Sheffield Wednesday: Darren Moore praised "wonderful acquisition" - but he lasted just one season | OneFootball

Striker Saido Berahino failed to live up to manager Darren Moore's high expectations after his move to Sheffield Wednesday.

It is fair to say that Sheffield Wednesday's decision to sign former West Bromwich Albion and Stoke City striker Saido Berahino in the summer of 2021 raised a few eyebrows.

Wednesday had been relegated to League One the previous season, and manager Darren Moore oversaw a huge summer rebuild as he looked to guide the club to an immediate return to the Championship.

The Owls had brought in 13 players during the summer transfer window, including three strikers in Lee Gregory, Florian Kamberi and Sylla Sow, and many had assumed that their business was done, but Berahino was a surprise late addition on deadline day, with the 31-year-old arriving from Zulte Waragem.

Berahino showed a lot of potential after making his breakthrough at West Brom, but after Tottenham Hotspur had a £15 million bid rejected for him in August 2015, his career began to decline.

After a turbulent 18 months at The Hawthorns following his failed move to Spurs, during which he clashed with manager Tony Pulis on multiple occasions, Berahino joined Stoke City in January 2017 for an initial fee of £12 million, rising to £15 million.

However, Berahino was plagued by off-field issues during his time at the bet365 Stadium, and after being released by the Potters in August 2019, he had underwhelming spells in Belgium with Zulte Waragem and Charleroi before returning to English football with Wednesday.

Darren Moore's confident Saido Berahino claim after Sheffield Wednesday move

Moore had worked with Berahino previously at West Brom, and he was certainly excited about being reunited with the striker at Hillsborough, claiming that he had unfinished business in English football.

"I am really pleased to get him in. He gives us a different attacking threat. He's a goal-scorer. I feel he has got unfinished business. He joins up with us next week. He's a wonderful acquisition. He will add one or two options," Moore told The Star.

"I know his game and all-round ability. In the systems we want to fit, he will fit into that. He's a wonderful player with his feet. He will be a good addition for how we want to play.

"For him, it's unfinished business that he’s got. We feel we have got him a place here at Sheffield Wednesday where if he can hit the right notes that this could be a wonderful home for him.

"He knows me, I know him. In terms of what we’re trying to build here, I think it is the right time for us to come together. He's the right type of striker that we want here. He possesses a huge amount of talent.

"I can’t wait for the Sheffield Wednesday fans to get a glimpse of him and see what he can bring us."

Given the controversial incidents that he had been involved in during his career, many Wednesday supporters had reservations about the signing of Berahino, but there was hope that Moore could be the man to get the best out of him.

Sheffield Wednesday supporters will have mixed Saido Berahino emotions

If the Wednesday fan base had concerns about Berahino's arrival, he quickly began to win over the doubters as he scored on his first start for the club in the 1-1 draw against Shrewsbury Town.

However, Berahino struggled to build on his impressive start, and as his game time became increasingly limited, he went on a run of 14 league games without a goal.

Berahino finally ended his goal drought as he scored in the 3-1 win at Doncaster Rovers in February, and that would mark the start of a prolific run for the striker as he went on to net four goals in the next four games, including hitting a hat-trick in the 6-0 win over Cambridge United.

Speaking after his treble against the U's, Moore was full of praise for the work Berahino had put in off the pitch as he attempted to improve his fitness, telling Yorkshire Live: "He has done extra work in the gym to build his strength and power. He has had to get up to speed. We put him on a programme and credit to him.

"He has been doing extra work in the gym and in finishing session. I don't think he is the finished article yet but today will have done him a world of good."

Berahino's efforts were certainly paying dividends, and after the accusations of attitude problems that had been levelled at him earlier in his career, his commitment to the cause was a pleasant surprise for Owls supporters.

Unfortunately for Berahino, the Cambridge game would prove to be the highlight of his season as he scored just two more goals in the remainder of the campaign, although they were both important strikes in victories over MK Dons and Portsmouth that helped to secure Wednesday's place in the play-offs.

The Owls suffered heartbreak as they were beaten by Sunderland in the play-off semi-finals, and shortly after, Berahino was released at the end of his contract.

While Berahino did not quite live up to Moore's high expectations, it would be unfair to say that his spell at Hillsborough was a failure, and given that he scored nine goals and provided four assists in 36 appearances, there were some supporters who were disappointed to see him leave.

Berahino joined AEL Limassol after his exit from Wednesday, but he scored just four goals and registered one assist in 44 games during his two-year stint with the Cypriot side, proving that Moore was right not to offer him a new deal.

The striker, who now plays for Rajasthan United in the Indian second division, admitted on social media earlier this year that he was shocked to be released by the Owls, but he revealed that he loved his time in South Yorkshire.