Former Barnsley loanee Ike Ugbo could be ready to test himself in the English Football League once again next season after finally finding his shooting boots during a spell playing in the Dutch Eerste Divisie with Roda JC.
The 21-year-old Lewisham-born frontman joined The Tykes on a season-long loan from Chelsea in 2017 but failed to impress at Oakwell in what was his first campaign as a senior player.
Ugbo made 18 appearances for Barnsley but he rarely played 90 minutes for The Tykes and was recalled by his parent club halfway through his loan spell with just two senior goals to his name. The season was always going to be tough for the striker despite starring for The Blues at both Under-18 and Under-23 levels in previous years. Fellow Chelsea academy graduate Tammy Abraham had netted 26 goals for Barnsley’s Sky Bet Championship rivals Bristol City during the previous campaign and comparisons had been made between the two players.
After leaving Oakwell, Ugbo joined Milton Keynes Dons on loan for the remainder of the 2017/2018 season but managed to score just two more goals while he netted once in 16 outings for Scunthorpe United last term.
Still on Chelsea’s books, Ugbo was loaned out again this season, this time to Dutch club Roda JC and the youngster has now developed a keen eye for goal. He has scored 13 times for The Pride of the South in his 29 appearances.
The Dutch season has now been ended as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic and Ugbo will return to parent club Chelsea. The player has a year remaining on his contract at Stamford Bridge and the prospect of a fifth loan move next season looks likely. With Ugbo having now proved that he can score goals as a senior player, it would be no surprise to see him testing himself in the Sky Bet Championship or the top end of Sky Bet League One in 2020/2021.
