Chris Wilder will hope Sheffield United’s well-known spending habits across the last few transfer windows end up paying off instead of looking like a rash waste of cash.
Amazingly – since being relegated back down to the Championship – the Blades have purchased a ridiculous 18 new players in a bid to rebuild and go again, with the considerable churn seeing them pick up seven fresh faces in the window that has just slammed shut.
The busy winter window did see them only fork out for some permanent purchase, however, but it was a costly one at that, with former Leicester City man Tom Cannon joining the ever-expanding group for a whopping £10m.
Sheffield United’s statement buy of Cannon
The promotion chasers clearly wanted to send out a statement to the rest of the division that they won’t be easily toppled in the ongoing race for the top two spots, with Cannon also a wanted figure by fellow Premier League hopefuls in Sunderland.
In the end, Cannon would choose South Yorkshire over the Stadium of Light, with the Blades confident that the 22-year-old poacher can fire in the goals to make an instant return to the top flight happen.
After all, when on the books of Stoke City earlier in the season as an on-fire loanee, Cannon would help himself to a mightily impressive 11 strikes from 25 games.
Therefore, parent employers Leicester would have been compelled to bump up his price tag to cash in on his red-hot form, as the Blades then coughed up a hefty £10m to land the Championship’s flavour of the month.
He hasn’t opened his goalscoring account yet for his new employers, but everyone at the club will hope the goals start flowing soon, considering he is only two games down in his fresh surroundings.
Whilst Cannon has stolen most of the United headlines in recent weeks, there are stars already at Bramall Lane worth more than the 22-year-old hotshot, with this one ace definitely a firm favourite of Wilder’s.
The Sheffield United “leader” who’s worth more than Cannon
Joining the top-flight ranks last season as a surprise buy from Belgian outfit Lommel S.K., Vinicius Souza has slowly but surely become an integral part of the Blades machine since his arrival in England.
Whilst his lowly team did eventually accept their grim relegation fate last campaign, the Brazilian would still stick out as a valiant battler in the middle of the park.
Indeed, the Rio De Janeiro-born star won a punchy 6. duels on average that season to try and gift his side some desperately needed grit.
Wilder has regularly waxed lyrical about the 25-year-old off the back of these constantly committed displays, with the 57-year-old notably stating in November last year that Souza was a “real leader” and an “outstanding” individual to have around the place.
He has excelled in the drop-down a division too, with the occasional Blades captain’s average duels won count increasing to 6.8 in the often full-blooded Championship, leading to his transfer value also going up.
|
Souza’s increasing transfer value |
|
|---|---|
|
Date |
Value |
|
Now |
£11.6m |
|
October 2023 |
£10m |
|
June 2023 |
£5m |
|
May 2022 |
£3.7m |
|
February 2021 |
£416k |
|
Sourced by Transfermarkt |
|
Year on year, ever since emerging onto the scene at Lommel, Souza has seen his valuation steadily increase, with his price tag coming in now at £11.6m – according to Transfermarkt – which actually makes him an even more prized asset than the £10m Cannon.
Reports before the new second-tier season started even suggested that Wilder’s men wanted Fulham to fork out £30m to win his services, with Marco Silva’s Cottagers perhaps trying to exploit the Blades’ fragile nature after relegation.
But, Wilder and Co managed to thankfully keep a firm grip on their star, with the 25-year-old no doubt keen to continue to put in some top displays, alongside the wave of new signings, to help his defiant side leap straight back up to the Premier League.
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