Jacob Murphy’s loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday will be up in the coming mo
nths, forcing Garry Monk to sign a replacement this summer. Transfermarkt name Jordon Ibe as a comparable player to the 25-year-old, but would he be a good signing?
As per Transfermarkt, Wednesday have shifted their transfer policy in the last 18 months, going from making a £9.8m net spend in 2016/17 and £13.7m net spend in 2017/18 to making just one permanent signing in 2018/19 and spending less than £1m on 11 players in 2019/20.
That means only free transfers and loan signings will do for Garry Monk this summer, and Ibe would fit the bill as he’s out of contract in the coming months. But as the 24-year-old’s career has spiralled in recent years, he would be a gamble.
Since joining Bournemouth for £16.2m in 2016, Ibe has gone on to make 92 appearances in all competitions, scoring five goals and making nine assists. The former England u21 international has featured only four times across the board this season, however, as he fell down the pecking order and made headlines for the wrong reasons.
Murphy will be a loss when he returns to Newcastle United as his form picked up in 2020. Wednesday will need a pacey winger who can beat his opposite marker and put quality balls into the box, but Ibe has a lot to prove. The 24-year-old was banned from driving for 16 months and given a 12-month community order after crashing his car into a coffee shop.
But if Wednesday aren’t put off by his misdeeds, they may have an edge in negotiations – Ibe shares the same agent as Tom Lees. Would he be a good signing, however? Are there better options available to the Owls?
