Veteran striker Billy Sharp is set to join his next club, as he has agreed a deal to join LA Galaxy in the MLS, as reported by Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider.
The 37-year-old striker is currently a free agent after his contract expired with Sheffield United, who were promoted to the Premier League last term, and several EFL clubs are to miss out on the forward once he completes his switch to the States. Sharp is expected to fly to the United States this evening to make his switch to the Los Angeles club official. The forward is reportedly signing on with the club for a year, with a further year extension on top of that.
Sharp has been prolific in the Championship throughout his career, with a return of 13o goals in 399 games. Last season with the Blades, he made 38 appearances in the second tier, scoring twice as they finished second and won promotion back to the top flight. The 37-year-old had been linked with a move down to League One with Derby County, but it appears the Rams have been beaten to the forward.
Derby’s search for a striker to replace David McGoldrick has become somewhat of an arduous task, the Rams have been linked with a few targets, such as Jordan Rhodes, but no move is looking anywhere near completion for the club, who have already added Conor Washington of Rotherham to their forward line.
The move to LA Galaxy will be the first time the forward will play outside of England. In 2019 Sharp beat his ex-teammate Rickie Lambert’s tally, which made him the leading English-born goalscorer of the 21st century. Four clubs in the EFL are set to miss out on Sharp, as last month, the Sun reported that Coventry City, Derby County, Rotherham and Hull were all interested in offering the Blades star a lifeline following his release from the club.
Writer’s View
Derby’s search for a striker goes on, with yet another blow dealt to them in that area of the transfer market. They have already added Conor Washington to their ranks, but with David McGoldrick being their top goalscorer last season, the club have a big void to fill in that department. The forward, who has already been a League One champion, would have made a solid addition to Derby’s squad, but they once again have to look elsewhere in a transfer chase that does not look anywhere close to completion.
