Sheffield Wednesday need £3m star to deliver or relegation fear won’t go

After narrowly avoiding an immediate return to League One last season, Danny Röhl’s summer transfer activity left Sheffield Wednesday fans hopeful of a better season in 2024/25.

There was particular excitement about the signing of Canadian international Iké Ugbo from French Ligue 2 side Troyes.

Ugbo quickly became a fan-favourite at Hillsborough after an initial loan spell last season, with Wednesday reportedly paying £3 million to make the move permanent in the summer.

Expectations for Ugbo were high after Wednesday splashed the cash on him.

However, Football League World takes a look at his thus far disappointing impact in 2024/25 and explains why there is a real risk of another relegation scrap at Hillsborough if his performances don’t start to improve.

Ugbo captures Hillsborough hearts

It’s the age-old lesson that every football fan is warned of and fails to abide by – never fall in love with the loan player.

Last season, though, Wednesday fans had every reason to do just that. Röhl managed to tempt London-born Ugbo away from a season-long loan at fellow Championship side Cardiff City, with the Canadian striker arriving on loan at Hillsborough in mid-January 2024.

After making his debut against Coventry City, he bagged his first goals in blue and white against relegation rivals Birmingham City. This began a real purple patch for Ugbo. He went on to score four in his next four games, including another brace against Bristol City, he was nominated for Championship Player of the Month in February.

Although he lost out to Ipswich Town winger Omari Hutchinson, his strong form continued to the end of the season.

He went on to score another and take an assist as Wednesday narrowly survived the drop by three points. Ugbo’s impact on the club’s survival was undeniable. They won every time he scored and assisted, earning the club 15 vital points in the relegation scrap – including against relegation rivals in the Blues, Rotherham United and Plymouth Argyle.

There was no doubt bringing Ugbo back to the Steel City permanently over the summer was Röhl’s priority, and despite interest from elsewhere (including Sunderland), Wednesday fans were ecstatic when his signing meant their infatuation with a loan player could become permanent.

A shaky start to permanent life in S6

Although the move was not quite completed for the season’s first game against Argyle, the Wednesday boss made a surprise unveiling in his pre-match press conference, confirming Ugbo’s return. He has featured in every match squad since the 4-0 opening-weekend thrashing of Wayne Rooney’s side, starting seven and being subbed on for the other seven.

He scored his first goal back in blue and white and assisted another in their 5-1 hammering away at Grimsby Town in the second round of the Carabao Cup. However, so far, these have been his only goal contributions for Wednesday since his return.

In his latest feature, a 1-0 Steel City Derby loss to Sheffield United, Ugbo failed to register a single shot in the entire game and was eventually substituted for Anthony Musaba in the 75th minute.

Following the Bramall Lane defeat, Wednesday sit 15th in the Championship at the time of writing, three points above the relegation zone and with a -8 goal difference.

Ugbo key to banishing relegation worries

Despite the red-hot start to the season, the blue-and-white half of the Steel City will be starting to feel the pressure as the season slowly creeps towards the new year. Ugbo was sought after by Wednesday over the summer to allay fears of consecutive relegation scraps in the Championship, but has failed to get going so far this season.

It was always going to be difficult for the Canadian international to replicate his remarkable form that arguably saved the club from the drop last season. However, securing his services over the summer came at a big cost for Wednesday. Naturally, the Hillsborough faithful expected him to be quick out of the blocks and to put in the performances that justify his cost, but this hasn’t happened yet.

Currently, the virtue of such a hefty price tag – and therefore the optimism that he will come good – is keeping the likes of Michael Smith and Jamal Lowe out of the Wednesday starting XI. Nevertheless, both of these players have scored more than Ugbo this season across fewer minutes played.

As the stakes get higher towards the business end of the season, Wednesday fans will likely find it very difficult to explain Ugbo’s place up front if his performances don’t start to improve. He proved last season that he can be a defender’s nightmare once he gets in a groove, but it’s going to be a big few weeks for Ugbo if he is to repay the investment and faith put in him by Danny Röhl and Wednesday fans.