Leeds striker Billy Sharp is not to be a White for much longer as Sheffield United are closing in on a deal for the 29 year.
That is according to The72 sources who have told us that the former Blades player will have signed for his boyhood club before the end of next week. This comes to us after the confirmation of Diego De Girolamo signing a new two-year deal with the option of a third two days after it was reported by The72.
The deal is expected to be around 600k and with Sharp signing for two years. This is good news for some Blades fans as supporters are pleased the deal means it won’t see dangerous winger Jamie Murphy heading in the opposite direction as rumoured earlier on this summer transfer window.
The poacher started his career at the Blades where he only ever made 2 appearances in that spell before joining Scunthorpe United in 2005. With the Iron, he had the most prolific spell of his career to date. In 82 games with Scunthorpe, the 5ft 9in striker notched up 52 goals and also worked with now Blades boss Nigel Adkins in his time at Glanford Park.
After a three-year stay at Scunthorpe it was time for Sharp to go back down the road and back to Sheffield United for a fee of up to 2 million pounds. Billy failed to make the same impact as at Scunthorpe though as he could only celebrate 8 times 51 games for the team. After a failed three years back at the club where he started his career he was off again to Doncaster Rovers in 2010 after a productive loan spell the campaign before. The lad from Sheffield seemed to prefer the less hostile crowds and with three years at Rovers he played 82 times and found the net on 40 occasions.
During January 2012 the frontman was at the top of at a lot of teams wanted lists and one day before the window shut, Southampton pounced and secured the signature of Sharp, thus meaning that Adkins and Billy would be linking up once again. Although he played just 17 games for the Saints, Sharpy bagged nine crucial goals for Southampton and secured them promotion to the Premier League.
After that promotion, the finisher couldn’t make it into the eleven and left the club to join Nottingham Forest on loan in August. Again, he wasn’t as prolific as recent times although he managed to notch up 11 goals in 40 games and the forward would’ve been much more pleased knowing he finished the season as the Tricky Trees top scorer.
After the Saints stayed in the Premier League, it was time for some more loan action for Billy. Reading was his preferred destination and it was probably sealed by the fact that he would be signing for Adkins for the third time in his football entirety. Again it was not the Sheffield born most prolific season in front of goal even if the loan spell was only for half of the football season as he scored 2 goals in 10 games for the Royals.
In the second half of that season it was a return to one of his many former clubs Doncaster Rovers where he put the ball in the net 4 times in 12 appearances but unfortunately for Rovers, they were relegated back to League One. Last season he spent the year at local rivals Leeds United and he also found the net on his debut at Elland Road against Middlesbrough. The veteran couldn’t hold down a regular first team spot and spent a lot of the season on the bench but did manage to score five times in the process.
That brings us up to date with Sharp’s story so far as we expect him to start writing another chapter of his career. Although his goal scoring form of recent times has been poor, will the Blade at heart be the man to fire Sheffield United Football Club back up into the Championship?
Finally The72 bought you news of a trialist playing in the upcoming friendly against Ilkeston on Saturday but it seems the player in question has pulled out after interest from a Championship outfit. We are told Adkins will try to get his man back for the friendly but it now seems highly unlikely.
