Sheffield United will turn to the promising League One duo

A journalist from The Guardian has reported that Sheffield United are keen on a double package to sign Peterborough United stars Harrison Burrows and Ricky-Jade Jones. The source says a deal could be done soon.

The Blades have been linked with Burrows for several weeks after it was claimed by the Peterborough Telegraph that the 22-year-old was due for a medical. Burrows has just 12 months left on his current Posh contract.

The source also claimed that the two clubs have agreed a fee of more than £2m in add-ons and bonuses. A “lucrative” contract is also said to be agreed. But with this update from The Guardian correspondent, the Blades are willing to splash the cash on another Peterborough standout.

Harrison Burrows has been a standout player at left-back for Peterborough United since breaking into the first team and has been linked with a move to Sheffield United this summer.

Ricky-Jade Jones, 21, had a very good campaign last term, scoring ten goals as a left winger (and striker) and providing four assists.

Jones is a Peterborough United fan and came through the Posh academy and his former academy manager Kieran Scarff had plenty of positive things to say about the forward.

“He’s the fastest player I’ve seen and I’ve seen some fast players. With the work that continues to go into him, he’s only going to get better and his potential is huge,” via BBC Sport.

There has been talk of Premier League clubs such as Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal being linked with an interest, which shows just how high his ceiling is. But realistically, a move to a top Championship club should be the next move so he can showcase his talent at a higher level.

At just 21, Jones has already made 146 appearances for Peterborough’s first team, adding 24 goals and eight assists to his name.

For starters, if Sheffield United can land both Burrows and Jones, then they will already have two players who know their game by heart and have been playing together for a few seasons now.

In terms of playing style, Jones is certainly not a creative force, but he makes up for it with his direct approach. He wants to run from the last shoulder of the defense, and when the ball is on the opposite flank he is active when entering the box.

According to Wyscout, Jones ranks in the 90th percentile for goals per 90, the 96th percentile for expected goals per 90, and the 85th percentile for shots per 90. Getting into shooting positions is a strength, and that’s probably why he was drafted as attacker. sometimes throughout his young career.

When it comes to his level of creativity, he is above average compared to his peers in League One. His expected assists at 90 sees him in the 60th percentile, while key passes at 90 sees him in the 61st. He doesn’t make many crosses for a winger, ranking in the 42nd percentile, but when he crosses, they are usually accurate, which is why it ranks in the 82nd percentile for accuracy. And this is a similar case for passes in the penalty area; ranks in the bottom 20% of the league for attempts, but ranks in the top 20% for accurate passes in the penalty area.

He is not a striker who will amaze you with his dribbling skills, he has a statistical average in terms of dribbles attempted at 90 and dribbling success rate.

PETERBOROUGH, ENGLAND – JANUARY 07: Ricky-Jade Jones of Peterborough United during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Peterborough United and Leeds United at Weston Homes Stadium on January 07, 2024 in Peterborough, England. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Personally, I don’t see the Blades looking at Jones as a striker at this stage, although I’m not aware of United’s transfer strategy, but the common sense approach to me is that he plays on the left. Sign Liam Millar as a starting left-back and sign Ricky-Jade Jones as a secondary option. As I will cover later, the Peterborough United man should be seen as a ‘project’ signing rather than a main starter in the Championship.

At six feet, Jones is quite tall for a natural, but short on air. Personally, I like a winger to be tall so he can make darting runs to the near post or get on the end of deep crosses, so if he can work on that, with his pace he could be a real threat.

Overall, he definitely has a lot of work to do in his game, but let’s not forget he’s still 21, so there’s plenty of time for that. Jones certainly has a lot of potential and one I think deserves to be signed as an impact substitute in the Championship.

One thing I find interesting about this complete package is that Sheffield United, if the deal goes through, will be signing two players who come from a team that is used to dictating possession.

Last term, Peterborough United ranked first in League One in passes per possession, with little attacking speed. In fact, in terms of attacking speed, they ranked in the bottom four, so both will be used to a more methodical approach style.

The interesting thing is that it’s the opposite of what Sheffield United did last season, suggesting there will be a definite change in the Blades’ style of play in the upcoming campaign. The Blades ranked last in passes per possession, while ranking 11th in attacking speed. They also ranked 19th in the number of build-up tackles, unlike Posh’s first.

The two sides also had a contrasting defensive set-up. United had a very low block, while Peterborough were in more of a middle block. Of course, for the Blades, this is likely to change anyway due to the difference in quality in Championship opposition.