Sheffield United target Britt Assombalonga has said he was ‘excited’ to return to training with Middlesbrough despite interest from a number of other sides (Hartlepool Mail).
The Blades reportedly face competition from Celtic and Fulham in the race to secure a deal for the striker, who has been at the Riverside Stadium since joining from Nottingham Forest back in 2017 for a club-record fee of £15million.
Last season, the 26-year-old bagged 16 goals for the Championship side and has attracted attention this summer as a result.
Meanwhile, Chris Wilder’s side have already broken the bank for a striker in the window, signing former Bournemouth man Lys Mousset for their own club record fee in a £10m deal.
They have also been linked with a number of other strikers including Swansea City’s Oli McBurnie and Brentford’s Neal Maupay.
There is no doubting Oli McBurnie has all the assets to form a prolific and fruitful partnership with Billy Sharp – for reasons which have been touched upon before.
And not only would McBurnie potentially form a better partnership with the Blades top scorer last season than Assombalonga – he won more aerial battles and provided more key passes than the Borough man (via WhoScored) – so would Maupay.
The Brentford forward has far more going for him in every department – he scored 11 more times in the league than Assombalonga, he provided eight more assists, his passing accuracy was higher and he attempted more dribbles.
In a window where Wilder has already spent over £22m, he now needs to buy smart and ensure any other money is invested wisely.
Across every possible measure, McBurnie and Maupay are better options than Assombalonga – so the Borough striker should not be considered.
Sheffield United fans, should Wilder steer clear of Assombalonga? Tell us what you think in the comment section below!
