Born in Nigeria before moving to Ireland, Ogbene has earned 20 caps for the latter. Ipswich goalkeeper coach Rene Gilmartin recently worked alongside interim Republic of Ireland boss John O’Shea before Heimir Hallgrimsson took charge. The Blues currently have two Republic of Ireland internationals in their squad, Sammie Szmodics and Dara O’Shea, and have three more eligible in Liam Delap, Jack Taylor and Marcus Harness. Kieran McKenna has signed 11 players at a combined cost of £92.5m in transfer fees this summer. But with Nathan Broadhead, Wes Burns and George Hirst all currently injured, the Blues boss is keen to strengthen his forward line further ahead of Friday’s 11pm deadline. A loan deal for Chelsea’s Armando Broja was struck, but is now looking unlikely to be completed following issues highlighted in the medical. Upon signing Ogbene last summer, Luton boss Rob
Rob Edwards said “We know we are going to need some real athleticism in the Premier League, and he knows how to use it. He’s flexible, and he’s going to be able to play through the middle as a forward, but also as a wide one. He’s still at a good age where he’s willing to learn and he’s a fantastic human being, we had a brilliant chat and I just loved his personality.”
What price tag Luton put on him would be interesting. Anything they receive would be pure profit. Whether the Blues see him as an alternative option to Broja, or someone in addition to an out-and-out striker remains to be seen. There’s clearly still some wriggle room in the budget.Rob Edwards sa
