"Too much money" Carlton Palmer fires £4.5m warning at Sheffield Wednesday | OneFootball

The Owls are hoping to secure a deal that would see 23/24 loan star Ike Ugbo return to Hillsborough this summer.

Highlights

Sheffield Wednesday have been told that they will need to pay £4.5m to sign last season's loan star Ike Ugbo from Ligue 1 side Troyes, and pundit Carlton Palmer believes the Canadian international is not worth that sort of money.

The Owls will need to part with £4.5m to see the former Cardiff City loanee back at Hillsborough in 2024/25, according to journalist Alan Nixon via Patreon.

Wednesday boss Danny Rohl wants the 25-year-old back at the football club this summer, but is not willing to stump up that sort of fee and a compromise is hoping to be reached between the two clubs.

Nixon has also revealed that League One side Birmingham City are also interested in an ambitious move for the striker this summer.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Palmer believes that whilst Ugbo has proven the kind of impact he can have for Wednesday, the fee in which Troyes are seemingly demanding is too much to justify bringing him back to Hillsborough this summer.

Palmer said: "Troyes have put a price tag on Ike Ugbo, who went on loan at Sheffield Wednesday in January, scoring seven goals, and making a real impact in keeping Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship from a seemingly unsalvageable position.

"Rohl is keen to bring the player to the football club, but the French third tier side Troyes are playing real hardball, and they're saying a fee of £4.5m will be required to get the player's services.

"Birmingham City are believed to be interested in Ugbo, so Troyes are hoping that they can get into a bidding war. They know that it's unlikely that they will be able to keep the player, but that also comes down to the player.

"If the player's stance is that he would like to go to Sheffield Wednesday, then it becomes difficult for Troyes. If they want to sell the player, they're going to have to lower the fee.

"Troyes are hoping that there will be a bidding war for the player, but Rohl is very keen on the player, very keen on him, but not at £4.5m.

"So I think this one will go down to the wire, and as I said, it will be down to the player as well. If the player says Sheffield Wednesday is the club I want to go to, and won't go anywhere else, then the fee will have to be lowered.

"I'm sure that Sheffield Wednesday - who have done really good business this summer - will be looking elsewhere, and will have other recruits in mind that they could bring in.

"Maybe it might be a loan deal again for Ike Ugbo, with maybe a loan fee involved. Still a lot of work to be done, but a permanent transfer at £4.5m I think is too rich, and Rohl, who's proven to be very astute in his short managerial career, will not be looking to pay that amount for the player.

"So we'll have to watch this space. Birmingham are believed to be interested, but they're keen on bringing Jay Stansfield in, who they had on loan from Fulham last season. I think £4.5m for the player is too much money, and that's why the deal hasn't gone through yet."

Ugbo would be strong signing, but Owls must be careful not to overpay

When a player arrives at a football club and makes an instant impact, the kind that plays a huge part in that club's league survival, it can be extremely tempting to write a blank cheque for their signature.

So, whilst Ugbo's seven goals in 18 Championship appearances for the Owls last season helped drag the club to safety, throwing £4.5m at Troyes to secure his return is a lot of money for a club like Wednesday.

Rohl and his recruitment team aren't working with the biggest budget in the league, far from it, and so they have to be so careful when it comes to how and whom they spend their money on.

Indeed, out of the nine signings they've made this summer, the club have only spent transfer fees on Yan Valery and Olaf Kobacki, with the other seven either being free agent acquisitions or loan signings.

That highlights the limited resources the Owls are working with in the market, so it would be safe to assume that spending that sort of money on Ugbo would likely decimate their remaining budget.

Last season was by far Ugbo's best for some time too, which only serves to increase the boom-or-bust potential that parting with £4.5m could have for the football club.

Therefore, despite how much Rohl and the supporters will want to see Ugbo back in blue and white this summer, they must be sure that he will deliver the goods long-term, otherwise this could be seen as a costly mistake.