The first hints at West Ham United’s post-El Hadji Malick Diouf succession plan emerged on Friday with reports claiming that Harrison Burrows of Sheffield United is a target.
The £19 million Senegal international is likely to leave the London Stadium following the Hammers’ relegation.
Manchester United are known admirers of Diouf, alongside recently-crowned Conference League champions Crystal Palace. Portuguese giants FC Porto have been linked more recently.
A summer of sales looms! Who will you miss the most?
According to Football League World, West Ham United may turn to Harrison Burrows in the event of El Hadji Malick Diouf’s departure.
Sheffield United supporters react to West Ham Harrison Burrows links
Now, you would be forgiven for presuming that – with Sheffield United hoping to make a solid fist of a promotion push next season – that selling Burrows to a potential Championship rival would not be a popular move.
Yet, the reaction from the Bramall Lane faithful indicates that Burrows is perhaps not rated as highly on the terraces as he is by the Blades coaching staff.
“Snap their hands off. [Burrows is] hugely overrated,” one Sheffield United fan writes on X in response to the rumours.
“Rinse them. Costs as many goals defensively as he scores,” another says.
Complaints regarding Burrows’ apparent defensive weaknesses are nothing new in the Steel City.
One fan describes the 24-year-old as an ‘awful defender’, albeit one whose weaknesses could be masked in a possession-heavy team dominating at the top of the league, as West Ham hope to be.
Burrows provided five goals and four assists in 45 matches under Chris Wilder, while sitting in the top 15 per cent across the whole of the Championship when it comes to key passes.
Burrows, then, is seemingly a left-back in the mould of Malick Diouf. A better attacker than he is a defender.
Burrows labelled an ‘awful defender’ as El Hadji Malick Diouf weighs up his options
The ‘All Things Blades’ X account label Burrows ‘very, very good going forward’, and feel he would truly blossom in a more settled, secure outfit than 13th-place Sheffield United.
More cynical members of the Blades fanbase, though, are not so optimistic.
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“We’d probably accept that,” one fan writes when asked if a fee of £5 million would be enough to tempt Sheffield United into a sale. “And then the buyer uses him as an actual wing-back where he becomes a £10m player.
“Can’t keep playing him at left-back, he’s an awful defender.”
“100 per cent sell. Everyone has a price; £5 to 7 million,” agrees another.
“Absolutely sell him.”
“Get a decent fee for him, he’s more than welcome to leave.”
“Overrated, in my opinion. [Sam] McCallum showed that at his best that he is a better full-back.”
“I think there’s definitely a player there, but there’s no way we would turn down anything above £4 million.”
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