Imagine him & Windass: Sheffield Wednesday could sign exciting forward
Danny Rohl will know there’s plenty to still work on back at the training ground after Sheffield Wednesday’s poor friendly display out in Austria, losing 4-0 to RB Salzburg in a sobering pre-season clash.
Before that reality check, the mood around Hillsborough was one of pure ecstasy and jubilation at the number of signings through the door, but it will take time for this new group full of gems to come together and truly perform when push comes to shove.
Rohl will just hope any nervy performances are ironed out of the Owls game by the time the first ball is kicked to start the new Championship campaign, with the German manager keeping his fingers crossed that this new striker will be leading the line for his side come August.
Wednesday handed possible transfer boost
It’s no secret this summer that Wednesday are actively trying to tempt Ike Ugbo back to South Yorkshire away from current employers Troyes, and based on new developments, the Canadian attacker could now have had his head turned by a reunion.
Ugbo was left out of Troyes’ recent friendly squad, as per the French club’s social media, which has sparked vicious rumours now that the ex-Chelsea youth product could be on his way back to the Owls shortly.
Of course, there have been other interested parties from the EFL in the form of Birmingham City sniffing about, but his previous love affair with the second-tier side should stand Rohl’s men in good stead in clinching a dramatic deal.
How Ugbo and Windass could benefit Wednesday
Ugbo will be striving to help Wednesday finish near the top positions in the division, as opposed to settling for safety again, if he does rejoin the ranks, with the potential for the 25-year-old and returning Owls star Josh Windass – who was feared to be leaving the building before putting pen to paper on an extended stay – to cause havoc up top together.
The 6 foot 1 centre-forward was vital for Wednesday during their relegation predicament last season, popping up with some vital strikes, netting seven strikes from 19 games playing at Hillsborough in all competitions.
He would become an instant fan’s favourite as a result, and over the course of a full campaign to come, the 25-year-old could become an even more terrifying prospect for Championship defences to keep a handle on, especially if Windass is linking up with the ex-Chelsea man to devastating effect. Supplying 1.1 key passes per game last term, the current Owls star could be the man to extract more from a willing Ugbo.
Windass was a man-possessed for Wednesday at the turn of the year, helping himself to five goals from 11 games after an injury disrupted first portion of the campaign, to become as crucial as Ugbo’s arrival on the scene.
The former Accrington Stanley man would score three of his overall strikes during the final three games of the tense Championship season, living up to the tag given to him by Rohl before this purple patch as being a potential “game changer”, with an audacious strike against Blackburn Rovers the pick of the bunch.
