Former Premier League midfielder Keith Gillespie has exclusively told This is Futbol that Sheffield United don’t need to sign Ashley Fletcher this summer.
The Blades have no less than six first-team strikers in their current squad but have only managed 18 goals in the Premier League – with David McGoldrick’s seven counting for almost 40 percent of those.
None of those six are out of contract at the end of the season, but with a new permanent manager yet to be named, wholesale changes are expected at Bramall Lane.
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And with Middlesbrough’s Fletcher set to be a free agent this summer, he’s been touted as a potential addition for the Blades having scored 17 goals across the previous two seasons in the Championship.
But a hamstring injury has seen the former Manchester United frontman restricted to a limited number of appearances for Boro this season, in which he’s managed just four goals.
He hasn’t been involved in their previous four matches, with Neil Warnock recently confirming his summer departure.
But with six strikers on their books, Gillespie believes that a deal to bring Fletcher to Bramall Lane could only work should some of those depart.
He told This is Futbol:
“I know he’s at Middlesbrough and hasn’t played too many minutes. Do Sheffield United as it stands need a striker in the Championship?
“They’ve got Brewster, McGoldrick, McBurnie, Billy Sharp is there still, Burke – it’s not really a position they need to be filling.
“But then again, it depends on how many strikers are going to stay at Sheffield United, if two of three were to move on then Fletcher would be an option.”