QPR, Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham City set to lose transfer race for £2.5m bagsman
QPR look to be firmly out of the transfer race for Troyes striker Ike Ugbo this summer as Championship rivals Sunderland ‘edge in’ on a deal for the talisman.
The R’s had previously been named as one of the sides chasing a deal for the 25-year-old, with recently relegated Birmingham City also linked. Sheffield Wednesday are another outfit who continue to court the player, who spent the back end of last season at Hillsborough but have fallen behind to the Black Cats.
That’s according to The Star, with the outlet reporting that Sheffield Wednesday had seen an initial bid turned down for Ugbo in recent weeks. Talks have continued since then with a £2.5 million fee touted as enough for the French club to green light a move. However, that price tag has played into the hands of Sunderland, who are now the closest to finalising a marquee move.
Ugbo impressed during his spell at Sheffield Wednesday last term, scoring seven goals in his Championship outings to help the side complete a miraculous relegation escape. The talisman has been training away from Troyes during pre-season ahead of an expected move.
Adding firepower to the squad was an absolute must for Marti Cifuentes this summer but QPR have done that elsewhere since first being linked with Ugbo. Zan Celar has come through the doors at Loftus Road from Swiss side Lugano.
That move comes following the £2.5 million sale of Sinclair Armstrong to Bristol City. Scottish international Lyndon Dykes has also been named as a possible transfer target for Blackburn Rovers and Rangers.
Cifuentes also has Michael Frey at his disposal but the 30-year-old has been far from prolific for the club since joining in January. The striker bagged just one goal in nine appearances before being sidelined with an ankle injury.
