da wazamba： Sheffield United came into this transfer window wanting to sign two to three players in order to bolster the squad.
da stake casino： Those were the words of Chris Wilder as the January window opened two weeks ago.
And two potential additions have been labelled in the same report. Ipswich’s Luke Woolfenden is one of the players who could make a move to Bramall Lane but the man in question here is 22-year-old Elias Cobbaut.
Touted with a potential £7m move from Anderlecht to the Blades, he could help kill two birds with one stone.
On the chalkboard
Heading into the window it was clear the Yorkshire outfit needed added bodies in defence. The Blades play with a three-man backline and two wing-backs which makes more depth even more important.
That is a notion furthered by Sky Sports News reporters Tim Thornton and Richard Graves: “The Blades are on the hunt for cover, mostly – specifically at centre-back to help the likes of Chris Basham and Jack O’Connell in the right and left centre-half positions.”
Therefore, adding a defender, specifically one that can play in two positions would be a huge help. Coincidentally, Cobbaut is capable of playing at either centre-back or left-back and as a result, would be perfect for Wilder this month.
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Much-needed cover
With Sheffield United on the hunt for cover for Jack O’Connell, landing someone who’s comfortable on the left-hand side would be a huge bonus.
Boasting one cap for his country Belgium, Cobbaut can be an astute addition considering his age and ability to cover multiple bases. Throughout 2019/20, the youngster has played ten times in the middle of the backline while featuring on seven occasions as a full-back.
One of his key strengths is his ability to win the ball back for his side, completing 2.7 successful tackles per game at the European U21 Championships. However, he’s also a threat in the opposition box, amassing 1.7 shots per game in the same tournament, something that could prove useful if he plays as a wing-back.
Although the pool of games is considerably lower, those two statistics are ahead of Sheffield United’s current defenders. It’s hard to ignore the consistency he produced last summer and a move to the ever-improving Blades would seemingly suit all parties.
This potential deal could go a long way to satisfying Wilder’s needs.
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