Former £7 million Chris Wilder transfer target on free agency market ahead of crucial Sheffield United summer.
A former Chris Wilder transfer target, who was the subject of a transfer approach during the Sheffield United manager’s time at Middlesbrough and is said to be worth £7 million, is available as a free agent this summer after his present club made a contract offer. The Blades will be active in the market again this summer, having missed out on an immediate return to the Premier League via the play-offs.
More firepower up front could be on Wilder’s wishlist this summer, with United scoring 63 goals this season, fewer than Coventry City, Middlesbrough, and, surprisingly, eight fewer than 13th-placed Norwich City, who also conceded nearly twice as many as United (36).
So, as United’s recruiting department dust off the ‘Plan B’ list of recruitment targets they had developed in the worst-case scenario that they remained in the Championship following the weekend’s Wembley spectacle, the name Emil Riis might well be engraved on it.
The 26-year-old Dane piqued the Blades’ interest during the January transfer window, as his contract with Championship rivals Preston North End was almost expiring. However, United recruited Tom Cannon to their forward ranks for £10 million, and Riis remained at Deepdale for the rest of the season.
He will leave this summer for free, not long after being the subject of an alleged £7 million bid from Wilder while at Boro. Riis has scored nearly 50 goals for Preston since his arrival in 2020, including 21 in a single season in 2021/22, which drew the attention of Wilder and Boro.
Former £7 million Chris Wilder transfer target on free agency market ahead of crucial Sheffield United summer. However, it was announced earlier this month that he would be leaving in the summer, along with goalkeeper Freddie Woodman and midfielder Ryan Ledson.
Riis scored 12 goals last season as North End, led by former Blades manager Paul Heckingbottom, flirted with relegation before finishing 20th, just one point above the drop zone.
“Watching Riis was an event in itself,” observed George Hodgson, a North End columnist for our sister publication, the Lancashire Post. “The insane and spectacular are always on the cards. Riis was unique in the way he played the game, but so many of his strikes felt the same, with a sense of certainty that the ball would be bludgeoned home.
“Riis was destructive and cruel in the game, yet he came across as a sweet man with a good heart away from it. Some of his on-field demeanour can give off a laid-back aura at times; it’s difficult to accuse him of not putting in the effort for the squad. He was an arm-around-the-shoulder type who saw the pitch as a place of freedom, where he could completely be himself.
“His decision to go will disappoint some, but every footballer should have the will to strive and progress, and Riis must believe it is the perfect time to test himself in a different setting. He had flaws; wasn’t that part of the point? One thing was never dull.”
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