With only one win next to their name this January to date, Sheffield United are in desperate need of getting back to winning ways when facing off against Norwich City this coming Saturday in the Championship.
If lady luck is on the Blades’ side, they could well leap into the top two automatic promotion spots come full-time versus the Canaries, with Chris Wilder’s men needing Burnley and Sunderland to slip up alongside picking up three points themselves.
To aid his team’s chances of going up automatically, Wilder will be crying out for more from the attackers he currently possesses, with the Blades arguably lacking the same star power as other teams near the top of the second-tier table.
Sheffield United's striker issues
Whilst West Bromwich Albion boast a deadly Josh Maja leading the line with 12 goals, and Leeds United have the likes of Joel Piroe who can find the back of the net at a moment’s notice, the fellow promotion hopefuls don’t quite strike fear into the heart of Championship defences in a similar way.
Of course, they do have seasoned EFL strikers such as Kieffer Moore and Tyrese Campbell – who have a combined career goal haul of 96 playing in the tricky division – but both are prone to picking up injuries, away from also going through barren patches of form.
Indeed, the Welshman has only fired home five league goals this season, with Campbell only bettering the ex-Cardiff City man by one.
Therefore, it’s no great shock to read most of the transfer rumours involving the Blades this January centre in on their desire to pick up a new potent attacker, with Tom Cannon and Ben Brereton Diaz both being linked heavily with switches to South Yorkshire.
Away from those two names, the promotion candidates are also considering an ambitious swoop for this marksman, who once called Bramall Lane his home before much like the Chilean.
Wilder could now sign Sharp 2.0
According to football journalist Alan Nixon – as has been relayed by The Yorkshire Post – United are still pursuing the signature of former star Oli McBurnie this month, despite already having an approach blocked by his current employers Las Palmas.
Often, it would be frowned upon trying to make a reunion happen, but as was the case when Billy Sharp triumphantly returned to Bramall Lane, bringing back the passionate Scotsman for a second stint could prove to be a success instead of an ill-fated move.
After all, Wilder managed to get a tune out of McBurnie more times than not during his time at the club in the past, with this well-taken strike one of six goals the ex-Swansea City man managed to bag for his side in the Premier League during the 2019-20 season.
He would depart for Spain having fired home an unspectacular 29 goals in total for the Blades from 159 appearances, but Sharp would initially leave his boyhood club in a similarly underwhelming manner back in 2009, having fired home just eight Championship strikes across his two previous seasons.
The rest is history now, however, with Sharp returning to become a hall-of-famer for the South Yorkshire side, with a hefty 129 goals next to his name now from 377 total appearances.
The 28-year-old target has also proven himself in the past to be a goal machine playing in the league below the Premier League, leading to shouts back in 2023 from former teammate John Egan that the imposing forward is “unbelievable” for the level.
Club played for
Games played
Goals scored
Sheffield United
66
13
Swansea
42
22
Barnsley
17
9
Overall, the 6 foot 2 striker has a sizeable tally of 44 strikes next to his name when playing in the second tier, and much like Sharp managed upon his re-entry to Bramall Lane, McBurnie will hope he can take his game to the next level if he does return to catapult Wilder’s men back up to the Premier League.
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ByStephan GeorgiouFeb 3, 2025