Who is Anderlecht defender and Sheffield United target Elias Cobbaut?

Reports in the Belgian media on Wednesday suggest that Blades boss Chris Wilder is ‘seriously’ considering a move to bring the highly-rated Anderlecht man to Bramall Lane.

But who is Cobbaut and what could he offer United?

We take a closer look at the man himself.

Who is Elias Cobbaut?

The 22-year-old was born in the Belgian city of Mechelen and as a youngster began his career with hometown club KRC Mechelen, making just one appearance in two years before joining city rivals KV Mechelen in 2015.

Primarily a left back but also comfortable at the heart of the defence, Cobbaut clocked up 46 appearances in three seasons with KV Mechelen before joining Belgian giants Anderlecht in the summer of 2018 for around £2.5m.

What are his career highlights to date?

Cobbaut’s stock has risen significantly since he starred for Belgium in last summer’s UEFA European Under-21 Championships in Italy.

It was during this tournament that he was surprisingly selected to play in central defence instead of his preferred position on the left, but went on to impress despite his country losing all three of their group games.

He began the new campaign on the sidelines after player-manager Vincent Kompany signed Manchester City's Philippe Sandler on loan.

But his luck changed when Sandler was injured and, it’s fair to say, Cobbaut hasn’t really looked back since.

In fact, his performances at the centre of the Anderlecht defence led to a call-up to the Belgium national squad in November for the Euro 2020 qualifying matches against Russia and Cyprus.

The 22-year-old played the full 90 minutes in a 6-1 win over Cyprus, lining up on the left side of a three alongside Tottenham Hotspur’s Toby Alderweireld and Jason Denayer, of Olympique Lyonnais.

Speaking at the time, Red Devils manager Roberto Martinez praised Cobbaut’s versatility and described him as a player with a ‘very specific profile’.

"I wanted a left-sided centre back and (because of the absences of) Jan Vertonghen and Thomas Vermaelen, it has become a rare commodity,” said the Spaniard.

Cobbaut is tipped to make Martinez’s squad for this summer’s European Championships.

What style of play does he offer?

With Wilder looking to strengthen his options at the back, Cobbaut ticks several boxes for United.

He’s young and versatile – crucial for the Blades’ famed overlapping centre backs system – and can play at either left-back or at the heart of the defence, where he has made 17 appearances for Anderlecht this season.

And despite his rapid rise since starring in last summer’s European Under-21 Championship, Cobbaut is not expected to command a hefty fee to lure him to Bramall Lane.