Why Sheffield United should sign this promising midfielder for a six-figure fee – Opinion

Sheffield United have previously been linked with Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Marc Leonard. The 22-year-old spent two years on loan with Northampton Town, helping the Cobblers win promotion from League Two in his first campaign.

Leonard certainly raised some trees during his successful spell at Northampton, proving that he can not only play as a deep-lying midfielder or an attacking midfielder, but also showed his reliability; the former Scotland youth international played all but one league game during his time with Northampton.

Now, that’s pretty impressive in itself when you consider he’ll have to play Saturday – Tuesday most weeks.

The Blades have struggled with injuries throughout the season and it is something they are looking to address this summer from within the club. They could also help their poor fitness situation by acquiring players like Leonard who have injury clean records for the last few years. Unlike relying on someone like Tom Davies who struggled with fitness at the same time.

Marc Leonard was recently described as “one of the best” players ever to play for Northampton Town by Cobblers manager Jon Brady. He added: “During my time here and knowing the Cobblers over the years, I’d say he was probably one of the best players ever to pull on a Cobblers shirt.”

“What they (Leonard and Kieron Bowie) have added to us with their skills and attitude, they’ve been a manager’s dream. They’ve played 80, 90 games each over the two seasons and helped us get promotion, it’s absolutely fantastic.” through Argus.

Football Insider claimed that Sheffield Untied could sign Leonard for as little as £300,000 this summer, with Brighton willing to let him go. If the figure is correct I think the Blades should sign him as he has real potential to be a Premier League player in the future.

The Blades will attempt a massive rebuilding job this summer under their new recruitment team. It is imperative that the Blades bring in some experienced players to help balance the squad. But, promising players like Marc Leonard and Harrison Burrows should be acquired at a reduced price.

Although the 22-year-old has registered just six goals and seven assists in 97 games for Northampton, his performance figures have been eye-catching to say the least.

I recently posted a pizza comparison chart on Twitter between Cameron Brannagan, who has just been promoted to the Championship with Oxford United, and United-linked midfielder Marc Leonard.

In terms of that data, Leonard is in orange – although you can see that Brannagan beats him in most parameters, Leonard is not that far from the ex-Liverpool man. And given that Brannagan is one of the most experienced midfielders in the league, for Leonard’s first campaign in League One, that is a very bright showing.

The stats that stand out for me are xAssists (expected assists) where he ranks in the 77th percentile among his League One peers. He also ranks 74th and 65th in progressive passes and progressive carries, and while they aren’t outrageously high, he shows he can beat the press and carry his team forward in more ways than one.

Finally, he will give the Sheffield United midfielder that competitive edge; he ranked in the 86th percentile for defensive tackles won and 75th in interceptions – eclipsing Brannagan in both categories, which is quite a feat considering Brannagan is known for his combative work in the middle of the park.