Sheffield United: Chris Wilder issues Tom Cannon "ambition" claim as Sunderland beaten to £13m transfer | OneFootball

Tom Cannon's move to Bramall Lane is set to be completed imminently

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has thanked the club's new owners for their ambition, which has seen the Blades fend off Sunderland in the race to acquire Tom Cannon.

Although official confirmation on the transfer is yet to be announced by the South Yorkshire club, Wilder is hopeful that the deal between themselves and Leicester City can be finalised ahead of the registration deadline, as United face Hull City in front of the Sky Sports cameras on Friday night at Bramall Lane.

The 57-year-old has seen his boyhood club recently taken over by COH Sports, and in what is their maiden transfer window in the Steel City, supporters were hoping to see deals which signaled the Blades' intent in the promotion race, as they are currently in a four-way battle for the automatic spots alongside Leeds United, Burnley and Sunderland.

And, after seeing Ben Brereton Diaz return to the club on loan for the second time, with an option to buy in the summer, the imminent addition of Cannon is another addition which ticks plenty of boxes, as far as Wilder is concerned.

The transfer saga involving Cannon has rumbled on for plenty of time now, with United facing another battle with Regis Le Bris' Black Cats, this time to acquire the services of the 22-year-old.

Sunderland were prepared to launch a £13m bid for the striker, according to Alan Nixon, which would have been paid if the North East side returned to the Premier League, which came after the Blades submitted a £7m payment of their own.

However, United were then said to have matched the offer and put a more lucrative contract on the table for Cannon, and it has since been revealed by Nixon that the club have submitted a £10m up-front sum plus £3m in add-ons, and that the former Everton man is set to sign a deal until the summer of 2029.

Speaking in his press conference ahead of the encounter with the relegation-threatened Tigers on Friday, Wilder is hopeful that the man who netted nine times in 22 Championship games for Stoke City earlier in the season can play a part in proceedings.

And Wilder has also claimed that the clear ambitions of the Blades may have landed his services ahead of the Black Cats.

“There's a deadline for him to be involved tomorrow night and we're confident that'll get completed before that," he said via the Sheffield Star.

“It’s a super signing for us. Someone we've tracked for a long time. From a data point of view, in the direction the club are going, and character and personality point of view, which I always talk about as it's needed.

"He’s a hungry young player and we need someone to play on the shoulder and stretch the game. As soon as we talked he knew our enthusiasm to get this done. He knows what we're about, he played here this season, he knows the club's ambition.

"I thank the board and the co-chairman for the backing and support for the whole process we're going through since they took over the club. We're all on the same page, he’s a great age and hopefully he plays a successful part in the last 18 games and beyond.

“He's an English No.9, with pace and physicality and directness in his play, and we know what a good finisher he is. We spoke to people at Leicester we have contact with and the positive assessment we get about this boy's qualities, work rate and attributes are the reason we're investing in Tom.

You want him to grow with the club. There are zero guarantees and it's always been club signings, we've had to do presentations to board members and everyone be on the same page. And this has ticked a lot of boxes, if not every box.

"There's promise and development in the player. He's ambitious and can hopefully realise them all here with us. It's a really good signing for us.”

Sheffield United's attacking additions could be pivotal in the promotion picture

If there was one main criticism directed at Sheffield United so far this season, it would be their lack of depth across all areas, and the additions of Brereton Diaz and Cannon will go a long way to addressing such issues.

Both players offer a variety of differing attributes which will be key to unlocking defences, especially with the creative forces of Gustavo Hamer continuing to flourish.

Cannon has always demonstrated a calmness in front of goal, which is something that at times, cannot be said for the likes of Rhian Brewster in the United front-line, as well as offering a quicker turn of pace and ability to stretch opposition defences, which gives Wilder a completely different dimension in certain scenarios in comparison to Kieffer Moore's aerial threat.

Of course, competition for places in the attacking area is now rife, which must be viewed as a positive by United supporters, as their promotion rivals - especially Sunderland if Cannon is to hit the ground running - will be looking on with envy.