Sheffield United will be sending Benie Traore out on loan this month to Nantes, with an option to make the deal permanent included.
Traore has struggled to make any impact since signing for around £4m in the summer while Paul Heckingbottom was in charge.
And after Chris Wilder admitted he’d be making quick decisions on players this January, it seems Traore is going to be the first to go, something we call last week ourselves on Sheffield United News.
French outlet Ouest France says Traore will arrive in Nantes tomorrow to finalise a loan deal. As part of that deal, the French outfit will also have an option to buy Traore.
The 21-year-old was one of the first summer signings for Heckingbottom. However, after looking sharp in his first couple of outings, he has slipped well down the pecking order since.
Traore was a pointless signing by Sheffield United
Whoever signed this one off needs to be looked at.
We all know the budget was a small one in the summer and we needed to try and take a punt on a few gems in Europe and hope they kicked on.
However, with Traore, it just looks like he is a mile off every being ready to play for United.
Ultimately, this is on Heckingbottom and his recruitment staff. Chris Wilder has been here weeks and has clearly already seen enough to suggest Traore won’t play a part.
Sure, there’s other factors likely at play here. Traore is a young man settling into a new country and city, while the standard of PL football is also a huge step to what he’s been used to. Likewise, United have been really poor in the main, which never helps any player settle.
Hopefully, Traore can do well in Nantes and they pay us the money back we invested. If not, he could come back and hopefully be a better player for it.
Either way, this was a shocking signing and £4m effectively wasted.