Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore has claimed Sheffield United need to sign a striker in the mould of Jermain Defoe.
Despite scoring three times in a win over Burnley at the weekend, the Blades have only managed 12 goals so far in total. Only Crystal Palace in the top ten have scored less.
Lys Mousset and John Lundstram are joint top-scorers with three each so far. However, the other strikers in the team have not quite fired yet. Oli McBurnie, Callum Robinson, and Billy Sharp have all scored once, while David McGoldrick has yet to hit the net.
And speaking in his column in the Mirror (print edition, Tuesday 5th November 2019), Collymore believes Blades boss Chris Wilder will be looking for more in January.
MORE UNITED STORIES
“Defensively, they are conceding 0.75 goals a game — Champions League percentages — and what they need now is to push on from a very solid start. To do that they need more goals and if they get them they will be safe,” Collymore said.
“I’d imagine a loan striker will be top of Wilder’s Christmas wish-list because if they can get a poacher of Jermain Defoe’s calibre — all relegation bets will be off.”
Defoe has 21 goals for Rangers in just 38 appearances.
Does Collymore have a point
Collymore is right in that United need someone to score the goals. But, there is a case to be made that United already have that type of player in club captain, Billy Sharp.
Sharp is not getting regular starts and is instead coming off the bench. However, he is the club’s natural poacher and will no doubt hit the net again this season.
A lot will depend on if United can continue their good form. If Mousset can keep scoring and the others around him can contribute, Wilder might well keep faith with the strikers he has.
United spent heavily in the summer adding attacking options. Mousset, Robinson, and McBurnie all arrived at different points, breaking the club’s transfer record in the process on each occasion.
Defoe might well have been of interest to Sheffield United a few years back. It would appear, however, that his Premier League career is finished.