Sheffield United target Oli McBurnie has said he is flattered by the interest from the newly promoted side (via Wales Online).
The 23-year-old has received interest from last year’s Championship runners-up as a result of his stellar 2018/19 campaign for Swansea which saw him finish on 22 league goals.
But the Swans have already turned down a £15million bid and despite the Scottish international feeling a sense of flattery in response to the approach from the Blades, he insisted his head will not be turned.
McBurnie said: “It’s flattering because it means you’re doing something right, getting attention from clubs like that.
“But everyone who knows me knows I’ll keep my focus on the pitch and my head in the football. I won’t let my head turn and I’ll get on with things.
“It’s not my decision, it’s for people way above me to decide. I’ll get on with the football, I’m more than happy to do that and let them sort it out between themselves.”
The Yorkshire club do already have an incredibly prolific striker in Billy Sharp, who bagged 23 goals in the Championship last season – one more than McBurnie.
However, they are very different strikers in a number of ways and for that reason you could see them combining to make quite a formidable partnership.
For example, McBurnie won an average of three aerial duels per game last season compared to Sharp who won an average of just 1.1 (as per WhoScored).
This is because the Scotsman is more physical (a strength highlighted by Swansea’s official club website) and is able to impose himself on defenders by holding the ball up effectively before playing a key pass – he also averaged 0.4 more of them last campaign.
Contrastingly, Sharp averaged one offside per game compared with 0.2 for the Swansea man. The reason for that is the Blades’ current number ten enjoys playing off the shoulder of the last man and nipping into score – therefore he is more susceptible to loitering the wrong side of the defender.
Indeed, nothing has changed since Sharp’s Scunthorpe United days, with The Guardian highlighting his desire to play off the shoulder all the way back in 2006.
Sheffield United already have a poacher who feeds off the intricate work of others. Now, McBurnie’s all-round link-up play and prowess in the air could be a devastating addition to their squad in the Premier League and so Wilder should do all he can to get that deal over the line.
Sheffield United fans, just how good of a signing do you think McBurnie would be? Join the discussion by commenting below…
