Sheffield United should pursue a winter move for Yanic Wildschut
As per a report from The Sun (h/t The Star), EFL Championship promotion hopefuls Sheffield United are mulling over making a move for Norwich City winger Yanic Wildschut, who is currently on loan at Bolton Wanderers.
Following three back-t0-back wins against Derby County, Blackburn Rovers and Wigan Athletic during the busy festive period, Chris Wilder’s side has moved to the third place in the Championship standings. They are four points shy of leaders Leeds United and just two below second-placed Norwich City.
And with the prospect of automatic promotion staring at them, Blades’ boss Wilder is keen on strengthening his forces ahead of the second half of the campaign. To that end, the club seem to have identified Wildschut as someone who could help them achieve their goals over the next five months. (h/t The Star)
The 27-year-old winger is a product of the Ajax youth academy and has had spells at FC Zwolle, VVV Venlo, Heerenveen and ADO Den Haag in the Netherlands, before moving to England and joining Middlesbrough in the summer of 2014.
Having failed to make much of an impact with the Teessiders, Wildschut was loaned out to Wigan Athletic a year later. The Latics made the transfer a permanent one in January 2016, having been impressed by the Dutchman. Wildschut went on to make 65 appearances for Wigan, scoring 14 goals and setting up 19 more when Norwich snapped him up in a £4million deal in January 2017. (h/t The Star)
The winger managed just one goal from 9 matches in the second half of the 2016/17 term and found the back of the net just once again in the first half of the 2017/18 season (20 matches), prompting Norwich to send him out on loan to Cardiff City in January 2018. He featured 10 times for the Bluebirds but failed to net even a single goal even as they earned promotion to the Premier League.
Norwich loaned him out to Blackburn at the start of the ongoing campaign and the 27-year-old has once again failed to make an impact. So far in the 2018/19 season, Wildschut has featured 17 times across all competitions but has chipped in with just two goals, both of which came in August last year. He hasn’t made the matchday squad for Phil Parkinson’s side for the last four matches.
Given that Sheffield are aiming for automatic promotion, it doesn’t make sense for them to target a player who has failed to make any sort of impact in Championship football in the past couple of years or so. Apart from his spell at Wigan, Wildschut has failed to make a difference at all of his other clubs in England.
Moreover, given the 3-5-2 system that Wilder favours, it is hard to see where Wildschut would fit in since the Dutchman favours playing in the wide areas and isn’t well known for his defensive duties.
Sheffield United would be better off staying away from the Dutchman and instead pursuing other targets that could add more quality to their ranks as they go about chasing promotion.
