Jordan Ayew state of play as Sheffield United ‘eye’ transfer move after Blackburn Rovers decision, Chris Wilder comments
Jordan Ayew to Sheffield United: Latest state of play as Chris Wilder seeks experience
Sheffield United are understood to be looking at free agent Jordan Ayew as they consider adding one more forward to Chris Wilder’s squad after the closure of the transfer window. The former Leicester City striker is among the players United have considered, with their interest confirmed by journalist Alan Nixon earlier today.
Ayew’s name was one that cropped up after Wilder revealed last week that United were in talks with a free agent forward, although sources remained tight-lipped in terms of confirmation for fear of the Blades being scooped on the deal by a rival club.
Ayew is wanted by a few clubs but one who won’t be signing him is tomorrow’s opponents, Blackburn Rovers. They previously explored a deal for the Ghana international, who played against England at this summer’s World Cup.
Ayew is available after leaving Leicester at the end of last season and, at 34, has extensive experience of English football, having also played for Aston Villa, Swansea City and Crystal Palace. He also has more than 100 international appearances for Ghana to his name.
Crucially for United, Ayew knows the Championship. He made 42 appearances in the division for Leicester last season, scoring six goals and providing three assists, and his versatility means he can operate across the forward line.
That fits closely with the recruitment brief Wilder has outlined since the transfer window closed. The United boss has repeatedly stressed that the aim this summer was to bring more experience into the squad, rather than simply adding more young players to a group which already contains plenty of them.
“The remit was internally to do business, which we’ve done, and myself and Steve Bettis have met those demands or the requests to bring more experience in,” Wilder said today.
“We’ve tried, we’ve lost free transfers because other clubs have outbid us. Some big clubs on certain ones.
“I’m after experienced players that have played in the Championship. I can’t take another kid on the right wing to go with another kid on the left wing and then to go with another kid at a ten, and then another kid at right back or another at centre-half or another kid wherever.
“Because that’s defeating the whole object of the review that we had at the end of the season and what let us down.
“The mentality of the group is tough, the mentality is strong. I need the experience in there, the balance.
“We’ve got enough young players, we’ve got enough young players of our own as well.”
Ayew’s potential arrival would therefore be consistent with the thinking behind the summer recruitment rather than simply being a case of adding another body to the squad.
Wilder has also been open about the difficulty of finding the right player in the free-agent market, particularly after the transfer window has closed.
“The free transfer market is not as big as what people make out,” he said, pointing to the likes of Callum O’Hare, Sam McCallum and Tyrese Campbell as examples of the type of business United were able to do in previous summers.
“That market is not as good as what it was last year or most certainly the year before,” Wilder added.
United’s interest in Ayew comes with one significant complication, however.
Wilder revealed today that the Blades need to move one player out of their 25-man squad before they can register the free agent they have identified.
“We have to move one of the players out,” he said. “It’s becoming a problem because he’s at the moment part of the 25-man squad that we’ve inherited.”
That issue remains to be resolved before United can complete a deal, with Wilder admitting the situation has become a “difficult scenario”.
But should the club be able to create the necessary space, Ayew would fit the profile Wilder has made clear he wants: experienced, versatile and, importantly, someone who knows the Championship.