Brondby expert provides the lowdown on Sheffield United target Anis Ben Slimane

The Tunisia international, who is poised to become Paul Heckingbottom’s first signing of a recruitment drive designed to equip his squad for the rigours of Premier League football, has built a solid reputation during four seasons as a professional with Brondby. The reaction among supporters of the 11-time Danish title-winners, who have expressed their disappointment at the news he appears destined for England, is a more powerful testimony to his talent and potential than any of the scouting reports published on the player’s bountiful attributes.

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Facing some of the most gifted athletes on the planet, including Enzo Fernandez, Alexis MacAllister and Kevin de Bruyne, will be a step up in class for both Slimane and his soon-to-be teammates following their promotion from the Championship last term. But according to Toke Theilade, editor-in-chief of vilfortpark.dk which chronicles events at Brondby Stadion, he possesses the attributes required to not only flourish himself but also improve those around him.

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“Slimane is a technically gifted midfielder,” Theilade told The Star. “He is great when he's on the ball, and he has a good eye for his teammates.

“He's good at setting up them for chances and is also a good dribbler. He is also able to score himself with a nice shot from distance and is good in the air.

“He is not the fastest or most dynamic player, and is best suited for a team that plays a possession based style. He has struggled when Brøndby played direct as he likes to be on the ball a lot.”

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Aged 22 and not turning 23 until March, Slimane appears to fit the profile Heckingbottom and his coaching staff devised when plotting their manoeuvres through this summer’s transfer market. Young, gifted and expected to grow in value, Slimane has already collected a wealth of experience having represented his country at last year’s World Cup. Crucially, given that Heckingbottom only has a £20m budget, the former Danish youth cap is cheap. His contract with Jesper Sorensen’s side is set to expire at the end of next term meaning, with Brondby keen not to lose him on a free, they seem set to let him depart for around a tenth of that amount.

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Having started to track Slimane’s progress long before he travelled to Qatar, the proposed deal is a victory for the meticulous work of United’s head of recruitment Paul Mitchell and his assistants at Shirecliffe; the training complex where Heckingbottom invited both the player and his advisors for a guided tour towards the end of the previous campaign. Slimane made two appearances for The Eagles of Carthage in the Middle East, starting their game against Denmark and also the famous victory over France, when Wahbi Khazi’s second-half strike proved enough to settle the contest but not drag the Tunisians through the group.

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But inevitably, given his modest price tag, Slimane will also arrive with some flaws. During the Covid-19 pandemic, he was fined for breaching Denmark’s quarantine restrictions and, as Theilade highlights, can sometimes be hot tempered.

“His mentality has been questioned. He was in a fight with a teammate in the spring, and has been criticised for lacking professionalism and not working hard enough.

“He was sort of a late bloomer and did not arrive at Brøndby until he was 18. Before that he bounced around between numerous smaller clubs before finally breaking through at AB in the third tier. Part of the reason for him moving around so often was also lack of dedication to the craft.”

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Itinerant as a youngster, representing the likes of Lyngby, B.93 and of course AB, United’s interest in Slimane suggests they are convinced he has matured of late. With captain Billy Sharp and long-serving defender Enda Stevens both released last month, Heckingbottom is acutely aware he needs to preserve the camaraderie and personality of the dressing room. Particularly, with overseas markets now viewed as a niche for the club to exploit, there is going to be an influx of foreign signings.

Ultimately, it is what Slimane can produce on the pitch which has led United to his door. Two seasons ago, he averaged more goals per shots on target than anyone else in the Superliga. During the same campaign, as Brondby were crowned champions, no comparable player in the competition executed more tackles.

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Standing well over six feet tall, Slimane will also bring a welcome physical presence to United’s work. If United do want to try and dominate the ball, as his capture would suggest, the more muscle and mobility the better. Indeed, by moving for Slimane, Heckingbottom might just have provided a clue as to how he plans to go about completing the difficult task of preserving his squad’s top-flight status.

Although Thilade admits Slimane is still far from the finished article - “Seeing him go to the Premier League is honestly a bit surprising” - he believes United could have secured themselves a bargain providing their latest capture can improve his consistency.

“He is a talented lad, but has never really put it all together for an extended period of time,” Theilade said. “It does seem like Sheffield United are getting a good deal though, and many Brøndby fans are disappointed in the reported fee as he is also recognised as a big talent.”

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