, while Stoke City, Birmingham City and Queens Park Rangers had also been linked with the 25-year-old, but he now looks set to return to Hillsborough for a fee believed to be in the region of £3 million.

Ugbo spent the second half of last season on loan with Wednesday, and his goals were crucial to keeping the club in the Championship.

The Canada international will become the Owls' tenth signing of a busy summer transfer window that has seen James Beadle, Ben Hamer, Yan Valery, Max Lowe, Svante Ingelsson, Nathaniel Chalobah, Olaf Kobacki, Jamal Lowe and Charlie McNeill join the club.

Wednesday will be hopeful that the signing of Ugbo will be completed in time for him to feature in their opening game of the season against Plymouth Argyle on Sunday, but there are doubts over whether he would be fit enough to start given that he has trained away from the rest of the Troyes squad in recent weeks.

Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit reacts to imminent Ike Ugbo deal

FLW's Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit Patrick McKenna is delighted that Ugbo is coming back to Hillsborough, and he believes the fact that manager Danny Rohl has been able to land one of his top targets will keep him happy at the club.

"I'm absolutely delighted with the signing of Ugbo," Patrick said.

"He was one of the key loanees who really helped us in the second half of the season, and I really wanted to get him back.

"I think the timing of it is great as well, there was a bit of a worry that our transfer activity had slowed down, but he comes in a few days before the start of the season.

"The fans are happy, and Danny Rohl, the miracle worker and the man with the vision for the club who is holding it together, will be delighted. "There's always a worry if a manager gets frustrated about not getting players in that their head could be turned or they could want to leave. "One of the many reasons for our horrific start last season under Xisco Munoz was that we didn't have a goalscorer, and until Ugbo came in, no striker was getting goals and that was crippling us in games. "Even though the general play and tactics improved under Danny Rohl, if you don't have a goalscorer to finish the chances, it can make it extremely hard to win games. "Ugbo knows Danny Rohl's system, he's happy at the club, he is the goalscorer that we were craving, and I think that takes the pressure off other strikers as well, especially the likes of Charlie McNeill and Bailey Cadamarteri. "Michael Smith is not a regular scorer, and it now means the pressure is not all on Jamal Lowe. "Ugbo is not just a goalscorer, his all-round play suits Danny Rohl's system, and it ensures that our forward play is more fluid and that's something you'll see with a centre-forward and the likes of Musaba and Gassama. "It had become a bit of a drawn-out saga, and I thought Ugbo was going to be one of those loan players that never came back and you were forever pining for them. "I think if we have managed to hold out and not pay £4.5 million, that's great and almost feels like a victory.

"I'm certainly a happy man that Ugbo is coming to Hillsborough again."

Ike Ugbo return is a huge boost for Sheffield Wednesday

Many Wednesday supporters will share Patrick's delight that Ugbo is returning to the club.

It is fair to say without Ugbo's goals last season, the Owls would no longer be a Championship club, and it will be a huge relief that they have been able to bring him back to Hillsborough.

While Wednesday have enjoyed a strong summer window, the lack of a proven goalscorer was a big issue, but that has now been solved, and having netted seven times during his loan spell, Ugbo could potentially reach around the 15-goal mark next season in a more successful team.

The reported £3 million fee paid for Ugbo marks a big shift in approach from owner Dejphon Chansiri given his lack of investment in recent years, and he should be praised for backing Rohl in the transfer market this summer.