Why Sheffield United should avoid signing Lewis O’Brien
According to The Sun (h/t Yorkshire Live), Sheffield United have been linked with a move for Lewis O’Brien, who plies his trade with Huddersfield Town in the Championship.
O’Brien, 21, is one of the rising stars in the country and has done well so far in the second division. Last season, he was on loan with Bradford City and helped them finish 9th in the League Two standings, scoring 4 goals and 3 assists in 40 games.
Since his return to the John Smith’s Stadium, he has been a regular member of the squad under Danny Cowley. His impressive performances have put him under the Blades’ radar, as per the report.
Meanwhile, Sheffield are one of the surprise packages in the top-flight after their promotion last summer. Chris Wilder has done a stellar job to take them to higher places as they are currently 7th in the league table above the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham.
They have been brilliant in all the departments, especially with their defensive unit putting in a remarkable show all throughout the campaign. They have shipped in 25 goals so far and boast of the second-best defensive record in the league.
The Sheffield United midfield is perfectly alright
The Blades midfield has also been impressive throughout the season with the likes of John Fleck and John Lundstram playing a key role. Apart from them, Oliver Norwood, Ben Osborn and Luke Freeman are also some of the attack-minded midfielders available at the manager’s disposal.
Also, last January, Sander Berge and Jack Rodwell were brought in to strengthen the defensive midfield position. And with a plethora of midfield talents available in their ranks, making a move for Lewis O’Brien would make no sense.
O’Brien has been fantastic in the last two seasons but is just 21 years old and needs experience to play at a higher level. He has just begun his career and this summer may not be the right time to make a move for him.
The youngster would definitely end up on the bench given the likes of Fleck, Lundstram and Norwood are doing well. In the holding midfield role, Berge would be considered ahead of him as the Norwegian has already proved his worth elsewhere before moving in the winter to Bramall lane.
Read more
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Verdict
Given the plenty of talents available in Sheffield’s midfield ranks, O’Brien would be eventually be pushed to bench whereas, at this stage, he needs to be playing regularly. The Blades don’t require a midfielder at the moment. Thus, they should keep their eyes off the youngster and instead look to strengthen other areas on the pitch.
