Prediction made about summer Sheffield Wednesday deal amid Cardiff and QPR "frustration" | OneFootball

Former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Carlton Palmer believes January addition Ike Ugbo has been an inspired signing for the Owls and has predicted that a permanent deal could be in the offing as well as suggesting that his form must frustrate Cardiff City and QPR.

Wednesday went into the January transfer window knowing this was a chance for them to move some players on and bring in players who could help them in their bid to beat the drop.

One addition they did make was adding forward Ugbo to their team from French side Troyes. The 25-year-old spent the first half of the season on loan at Cardiff but that loan was cut short, and he joined Wednesday a day later, a move that looks to have paid off for the player and the club.

The Yorkshire club beat out relegation rivals QPR to the signing, as the West Londoners were also thought to be keen.

Wednesday are continuing their fight at the bottom end of the table, but Ugbo’s addition has given them a presence at the top end of the pitch, with him making the difference in their weekend win over Rotherham United on Saturday, a result that has blown the relegation race wide open.

Carlton Palmer believes Ike Ugbo has been an inspired signing for Sheffield Wednesday

Here, we asked former England midfielder Carlton Palmer for his thoughts on Sheffield Wednesday’s signing of Ike Ugbo and if they deserve credit for getting him in during January.

Palmer exclusively told FLW: “Sheffield Wednesday under Danny Rohl have given themselves a hell of a chance now of trying to escape the drop.

“They have won four out of their last five games, a massive result against Rotherham United the other day. I know Rotherham are struggling and are at the bottom of the league, and they are going to get relegated, but now Sheffield Wednesday are three points behind Stoke City, three points behind Huddersfield Town, three points behind Birmingham City, three points behind QPR and four points behind Millwall and Blackburn Rovers.

“It’s another great goal for Ike Ugbo and I know it's frustrating for Cardiff and QPR. There’s frustration for Cardiff as they let him go and frustration for QPR as they wanted to get him. But to be fair to QPR, they have won their last three games, and they were out of the drop zone.

“But it's been an inspired signing by Sheffield Wednesday and at the moment he's bang in form and if he keeps banging the goals away, I'm sure he'd be looking at a permanent deal come the end of the season and, hopefully Sheffield Wednesday will retain their Championship status.”

Overall, Ike Ugbo has played 28 times in the Championship this season, with 10 goals to his name and one assist.

20 of those appearances came with the Bluebirds, with the other eight coming during his time at Hillsborough.

Ugbo managed four goals during his time in Wales, with three of them coming in the first few games of the season. But since joining Wednesday, Ugbo has looked a different player completely, scoring six goals and grabbing braces in the wins over Birmingham City and Bristol City.

The striker has also netted in wins over Millwall and, most recently, Rotherham United, with his addition helping the Owls have a great chance of beating the drop this season.

His form for Sheffield Wednesday will be a blow to Cardiff, as they obviously had the player on loan in the first half of the campaign, while QPR will also be gutted, as they were interested in signing the player but missed out to the Owls.

Ike Ugbo has been an excellent signing for Sheffield Wednesday

Not many Sheffield Wednesday fans would have thought Ike Ugbo would have made such a difference to their team.

The striker did okay during his time with Cardiff, but not many would have expected him to be in the form he is now.

Ugbo has made such a difference to Wednesday’s attack, giving them a focal point and someone who can clearly score goals at this level. If the club is going to beat the drop, they are going to need Ugbo to continue his run in front of goal while others also step up to the plate.