Neil Warnock's £1m Middlesbrough transfer gamble flopped - He left for £0 soon after | OneFootball

Uche Ikpeazu's move from Wycombe Wanderers to Middlesbrough was one to forget.

Neil Warnock has made plenty of signings throughout his long and illustrious managerial career, plenty of which have become synonymous with the beloved manager’s name.

However, Uche Ikpeazu’s move to Middlesbrough is one that all parties would like to forget.

The veteran manager joined Boro in 2020 as the club was struggling towards the bottom of the Championship under the previous manager, Jonathan Woodgate.

Warnock continued his legacy as the survival specialist by guiding the Teesside outfit to safety. He remained in post for the following season, steadying the ship at the Riverside Stadium.

It’s evident that Warnock has an excellent eye for talent and likes a specific type of player to match his style of play. One of these he identified was at the time Wycombe Wanderers striker Ikpeazu. The Ugandan had just been relegated from the Championship with the Chairboys, which had clubs circling.

Ikpeazu had just come off the back of an excellent season at Adams Park, scoring six league goals and establishing himself as a fan favourite at his new club. The striker was quick, powerful and had an eye for goal, which convinced Warnock to splash the cash and bring him up north.

Things wouldn’t go as planned, as Ikpeazu was spat out on loan just six months after he arrived at Middlesbrough, before departing for a new chapter in Turkey the following year. Despite all of Warnock’s excellent signings, this one is certainly one to forget.

Winding back the clock to the summer of 2021, Wycombe and Ikpeazu had just been relegated from the Championship after a valiant effort which ultimately came up just short on the final day. Despite this, the then-26-year-old had already made a lasting impact on the second tier

Ikpeazu was the focal point of Gareth Ainsworth’s attack - pace, power, strength, and finishing. He had it all. After Wanderers demolished Warnock’s side 3-0 on the final day, the club swooped in the summer to bring the forward to Teesside for a reported fee worth up to £1m. This was an exciting opportunity for the former Watford man, as he got the opportunity to be the main man at a top Championship side.

However, this wouldn’t go as planned for both the club and the player. The Ugandan struggled to recreate the form he showed in Buckinghamshire, scoring just twice in 20 Championship outings and ultimately disappointing his manager. By the time January rolled around, he’d already fallen out of favour at his new club and was made available for loan.

Ikpeazu joined fellow Championship side Cardiff City on a loan deal until the end of the season. He scored three goals in 13 appearances for the Bluebirds, but they didn’t opt to sign him permanently, which saw the striker return to Boro. During his time away, Warnock retired and was replaced by Chris Wilder, who made it clear Ikpeazu had no future at the Riverside Stadium, bringing to an end a disappointing stint on Teesside after just one year.

Middlesbrough disappointment had a lasting impact on Ikpeazu’s career.

With his time at Middlesbrough seemingly at an end, Ikpeazu opted to leave England and begin a new chapter in Turkey with Süper Lig side Konyaspor. He left Boro on a free transfer just a year after being brought to the club for a reported £1m.

The deal did include a sell-on clause for the Teesside club, but they wouldn’t receive any fee from that either.

After 12 months and 17 appearances for his new club, Ikpeazu’s contract was terminated by Konyaspor. He failed to score for the Turkish side, registering just one assist across all competitions. It was another move to forget for the Ugandan, and he was once again in the hunt for a new club.

It seemed for all the world that Ikpeazu was set for a reunion with Wycombe in the summer of 2023, where he played arguably the best football of this career. The striker was reportedly very close to securing a move back to Adams Park, but a deal failed to materialise. He instead joined fellow League One outfit and former employer Port Vale on a deal until the end of the season.

Sadly, another poor stint, which yielded a single goal in 20 appearances, saw him fail to earn himself a new deal at Vale Park, and he was released when the club was relegated to League Two. He joined Scottish side St Johnstone in the summer of 2024, his fourth club in as many years, but is yet to make an appearance for them after suffering a “freak injury” following an accident at home.

It’s sad to see how Ikpeazu’s career has unfolded following his unsuccessful stint at Middlesbrough. What looked to be a great opportunity for the striker to lead the line at a top Championship club ended up being the beginning of a downward trajectory for the 30-year-old. It’s also one that the club will want to quickly erase from their memory, having spent a big fee on Ikpeazu.