Analysis: Why Sheffield United must sign this free agent urgently – Opinion

In the summer transfer window, Sheffield United will be actively looking to strengthen their midfield options, with the club offloading two experienced players in Ben Osborn and Oliver Norwood.

One name that should appear on their radar is Alex Mowatt, a versatile central midfielder who is currently set to be released by West Bromwich Albion. With no agreed-upon contract extension or option available in his contract, Mowatt is now set to become a free agent in the coming days.

Mowatt, 29, hails from South Yorkshire, making a move to Sheffield United a plausible and attractive option for both player and club. Known for his skill with his left foot, Mowatt could provide much-needed balance to Sheffield United’s midfield. His extensive experience in the Championship, with 322 appearances, highlights his reliability and skill at this level.

An interesting subplot to Mowatt’s potential move to Sheffield United is the involvement of Mike Allen, the club’s new head of recruitment. Allen has a history with Mowatt, who identified and signed him during his tenure at Middlesbrough alongside Chris Wilder. This previous working relationship could be a significant factor in convincing Mowatt to join Sheffield United, as Allen is well aware of the midfielder’s capabilities and Wilder knows how to best utilize him.

Mowatt’s journey through the Championship has been marked by consistent performances, contributing not only defensively but also creating chances and scoring some incredible goals from distance. His ability to adapt and fulfill different roles in midfield makes him a versatile asset, able to fit into different tactical setups.

The midfielder can play as a roaming eight, similar to how Gustavo Hamer has been deployed in the past, but most recently settled comfortably playing on the left side of a double pivot for West Bromwich Albion, where he scored twice and provided five assists. the last season.

His vast experience in the Championship, poise with his left foot and versatility make him ideal for the Blades to go alongside Oli Arblaster and Gustavo Hamer in the middle of the park.

Names like Alan Browne and Lewis O’Brien have been mentioned as potential targets for United, but I’d personally prefer Mowatt over the other two, here’s why…

WEST BROMWICH, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 03: Alex Mowatt of West Bromwich Albion tackles Alex Pritchard of Birmingham City during the Sky Bet Championship match between West Bromwich Albion and Birmingham City at The Hawthorns on February 03, 2024 in West Bromwich, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

For me, Mowatt is a more natural fit for a holding midfielder role than the other two, and because he’s left-footed, he’ll open up passing angles that Arblaster and Hamer can’t create.

We saw last season in the Premier League that Arblaster is not afraid to show for the ball when defenders are in possession. In that regard, Mowatt is the same, so I think it would make sense to pair the two. Additionally, with Mowatt in the team, it could free up Hamer and give him a license to get forward and play more between the lines, with Mowatt and Arblaster progressing the ball from deep.

Mowatt has a big shot on him; nine of his last 17 league goals have come from outside the box. He is also capable of scoring from free kicks.

In an ideal scenario, the Blades get a deal for Harrison Burrows over the line; if this were to happen, he would add an excellent delivery of the ball to the left-back and one who is somewhat of a set-piece specialist. United already have a good free-kick taker in Gustavo Hamer for a right-footed option. And if the club were to sign Mowatt, they would have three dead ball experts in their matchday squad.

I think we can all agree that the team lacked proper leaders last season, with the likes of Chris Basham, George Baldock and John Egan sidelined through injury. Mowatt would provide the team with a natural leader in the ranks, having previously captained Barnsley and on occasion West Brom over the years.

Another characteristic the team lacked last season was having a “big game” player. Gustavo Hamer falls into that category, but he couldn’t do it all by himself. Mowatt would fit those criteria. Despite suffering back-to-back negative Championship play-off campaigns at Middlesbrough and West Brom, Mowatt has certainly stepped up in the four games. In those matches, he recorded a total of 10 key passes, two big chances created and an average pass completion rate of 93%.

As I mentioned before, I personally think Mowatt is a more natural fit for the number six role than Browne or O’Brien, who we’ve been linked with. In the number six position you want someone who can do the basics but can also move the ball forward when needed. Looking at his stats on FBref compared to other midfielders in the Championship, Mowatt ranks 97th for short pass success rate and 86th for medium pass success rate. Equally, he has shown the ability to progress in the game by ranking in the 81st percentile for progressive passes.

While Mowatt isn’t a “natural” defensive player like Arblaster, he still has a great defensive work rate: he ranks in the 83rd percentile for dribbler tackled percentage, 96th for blocked shots, and 96th for save percentage air. duels won.

On a more creative note, Mowatt ranks in the 81st percentile for assists, 84th for key passes, 87th for successful crosses into the box. Additionally, as mentioned above, Mowatt is an excellent dead-ball player, ranking in the 89th percentile for shot creation actions off a dead-ball pass.

In my opinion he would be a good cheap option to replace Oliver Norwood and looking at Norwood’s time at the Blades everyone said ‘if he could carry the ball and be better defensively then he wouldn’t be playing for United”. It is absolutely correct.

Norwood would almost always rank in the bottom 15% in progressive carries. Mowatt, on the other hand, ranked 68th last season in this metric.

Looking back at the stats of Norwood’s outstanding 2018/19 campaign for the Blades, here’s how that season compares to Mowatt’s final season.