Sheffield United have officially confirmed the permanent signing of left-footed centre-back Auston Trusty from Arsenal. The American has signed a four-year deal with the Blades.
Like most transfers, United are not disclosing the transfer fee, however, several reports believe the 24-year-old has cost the club around £5m.
Trusty impressed everybody during his loan spell for Birmingham City last campaign. It was his first season in England and he took the Championship like a duck to water, starting 44 Championship games for the Blues, overseeing 13 clean sheets [SofaScore]. He also added four goals to his name and his solid performances saw him earn the club’s Player of The Year award.
The American spoke about his move to Bramall Lane and his opportunity to play in the Premier League:
“I am more than excited. The opportunity to be here at this historic club, and an opportunity to play in the Premier League and show my ability, it is everything I could have ever dreamed of growing up as a kid. In Pennsylvania, this was a dream – almost an impossible dream but I believed in myself and the opportunity has come around, it is everything that I dreamed for.” [SUTV]
Paul Heckingbottom and the recruiting team have been monitoring various targets for the left-sided centre-back position due to the lack of depth, with Rhys Norrington-Davies still nowhere near ready.
Heckingbottom spoke fondly of his new signing:
“I’m delighted we’ve managed to get this one over the line, it is one of the positions we’ve been looking to fill and it is with one our own, a permanent transfer rather than a loan. He is at a good age to progress, he has experience having played at international level and in the Championship last year, where we monitored him and he picked up Birmingham’s player of the year award. As a coaching team we feel that he has the athleticism and desire to succeed in the Premier League.” [SUFC]
Trusty is Sheffield United’s fourth signing of the summer after Anis Slimane, Yasser Larouci and Bénie Traoré.
The Blades are also reportedly in for Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Vinícius Souza, as well as an attacking player from a foreign Champions League team.
