"Nobody blames him" - Claim made on Sheffield United, Oli McBurnie decision | OneFootball

FLW's Sheffield United fan pundit discussed Oli McBurnie leaving the club for Las Palmas

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Former Sheffield United striker Oli McBurnie recently completed a surprise move to La Liga outfit Las Palmas after his contract with the Blades expired at the end of the 2023/24 season.

McBurnie had been at the club since August 2019, joining from Swansea City for a fee of £20million following Sheffield United's promotion to the Premier League.

The Scottish striker had some memorable moments in a red and white shirt, but also struggled from injuries, but he was a player that Chris Wilder wanted to keep at the club, snubbing a new deal in favour of a move to the Canary Islands.

It's fair to say that it was a transfer that caught a lot of people off-guard, and McBurnie is set to spend the next three seasons in Gran Canaria, playing in the Spanish top-flight.

Oli McBurnie's move to Las Palmas has surprised Sheffield United fans

Our Sheffield United fan pundit, Jimmy, believes that the club were right to try and keep McBurnie at the club, but understands the striker's reasons for moving to Las Palmas with a more secure contract on offer.

Speaking to Football League World, Jimmy said: “Oli McBurnie moving to Las Palmas is an interesting move and completely out of the blue to be honest.

“I’m of the belief that we offered him a strong contract, but his problem is being consistently available and with him not being available for a long time and missing chunks of the season, never being fully fit, I’m glad we haven’t moved heaven and earth to keep him.

“Las Palmas have offered him a long contract, and he’s going to be playing in Gran Canaria for the next three years, so nobody blames him for going, but I think the deal we offered him was sensible, and I was comfortable with that as it was more appearance related and if he made certain appearance he’s get rewarded handsomely. “This is a guaranteed contract at Las Palmas, in the sunshine, make sure he takes his sun cream! “He was never really a prolific goalscorer for Sheffield United. He had one very good season alongside Iliman Ndaye in the Championship. A lot of people talk about how he was our top scorer in the Premier League when we finished ninth, but he scored six goals.

“He contributed to our success, no doubt about it, and he’s a big character. He definitely splits opinion in the fanbase, and we wish him all the best. He’s certainly been a strong figure in a really successful period in the club’s history."

Keeping Oli McBurnie would have been a big boost to Sheffield United's promotion hopes

McBurnie has past experience of winning promotion to the Premier League, and he's shown in the past that he can score goals in the second tier, so he'll be a big miss this season.

Despite the Blades enduring an awful 2023/24 campaign, McBurnie managed to score six goals in 21 Premier League appearances, a very decent return given the circumstances.

The Scottish international also scored 13 times in 38 Championship appearances to help the Blades win promotion the previous season, and has scored 44 times in 125 second tier appearances.

The signing of Kieffer Moore will soften the blow of McBurnie's loss, but it was clear that Wilder was keen to keep him, such was the impact he made last season.

No one can begrudge McBurnie the chance to go and play in La Liga, but the Scottish striker will be missed at Bramall Lane after a five-year spell which saw some of the club's best days in recent history.