Sheffield Wednesday are now considering a summer swoop for free agent attacker Ovie Ejaria.
Sheffield Wednesday are seemingly pushing ahead with their summer transfer plans after the Owls secured fresh terms for manager Danny Rohl.
There’s several names now on Wednesday’s radar, including the likes of strikers Ike Ugbo, Duncan McGuire, and Mika Biereth.
And Rohl could add another name to his attacking ranks with a summer swoop for ex-Liverpool talent Ejaria; it’s claimed that Sheffield Wednesday are keen on a summer move for the 26-year-old.
Ovie Ejaria career so far
Ejaria began his career with Arsenal, spending nine years with the club’s youth academy before joining Liverpool in 2014.
The winger eventually went on to make two Premier League appearances for Liverpool, spending time out on loan with the likes of Sunderland, Rangers, and then Reading.
It was Reading who eventually signed Ejaria on a permanent basis. Ejaria penned a four-year deal with the Royals and went on to make 127 total appearances for the club, scoring 13 goals and assisting nine along the way.
Ejaria and Reading agreed to part ways in December last year, with the club citing ‘injury and fitness problems’ behind the decision.
Since, Ejaria has trained with both Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth Argyle.
What they say about Ovie Ejaria
Neil Critchley when Liverpool academy boss: “You can see him at the end of the game, still pressing and recovering. He’s developed his body a lot in the last two to three years, he looks a good athlete.
“He’s played for our first team so that tells you what the manager thinks of him. He’s still got a lot of development to come, he’s not the finished product by any means but he’s a top, top player.”
Paul Ince when managing Reading: “Before I came I knew about Ovie from Rangers and Liverpool. People said to me he’s very, very good.
“He’s a very talented player and I’ve seen a lot of talented players that have never made it and have fallen by the wayside.
“With Ovie it’s a strange one. Last year we played him on the left hand side and he was very good for us.
“He’s definitely got it there but it’s about doing it on a consistent basis. This year has been up and down with injuries and he’s never really got going.
“He’s one that needs to play in a specific role and play week in, week out. We haven’t had that luxury to do that yet.”
Ovie Ejaria player profile
- Full name: Oviemuno Dominic Ejaria
- Age: 26
- Height: 1.88m (6ft 2in)
- Nationality: English
- Date of birth: 18th November 1997
- Place of birth: Southwark, London
- Position: Winger
- Club: No club
Ovie Ejaria highlights
Ovie Ejaria to Sheffield Wednesday analysis
Two things seem to be certain with Ejaria; raw, undeniable talent and trickery, but also concerns over fitness.
When at Reading, Ejaria was often a catalyst in that team; his highlights above show his ability to cut in from the left side, beat players on the ball, and pick out goals and key passes inside the penalty area.
But like Ince mentioned in the comments above, consistency was often a flaw of Ejaria, and that’s likely stemming from recurring injuries.
And having had half-a-season out of the game now, Rohl will surely be concerned about where Ejaria is currently with regards to his fitness.
Also, the fact that he’s already trained with Sheffield Wednesday, and that the Owlshaven’t yet signed him, may suggests that Rohl and co have reservations about the winger.
But it certainly seems like he’s a potential option for the Owls this summer, and if a return for Ian Poveda fails then Ejaria may be a worthy alternative, albeit boasting the same injury concerns as Poveda.
Either way, it looks like Ejaria may return to the Football League this summer and if he finds fitness and form, he’ll be a quality signing for whoever brings him in.
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