After his incredible form last season, signing Ike Ugbo on a permanent basis seemed like a no-brainer, but did Sheffield Wednesday make the right decision?
Sheffield Wednesday managed to stay in the Championship last season largely thanks to the goals Ike Ugbo scored in the second half of the campaign.
Ugbo registered 11 goals in 38 games for the Owls in 2023/24, including a hot streak that saw the Canadian forward bag six goals in five games from the start of February to the start of March of this year.
However, the goals have dried up this season for Ugbo, and he still hasn’t scored in the Championship since the start of the new campaign.
Danny Rohl insists he trusts Ugbo to turn things around, but there will naturally be some concerns that Wednesday made the wrong choice in signing the striker, especially when other transfer targets have impressed this year.
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Mika Biereth is flying with Sturm Graz
Mike Biereth was a promising talent in the Arsenal youth setup, and Wednesday were very much interested in the young striker over the summer. However, Biereth opted to sign for Sturm Graz instead in a reported £4m deal.
That looks like it was the right move for the player, as he is now playing in the Champions League with his new club, and has registered nine goals in 20 games for the Austrian side.
Biereth told The Athletic that he chose Sturm Graz due to their involvement in continental competition, and he hasn’t looked back since. If he continues his current form, there’s a good chance we will see the 21-year-old back in England one day, albeit in the Premier League.
Divin Mubama moved to Manchester City
West Ham had one of the most sought-after young forwards on their books until this summer. Divin Mubama was destined for a move of one kind or another, after impressing for the Hammers youth team and making his breakthrough at senior level.
Sheffield Wednesday and Sunderland pursued a loan move for the 20-year-old, but he ended up making a permanent switch to Manchester City instead.
While that move bodes well for the future for Mubama, he has only played one game for City’s youth team so far this season. A loan move could well be on the cards in January, and if he does arrive in the Championship, Mubama would surely thrive.
Duncan McGuire performing well in MLS
American forward Duncan McGuire was incredibly close to signing for the Owls this summer, and even travelled to England to meet with Sheffield Wednesday chiefs. In the end, Orlando City triggered a two-year extension to the McGuire’s contract to keep him in the MLS.
He’s had a good season with Orlando, too, scoring ten league goals in 27 games, leaving Wednesday fans casting envious glances at his form while Ugbo struggles in the Championship.
Of course, it’s important to remember there is a fairly significant gulf in quality between the English second tier and the American league, but McGuire would no doubt have been able to translate at least some of that form into the competitiveness of the Championship.
Portsmouth signed Mark O’Mahony
Brighton and Hove Albion have a habit of nurturing exceptional young talent, and Mark O’Mahony looks set to be another string to add to that bow.
According to The Star, the 19-year-old was a genuine target for Wednesday over the summer as they searched for a striker, but the Irishman ended up joining Portsmouth on loan instead.
Since joining the South Coast club, O’Mahony has scored two goals in eight games in the Championship. While far from prolific, Portsmouth will take every goal they can get this season, and if their young loanee can even reach double digits for the year, he will be deemed a success.
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Ike Ugbo was not the right choice for Sheffield Wednesday
Ultimately, while Ike Ugbo has no goals to his name, it’s difficult not to suggest that any of the above (aside from perhaps Divin Mubama) would have been a better option in the transfer market. But, that’s easy enough to say in hindsight.
| Statistic | Ike Ugbo (2024/25) | Mika Biereth (2024/25) | Divin Mubama (2023/24) | Duncan McGuire (2024/25) | Mark O’Mahony (2024/25) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appearances | 17 | 17 | 5 | 27 | 8 |
| Goals | 1 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 2 |
| Shots on target | 36.4% | 56% | 33.3% | 46.7% | 28.6% |
| Shots per 90 | 1.26 | 2.12 | 1.14 | 2.53 | 0.38 |
| Shot creating actions per 90 | 1.53 | 0.89 | N/A | 1.69 | 0.77 |
Ugbo was in electric form last season, and looked a perfect fit for Danny Rohl’s system and style of play, so of course, keeping him was a smart move.
If and when Ugbo gets his first goal of the season, there is a real belief that the floodgates will open and he will find his form once more. But, until then, Wednesday will surely wish they had been able to persuade Mika Biereth to join them instead of Sturm Graz.