Sheffield United are set to win the race for Crystal Palace attacker Jesurun Rak-Sakyi this summer despite fierce competition from clubs in the top-flight and the Championship, according to the latest reports.
The Blades earned a comfortable 2-0 win on the opening day of the campaign on Friday night at Deepdale against Preston North End which has led to the sacking of the Lilywhites’ head coach Ryan Lowe after almost three years at the helm. Oli Arblaster and Gustavo Hamer scored to seal the three points for the South Yorkshire outfit, putting many doubts in the minds of fans at ease following a difficult transfer window.
Chris Wilder watched a whopping 14 players leave his squad throughout the summer, including club captain John Egan, star attackers Oli McBurnie, Cameron Archer and Daniel Jebbison as well as wingback Jayden Bogle, who was sold to bitter rivals Leeds United.
Nevertheless, Sheffield United have recovered quite well with their own signings. Prolific Championship centre-forward Kieffer Moore was a major coup for Wilder, having moved to Bramall Lane alongside Peterborough United fullback Harrison Burrows and attacking midfielder Callum O’Hare, as well as several other excellent acquisitions such as centre-back Alfie Gilchrist, who joined on loan from Chelsea.
Another name who looks to be coming through the doors before the end of the transfer window is Rak-Sakyi. There were reportedly a number of clubs in the Championship and the Premier League that were keen to sign the 21-year-old, including Leeds and newly-promoted Southampton. However, the Yorkshire Evening Post have revealed that the Blades are set to come out on top in the race for the tricky winger, albeit on a season-long loan.
It was believed over the weekend that Leeds were lining up a £15 million bid for Rak-Sakyi, which would have made him the most expensive signing in the second tier of the transfer window, but Crystal Palace are not willing to sell him and have instead opted to send him out on loan to Bramall Lane for the forthcoming campaign.
Rak-Sakyi impressed during pre-season with the Eagles so the club are keen to hold onto him for the foreseeable future. His only other previous stint in the EFL came at Charlton Athletic where he scored 15 goals and recorded eight assists in just 43 matches for the Addicks in League One during the 2022/23 season. He returned to Selhurst Park last summer but made merely eight appearances in all competitions for Palace.
Writer’s View
Sheffield United proved on Friday that they won’t be far off challenging for promotion once more despite many punters worrying about the huge turnover in the squad. Furthermore, Wilder is seemingly moving towards a back four which may be refreshing after several years of primarily using a three-man defensive line, particularly during his time in charge.
This move away from a rigid 5-3-2 is precisely why Rak-Sakyi will be a fantastic acquisition, albeit on a short-term basis. He will likely play over on the right wing, taking Andre Brooks’ spot in the team which would massively boost their quality in the frontline and this signing could even make the Blades one of the favourites to return to the Premier League once more.
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