Sheffield Wednesday have officially seen their pursuit of Ian Poveda come to an end, after the attacker joined Sunderland on a free transfer.
Sheffield Wednesday were keen to re-sign Ian Poveda following his impressive spell on loan from Leeds United in the second half of last season.
The 24-year-old was released by Leeds United and Poveda interest from a number of Championship sides, including Sunderland, Luton Town, and Burnley.
Earlier this week, it was revealed that Sunderland were hoping to sign Poveda, who was later handed a three-year contract by the Black Cats.
Poveda leaves Leeds after a four-year spell in which he managed just 30 first-team appearances owing to injuries and loan spells away form the club.
During his time on loan at Hillsborough, the two-time Colombian international grabbed one assists in 10 league appearances, becoming a huge fan favourite as the Owls achieved an eventual 20th place finish.
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Sheffield Wednesday fans react to Ian Poveda move to Sunderland
The reaction from Sheffield Wednesday fans was a very mixed one, with some fans wishing Poveda well in his next chapter, and others ruing the missed signing.
One supporter among many told Sunderland: “You’ve got a very good player there,” with another adding: “Good luck to him, keep him fit and you’ve got a player.”
Meanwhile, one Sheffield Wednesday fan posted: “He’s not even good,” and amid online rumours that Poveda will be earning £40k-a-week at Sunderland, which have since been debunked, one Owls fans posted: “Great player but with an injury blighted career they can have him at that and that’s not sour grapes just logic.”
Perhaps the best summary of the situation came from another Sheffield Wednesday fan, who posted: “Wait let me guess this straight; because Poveda is signing for Sunderland, he’s now ‘not good enough’, ‘no big loss’ and ‘too injury prone’.
“He’s absolutely quality. Good luck to the lad and we move on.”
Sheffield Wednesday already have Ian Poveda replacements
There’s no doubting that Poveda would’ve been another quality addition to the Sheffield Wednesday first-team squad ahead of the 2024/25 Championship season.
But it seems like Sunderland have taken a real gamble by handing him a three-year deal, given his previous record of injury troubles.
Danny Rohl though has bolstered his attacking ranks very well this summer and so a return for Poveda became less and less vital for the Owls.
The likes of Olaf Kobacki and Jamal Lowe have both joined this summer, with both able to play on either flank, as well as Anthony Musaba and Djeidi Gassama who’ll hope to kick on next season after completing decent first seasons in England.
So Poveda’s move to Sunderland, whilst not a huge blow for Sheffield Wednesday and having received mixed reviews from fans, shouldn’t feel like the biggest blow.