Sheffield United connected with 27-goal hotshot as play-off pain forces future rethink.
Sheffield United are said to be interested in 27-goal striker Charlie Kelman, with up to EIGHT Championship clubs apparently tracking the Queens Park Rangers player. Kelman will return to Loftus Road after a goal-laden loan spell at Leyton Orient, where he scored 27 goals across all competitions.
The 23-year-old also contributed six assists as Orient narrowly missed out on promotion to the Championship, losing to Charlton Athletic in the play-off final at Wembley Stadium, but the striker has boosted his own second-tier ambitions with a magnificent season in front of goal.
His contract in West London was extended in January of last year and is not expected to expire, with the R’s poised to make a decision on Kelman’s future this summer. “When we send a player on loan, the main goal is for them to play, develop, and progress,” previous manager Marti Cifuentes stated earlier this season.
“That is the case with him, and it is not just about the goals; the quality of his performances has been excellent. Hopefully, he’ll finish the season strongly, and we’ll decide what’s next for him.”
Kelman’s future may be determined by who succeeds Cifuentes in the QPR bench, as the Londoners have placed the Spaniard on gardening leave ahead of their last Championship game of the season. Johannes Hoff Thorup, who was fired by Norwich City before the end of the season, has been touted as a possible replacement.
The Blades have been associated with Kelman, as have Bristol City and West Brom, who, strangely, are also using a statistical recruitment strategy to choose their new manager. As things stand, forward positions do not appear to be a top priority for the Blades, particularly if they can persuade Rhian Brewster to extend his current contract, which is slated to expire at the end of next month.
Sheffield United connected with 27-goal hotshot as play-off pain forces future rethink.
However, any season like Kelman’s past one is certain to draw attention elsewhere, with Rangers potentially facing a quandary with a player who has yet to score for them in 26 appearances – albeit, in fairness, the majority of those have come off the bench.
Surprisingly, West Brom have been linked with another player linked with United this summer, 21-year-old Senegalese defender Gora Diouf of FC Sion. The left-footed centre-back is expected to depart the Swiss League this summer when his contract ends, and Swansea City is also thought to be interested amid uncertainty over the future of out-of-contract defender Harry Darling.
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