Sheffield United must sign this standout defender this summer – Opinion
Sheffield United have struggled to find a consistent left-back all season due to injury troubles. The more natural left-back’s of the squad, Rhys Norrington-Davies and Max Lowe, have both missed the most of the season.
This has led to centre-back Auston Trusty being deployed at the position and versatile midfielder Ben Osborn. Additionally, loanee Yasser Larouci has not pulled up any trees with his performances and looks completely out of his depth in the Premier League.
The Blades will likely not retain Max Lowe come the summer, and the future of Norrington-Davies is in question after unfortunate successive major injuries, leading him to make seven appearances this term after returning from a 14 month lay-off.
In the forthcoming summer transfer window, Sheffield United must acquire a left-back or left wingback of some kind. Ideally one that, at the very least, you know you can count on for 75% of the campaign.
Harrison Burrows should be signed by Sheffield United this summer.
Low value signings from League One and the Championship were part of some of Chris Wilder’s strongest recruiting class during his first stint. And since he has a major reconstruction ahead of him, it wouldn’t surprise me if some of it came from this direction again.
The club ought to, in my opinion, exert every effort to sign 22-year-old Harrison Burrows this summer.
Although Burrows’ current contract with Peterborough United is coming to an end, the team has the option to extend it by one more year. In any case, Burrows would be sold at a steep discount.
In each of his last three league seasons, the youthful left wingback has appeared at least 37 times. During that period, he has scored 13 goals and recorded 24 assists.
Additionally, he is a player who has experienced Championship football before, having excelled in Peterborough’s relegation season in 2021–2022, when he was just 19 years old.
His stats are just astounding; he leads League One in almost every category, including goals and assists, creative and general passing, and general passing.
Burrows is in the 97th percentile among League One full-backs in terms of Assists p90. In terms of crucial passes made per game, crosses made per game, and progressive passes made per game, he is ranked in the 96th percentile, 94th, and 99th, respectively.
He also ranks 85th in shots attempted per 90 minutes, 81st in goals scored per game from full-back, and 84th in touches inside the opponent penalty area.
The absence of a consistent left-wingback for the Blades likely dates back to Enda Stevens’ 2019–20 campaign. It’s remarkable that a team that depends so much on wingbacks for their system hasn’t had a reliable player in that position for such a long period. That is true from the perspectives of genuine creative force as well as endurance.
Burrows has shown he can be such player during his brief career. He would also mesh well with the team’s fresh, youthful dynamic. Additionally, he is a born leader—something the Blades have severely lacked in their back line this season.
