Matt Bloomfield has added another piece to the puzzle ahead of the 2024/25 season, bringing in former Shrewsbury Town striker Daniel Udoh on a free transfer. The 27-year-old will join former teammate Luke Leahy at HP12, following the expiration of his contract with the Shropshire side.
The transfer window has heated up for Wycombe over the last week, as Daniel Udoh becomes the fifth signing in the last eight days, following Nathan Bishop, Brody Peart, Tyreeq Bakinson, and Daniel Harvie through the doors at Harlington.
The former Nigerian youth international has played 181 times for the Shrews in all competitions, scoring 38 times and assisting 16 times. After being the subject of interest from across the EFL, Wanderers managed to fight off stiff competition to secure the Nigerian’s signature. Capable of playing as a striker and as a winger, Udoh will offer yet another strong threat to Wycombe’s already highly talented attacking arsenal.
Finishing last season with three goals in his final three games, the 27-year-old will be hoping to hit the ground running with his new club. However, he will face stiff competition from the likes of Richard Kone, Beryly Lubala, and Brandon Hanlan for a starting spot.
Thankfully for Udoh, he managed to feature in all but six of Shrewsbury’s league matches last season, following an ACL injury that ruled him out for almost the entirety of the 2022/23 campaign. He managed 10 goals and three assists last season, which is an impressive feat considering the duration of his injury. Many players aren’t the same following an ACL injury, however, Udoh seemed unfazed upon his return, as proven by his successful campaign last term.
Writer’s View:
This could be the signing of the summer in League One so far. Udoh is a force to be reckoned with at this level, especially with that fire in his belly after missing 2022/23 due to injury. We saw proof of this last season, as the Nigerian hit double figures in goals for the season.
Wanderers have lacked that cutting edge over the last couple of years, the last forward to hit double figures in goals for the Chairboys was Sam Vokes, two years ago. Whilst Richard Kone certainly showed that he will be deadly, Udoh will be brought in to be the main source of goals.
Being 27 years old, the striker is at the peak of his powers, and will only get better over his stint in Buckinghamshire. Having established himself as a top League One striker in Shropshire, even famously scoring a shock opener for the Shrews at Anfield, Udoh’s next mission is to fire the Chairboys into the second tier.
To pick up such a talented player on a free transfer is an exceptional piece of business, and the Wanderers seem to be assembling a very strong squad ahead of the new season. A player of Udoh’s caliber would cost you a few hundred thousand pounds in today’s market, so moving swiftly to secure him once his Shrewsbury contract expired shows a real statement of intent from Matt Bloomfield.