Does Anis Slimane have a future at Sheffield United? | OneFootball

When Sheffield United announced the signing of Anis Slimane last summer supporters didn’t really know what to expect from the Tunisian midfielder given he was coming over from the Danish first division. Unfortunately, we’re a year on and the Blades still have no idea what to expect from Slimane, which shows how uneventful his debut season was.

The 23-year-old attacking midfielder was signed by the Blades for a reported fee of £1.7 million in the summer of 2023 from Brondby, where he made 121 appearances scoring nine goals and serving up 12 assists for the Danish club. He helped them win the Danish top-flight in 2021.

His debut season in English football was far from a good start. The Tunisian international managed just four starts in the Premier League, even with all of Sheffield United’s injury issues last term. He would finish the campaign appearing 15 times in all competitions with only four Premier League starts.

Now, this is where it gets tricky; nobody at the club has seen enough to suggest if he has a future with the Blades, or even if he has the attributes to succeed in the English leagues. There is no question about it: he has some talent in him, as we saw in his World Cup performance for Tunisia in 2022 when they defeated a star-studded France team for the first time ever in competitive fashion.

Unfortunately, he has not shown that same talent and tireless work rate at Sheffield United. But then again, both Paul Heckingbottom and Chris Wilder have not deployed him in the same role he plays for his country and at Brondby – he was allowed a free role under his previous managers where he had more license to attack.

Does Anis Slimane have a future at Sheffield United?

One of Sheff United Way’s co-hosts, Oli, has recently shared his thoughts on what the Blades should do with Slimane.

“My verdict is that we should sell [Slimane] if we can get our money back. But, I don’t really see why we should take a loss. I think if somebody’s not prepared to give us the money we paid then we might as well see what he’s got to offer in the Championship.

“Give him the tools. Give him the environment that he’s thrived in in the past. Maybe we start to see more from him and we actually get the best of the player, who, on his day, could potentially be a very good player in the Championship.”

My view

Anis Slimane is a player that thrives in possession based football, which is the complete opposite of what Sheffield United served up last season. Therefore, for me, it would be very strange if the club was to sell him, especially with our lack of numbers in the squad currently.

I really like the attributes that he brings to the table and I think he can be an impact player in the Championship as long as he is playing in the right system.

Keeping him for the upcoming season would be beneficial because it’s one less player we have to replace, and a decent showing in the Championship will increase his market value. Especially if the Blades secure a bounce back promotion.