Sheffield Wednesday have completed a loan move for Ike Ugbo from Ligue Two side ES Troyes AC, as announced on the club’s X account this morning.
Ugbo cut short his loan deal at Cardiff City to complete a move to the Owls. The Lewisham-born centre-forward struggled for game time in Wales and felt a move elsewhere was beneficial for his career. Wednesday have completed a loan deal which will run until the end of the current season.
Ugbo only started 11 games for Cardiff in the Championship this season, despite being in the squad for 23 games. Irrespective of his decreased minutes on the pitch, the Troyes striker still managed to score four goals and get one assist during his time on loan.
Cardiff planned to bring in a striker this month, which would have meant less game time for the new Wednesday man. The Bluebirds are interested in Kieffer Moore from Bournemouth, and Umut Nayir from the Turkish side Fenerbache.
The Owls are locked in a relegation battle at present, having scored the joint fewest goals in the league this season, and are in desperate need of a striking force to try to carry them to safety.
Sheffield Wednesday’s last game was a 4-0 triumph over Cardiff in the FA Cup, but Ugbo wasn’t part of the squad. The former KRC Genk striker has not featured for the club since the beginning of January when he was an unused sub in a 2-1 win against Queens Park Rangers.
Ugbo has already started training with his new club and could play his first game this weekend against Southampton. Three points against Russell Martins’s side could be the perfect way to kickstart the loan deal for Ugbo, who will be hoping to impress upon returning to Troyes in the summer.
Writer’s View
In a relegation battle, a goalscorer can be the difference between staying up and going down. Wednesday have identified their need for a striker and believe Ugbo can be the difference in the second half of the season. It’s an intelligent decision by the club, and they will be hoping he can do enough to keep them up.
The Canadian has proven in the past he knows where the net is, and he will be trying his best to build a relationship with the adoring Owls fans over the coming months.
