Lys Mousset never lived up to the fanfare surrounding his club-record transfer to Sheffield United.
The Frenchman joined the Blades in 2019 for £10 million, a club record sum at the time.
However, after failing to achieve double figures in goals over the next three seasons, he left on a free transfer.
Lys Mousset excitement levels were high as Sheffield United seal club-record transfer
Mousset impressed at French club Le Havre after rising through the development systems, earning a transfer to AFC Bournemouth. With 14 goals and three assists in 36 appearances in France, the centre-forward established himself as one of football’s most promising attacking players.
After moving to the south coast of England, the striker appeared 71 times in three years. However, he only managed five goals and one assist during that time. It was a disappointing return for someone who appeared to have a lot of potential after his debut performance.
That didn’t stop United from paying a club record sum for him in 2019, bringing him to South Yorkshire for the then-Premier League team.
While his goalscoring pedigree improved from the Cherries to the Blades, he never excelled or even approached the numbers he achieved in France.
| Lys Mousset’s disappointing spell at Sheffield United (source: Transfermarkt) | ||
| Season | Appearances | Goals |
| 2019/20 | 33 | 6 |
| 2020/21 | 13 | 0 |
| 2021/22 | 7 | 3 |
| TOTAL | 53 | 9 |
It was the third time in the summer of 2019 that United smashed their club’s transfer fee record, while the move resulted in a profit for Bournemouth, who had originally paid £5.4 million for Mousset.
In his rookie season, he scored against Arsenal, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur, as well as assisting on three occasions against Burnley, but his ten goals in 30 Premier League appearances were his best total.
However, the promise he possessed never materialized, particularly in Sheffield, where his track record became a cause of despair.
Lys Mousset’s Sheffield United transfer will forever be a disappointment
United were in the Premier League when they signed Mousset from Bournemouth, and the transfer was never more than a complete disappointment.
He showed great promise in his first season, netting six of his nine goals in three years at Bramall Lane. However, it was never enough to realize his full potential when the Blades splashed out.
There is always a danger in investing a transfer fee that breaks records since it immediately establishes a high expectation next to that player’s name.
Mousset never came close to meeting that expectation, and it remains a minor blemish on the Blades’ recent roster of successful signings. Mousset’s career trajectory since leaving the red and white side of Sheffield also supports this.
He is now 29 years old and was recently released by League of Ireland club Boheniams after scoring only once in nine league outings.
It was a brief statement that marked the end of his stay in the Emerald Isle, detailing a decision reached by mutual consent in only 37 words.
Spells in Germany’s VfL Bochum and back in his French country with Nimes Olympique have also failed to produce goals, with his career spiraling downward since a dismal move to Bramall Lane in 2019.
While Bournemouth made a profit when they signed Mousset, the Blades suffered a significant loss with a free-agent move that signaled the end of a turbulent period in Sheffield. Another example of how terrible the Frenchman’s goal-scoring record has been is a comparison to David McGoldrick, who was also dismissed by United that summer.
In two seasons with Notts County, in the fourth division of English football, the striker scored 30 goals. Mousset, on the other hand, has only scored a handful of goals since leaving the Blades, with his most poor performance coming at Bohemians.
Signing any striker, especially one for a club record transfer cost, carries the expectation of immediate goals and effect. For Mousset and the Blades, it simply never arrived.
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