Highlights

• Sheffield Wednesday aim to secure Ike Ugbo's return with impressive reports following his loan spell.
• Owls must build squad stability amidst manager interest from Sunderland and Hull City.
• Determining Ugbo's price pivotal due to French club's relegation threat and financial constraints.

Reports have emerged suggesting that Sheffield Wednesday want to bring striker Ike Ugbo back to the club, following his successful loan spell with the club.

It's going to be a busy summer for the Owls as they look to build a squad that can push on from their narrow escape of relegation to become a stable second tier side. They will also have to contend with all of the interest that their manager, Danny Röhl, is receiving.

The German has been targeted by both Sunderland and Hull City as they both look to find new head coaches for the start of next season.

Röhl is said to have held positive talks with the club, which included discussions over a new deal for the boss, as per Joe Crann.

Although the Owls have a red-hot manager, and a team that must feel like it's on top of the world, respectively, given their final league position, they do still need to make sure that their squad for the 2024/25 campaign is up to scratch.

Important players like Josh Windass and Barry Bannan are scheduled to leave the club at the end of June, if they cannot agree a new deal with Wednesday.

But their focus is on keeping, or bringing back, players who have already departed Hillsborough, including one very helpful loanee.

Sheffield Wednesday want to bring Ike Ugbo back

Canadian international Ugbo impressed with more than just his vital goals during his half-season stay in Yorkshire. The manager complimented the forward on the other areas of his game, as well as his ability to find the back of the net, and he wants the 25-year-old to return to Sheffield permanently, after the expiration of his loan deal.

Ugbo will return to his parent club, Troyes. He still has two years left on his deal with them, but their league standings, which puts them as one of the favourites to be relegated to the third tier of French football, could make a deal easier to do.

On Wednesday (the day of the week), four days after the side confirmed their survival with a win over Sunderland, on the final day of the season, the Canadian took to Instagram to thank the club and his teammates.

He said: "Thank you all for the experience you have given me this season...

"When I first joined the club in January, I knew the upward battle we had to face. But from day one I felt the togetherness from the whole club was going to pull us through.

"From the belief from the manager to the constant support from the fans, we managed to get the job done. Even though it's only been a few months the journey we've been on together has been one I will never forget.

"Thank you, Owls."

The comments underneath the post, from the likes of Bannan and Anthony Musaba, certainly suggest that the players want to see 'Ugz' return to Wednesday in the summer.

The price should determine whether Wednesday pursue Ugbo

With the amount of time left on his deal with the French side, and what he did for the Yorkshire-based side in his short spell with them, they are going to try and drive the price up.

However, Wednesday would be able to throw a counter jab at them, via the means of Troyes' dismal league standing. If they get relegated from Ligue 2, then it's going to be hard to get the likes of Ugbo to stick around, and they may be forced to sell him.

They do have to be smart, because they won't have buckets of money to throw about. They can't afford to do a Manchester United and pay 3 or 4x when you think a player is worth x.

One of the things that the Owls' board must do to try and keep Röhl around is to go in the same direction that he wants the club to go, especially with recruitment.

He's the one that masterminded the great escape that they pulled off, so there should be no hesitation or lack of trust in him.

Ugbo was one of just four signings that the German was able to make in the January window. It's fair to say that at least half of them paid off, with the Canadian, and his eight combined goals and assists, and James Beadle, being the standout pairing.

Wednesday should hand Röhl the keys to the castle, and if he feels that Ugbo is worth pursuing to help reinforce the walls, then that's what the club should pursue. But there should be some caution in said pursuit; they can't take a big risk and overpay for Ugbo if that's the only deal Troyes will do.