Sheffield Wednesday set to move for lively Leeds United attacker but face competition

The tricky attacker spent the second half of the 2023/24 season with the Owls having arrived at Hillsborough on deadline day of the January window. He provided a marked impact on their ultimately successful survival campaign, though hamstring injuries curtailed his involvement to just 10 appearances and he missed out on the last five matches of the season.

Wednesday boss Danny Röhl is understood to be a big admirer of Poveda’s attributes and what he brought to the side. The Star is told he sees the 24-year-old as an important target heading into what is expected to be a busy summer of activity both in and out of S6.

It’s understood the Owls will face stiff competition from the Championship and abroad for his signature but with Poveda’s Leeds contract coming to an end in the coming weeks there are hopes a deal can be done to bring him in on what would be a free transfer.

The Colombia international signed on loan at Wednesday despite strong interest from eventually relegated Birmingham City. The deal to bring him in from Leeds was initially understood to be a permanent, though a shift late on as the deadline drew closer saw it switched to a loan. Wednesday boss Röhl smiled while admitting he intended to use the remainder of the season to convince Poveda to sign on in the summer. It’s now believed the Owls intend to carry through on that intention.

Asked on the likelihood of the club attempting to sign the former Manchester City youth man on a permanent basis, Röhl told The Star last week: “We know these players and that they gave us quality in the second leg (half of the season). We know Ian when he played, he has a good impact, Ike Ugbo has scored for us. We will try to have a good squad together.”