Sheffield United: What Reda Khadra will bring as he becomes a Blade
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But the more Paul Heckingbottom spoke, the deeper you dug into his responses to questions about the club’s operations in the transfer market, the greater the sense became that its squad remained a work in progress. United, the 44-year-old wanted to leave journalists in no doubt, were still some way short of assembling a group capable of delivering a top two finish.
Seventy-two hours after providing his assessment of the options at United’s disposal, during an interview conducted following their friendly against neighbours Barnsley, Heckingbottom’s fears have been assuaged by news of Reda Khadra’s arrival from Brighton and Hove Albion.
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Hide AdThe 21-year-old German, one of the most exciting players in the Championship during a spell with Blackburn Rovers last term, possesses the industry and imagination to turbo-charge an attack which appeared a little predictable, pedestrian and dangerously reliant on Iliman Ndiaye during Saturday’s defeat at Oakwell.
"This is a deal that has taken a while, there has been lots of ups and downs,” Heckingbottom said. “But we've managed to get him in on loan which is great for us and Reda is just as excited as we are.”
Khadra becomes the fourth new face to arrive at Bramall Lane this summer after a deal, which sees him move to South Yorkshire initially on loan, was agreed with Brighton and Hove Albion. Although Anel Ahmedhodzic, Tommy Doyle and Ciaran Clark should all prove excellent acquisitions, the former Borussia Dortmund youngster promises to become the most significant capture ahead of Monday’s return to action at Watford. Why? Because his presence provides United with the type of whimsical player they have lacked since Morgan Gibbs-White’s return to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Khadra is a different type of talent to the former England under-21 international, whose ability to unlock defences with a piece of individual brilliance helped fire Heckingbottom’s squad into the end of season play-offs. But he boasts the same capacity for the unexpected and crucially, given its importance in the modern game, athleticism and pace.
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Hide Ad"We spoke with Brighton about Reda a long time ago and that pleased him, when he spoke to us he knew he wanted to come here and it has been a case of remaining patient,” Heckingbottom continued. “He is different to a lot of players we've got, he's naturally very direct and has explosive pace which Blades fans will have noted from playing against us last season."
Viewed as their heir apparent to Gibbs-White, Ndiaye is expected to become a key performer for United next term. But the youngster, whose burgeoning partnership with Rhian Brewster has been one of the highlights of their warm-up programme, is likely to become a marked man among opposition defenders next term. Khadra’s presence means they will be unable to place too much emphasis on stopping the Senegal international, providing him with more space in which to weave his individual magic. Brewster, now seemingly fully recovered from the hamstring issue which forced him to miss the second-half of the previous campaign, should also benefit.
Although complex strategic planning has become a feature of the modern game, with footballers now provided with a wealth of information on their rivals ahead of both senior and development games, Khadra and Ndiaye have both demonstrated that off-the-cuff inventiveness remains a powerful weapon. Crucially, they have the ability to turn the pictures they see in their heads into actual moves too. Ndiaye’s goal against Fulham in December, which saw him leave Tim Ream suffering from an acute case of twisted blood, was one example. Six weeks earlier, Khadra had tortured United during their visit to Ewood Park, where he was busy excelling on loan for Blackburn Rovers. That 3-1 defeat in Lancashire, which it later emerged was the match which convinced United’s board of directors to dispense with Slavisa Jokanovic’s services and replace him with Heckingbottom, confirmed Khadra’s reputation as one of the most gifted individuals in the division.
"I'm really happy to be here now and I just can't wait to get started and playing in front of the fans,” Khadra said. “The atmosphere at Bramall Lane was the best I experienced in the Championship last season and I'm excited by this opportunity.”
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Hide AdKhadra’s decision to join United - he identified South Yorkshire as his preferred destination around a fortnight ago - also provides Heckingbottom with greater tactical flexibility; something he believes is a vital component in every successful team. When Doyle recovers from the injury which appears set to rule him out of Monday’s visit to Watford, and if Sander Berge remains at his disposal, Heckingbottom could easily operate with either one or two centre-forwards. The decision to hand Ben Osborn a more advanced role at Barnsley - an experiment which produced a mixed set of results - also exposed a lack of depth in this area of the pitch. The former Nottingham Forest midfielder is many things. But he definitely isn’t someone liable to unlock a rearguard with an incisive pass, mazy dribble or explosive piece of acceleration. Khadra, Ndiaye and to some extent Berge can, although the Norwegian’s greatest strength is his capacity to ghost park markers and arrive at the right time in the penalty area.
Events at Oakwell, where United were beaten 2-1, revealed why Heckingbottom was so keen to capture Khadra before making the journey to Hertfordshire. Possession was not translated into enough clear cut opportunities and, when they were, too many went begging. Khadra is not a natural finisher, scoring five times in 28 appearances for Rovers. But he did claim four assists and demonstrated a willingness to run with the ball.
Although Rovers did not have a purchase agreement with Albion, one has been written into the paperwork they drafted with United. Khadra, now in the final 12 months of his contract on the south coast, completed the second part of his health assessment yesterday.