Chris Wilder opens up on Tom Cannon transfer as Sheffield United look to tie up deal ahead of Hull City clash
Chris Wilder opens up on Tom Cannon transfer as Sheffield United look to tie up deal ahead of Hull City clash
Chris Wilder has opened up on the reasoning behind Sheffield United’s big-money move for Leicester City striker Tom Cannon, with the Blades confident of putting the finishing touches to the deal ahead of tomorrow night’s clash with Hull City. Cannon underwent a medical at United earlier this week and must be registered before noon today in order to be eligible to face the Tigers.
The scheduling of the game effectively gives United 24 hours fewer in which to tie up all the loose ends, but Wilder reported in his pre-match press confidence that United were “potentially looking to get all that tied up this morning” after reporting that the news on Cannon was “all positive.” The 22-year-old is match fit, after being recalled from his loan spell at Stoke City earlier this month, and Wilder said: “There's a deadline for him to be involved tomorrow night and we're confident that'll get completed before that.
“It’s a super signing for us. Someone we've tracked for a long time. From a data point of view, in the direction the club are going, and character and personality point of view, which I always talk about as it's needed. He’s a hungry young player and we need someone to play on the shoulder and stretch the game. As soon as we talked he knew our enthusiasm to get this done.
“He knows what we're about, he played here this season, he knows the club's ambition. I thank the board and the co-chairman for the backing and support for the whole process we're going through since they took over the club. We're all on the same page, he’s a great age and hopefully he plays a successful part in the last 18 games and beyond.”
Asked what attracted him to Cannon, Wilder said: “He's an English No.9, with pace and physicality and directness in his play, and we know what a good finisher he is. We spoke to people at Leicester we have contact with and the positive assessment we get about this boy's qualities, work rate and attributes are the reason we're investing in Tom.
“You want him to grow with the club. There are zero guarantees and it's always been club signings, we've had to do presentations to board members and everyone be on the same page. And this has ticked a lot of boxes, if not every box. There's promise and development in the player. He's ambitious and can hopefully realise them all here with us. It's a really good signing for us.”