Benie Traore may be on the verge of becoming one of the first casualties in Chris Wilder’s reconstruction of Sheffield United, as reports suggest he is considering a loan move to France in the ongoing transfer window.
Despite joining the team during the summer in a deal valued at approximately £4m from Swedish club Hacken, the striker has struggled to secure a spot in the Blades’ starting lineup. Securing his move to United based on an impressive record of 12 goals in 14 games in the Allsvenskan, the Ivorian striker, Benie Traore, has encountered limited opportunities since.
Despite making just three league starts during the early season before the acquisition of Cameron Archer, he has only featured once under Chris Wilder, who took over from Paul Heckingbottom. This sole appearance came as a 74th-minute substitute against Liverpool on December 6.
With Traore now trailing behind Archer, Oli McBurnie, and Will Osula in the pecking order, Sheffield United are reportedly exploring the option of a loan move for the 21-year-old in the current January transfer window.
According to reports from Sun journalist Alan Nixon, there’s speculation that French side Nantes could emerge as a viable destination for Traore. Such a move could potentially open up both financial resources and a spot in the squad for Chris Wilder to utilise during this transfer window as he aims to imprint his vision on the team inherited from Heckingbottom just about a month ago.
Wilder is actively seeking two or three high-quality additions to enhance the first-team rather than merely reinforcing the squad, aligning with the perspective of United owner Prince Abdullah. In expressing his outlook for the team, Prince Abdullah stated, via Blades Ramble, “I think we will have some players in—I would say two or three players.”
