Sheffield United sign Oliver Burke in exchange for Callum Robinson

Sheffield United have signed striker Oliver Burke from West Browmich Albion, for Callum Robinson plus an undisclosed fee.
BLADE: Oliver Burke has joined Sheffield UnitedBLADE: Oliver Burke has joined Sheffield United
BLADE: Oliver Burke has joined Sheffield United

The Scotland international is the Blades' fourth signing this week, and their sixth of the transfer window. Manager Chris Wilder is expected to push for one more before the October 5 deadline. Another striker is likely, with Liverpool's Rhian Brewster high on his shopping list.

Having signed goalkeepers Wes Foderingham and Aaron Ramsdale early in the window, Wilder added wing-backs Jayden Bogle and Max Lowe from Derby County on Monday, when the season-long loan of Chelsea's defensive player Ethan Ampadu was also completed.

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But Wilder was conscious of the need to upgrade his attacking options, particularly by adding extra speed, and Burke is part of that.

"We needed a touch of pace and Oli certainly gives us that," he commented. "We've been working on it for a few weeks and obviously we wish Callum all the best.

"It's a move that suits all parties and we are delighted to have Oli in the building. He's had a couple of big moves in the past that haven't gone as he'd have hoped, but it's down to us now to give him a kick-start and he's got all the attributes we want and need.

"When you put it on paper at the end of the window and take a sigh, it's been an outstanding summer for us, we will 100 per cent be stronger than when we stepped through the door into the Premier League and that's how it has to be."

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Burke is a classic Wilder signing in that he showed promise as a youngster, but is yet to completely fulfil it. Wilder will be hoping his hunger to do that drive him on to the sort of heights many of those in his current first-team squad have reached.

Burke revealed any reservations he had about the move were quickly ended when he spoke to Wilder and his Scotland team-mate John Fleck.

"It was nice to have a conversation and talk about the club and he (Blades midfielder Fleck) really assured me about it," revealed Burke.

"Chris has been amazing with me from day one having conversations and really warmed to me. I can't wait to get working under him.

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"I am an attacking player I can play on the wing and as a striker. I know United play with a two so I am looking to play there and help the team as much as possible."

Still only 23, the Scotland international showed great promise as a youngster, scoring six goals in 25 Championship appearances for Nottingham Forest either side of a brief loan spell with Bradford City.

That form earned him a high-profile £13m move to RB Leipzig in 2016-17 but despite scoring in only his third Bundesliga appearance - where he was picked ahead of Timo Werner – but 20 of his 25 league appearances that season came from the bench, and he moved to West Brom for a small profit at the end of the campaign.

His only goal for the Baggies came in a 2018 League Cup win over Luton Town, although there were loan spells with Celtic and a season-long stint at Alaves last term. He has 12 Scotland caps, the most recent in this month's Nations League game against Israel, and one goal.

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Wilder, though, has obviously seen qualities he thinks he can maximise.

Goals were the Blades' weakness in an otherwise impressive first season back in the Premier League, with Oli McBurnie and Lys Mousset scoring six each in the Premier League. McBurnie is more of a targetman, Mousset's role to stretch defences with his pace, but at times his performance levels were erratic.

Like those two, Robinson was also signed last summer, in his case from Preston North End, but he was loaned to Slaven Bilic's side for the second half of last season, making ten starts as he helped them to secure promotion back to the Premier League.

He scored three goals in 16 appearances for the Baggies, as opposed to one in the same number of league matches for the Blades, although he also found the net in the FA Cup.

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Burke could make his debut in Monday's opening Premier League game, at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday.

Indications from Merseyside suggest that Brewster, who played for Liverpool in the Community Shield after impressing on loan for Swansea City last season, could now be available on a permanent deal rather than the loan first mooted, but the Blades are not the only Premier League club interested.

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