"If he is anything like his dad" - Claim made as Sheffield United eye move for son of Chelsea hero | OneFootball

FLW's Sheffield United Fan Pundit Jimmy urges the club to gamble on Icelandic youngster Daniel Gudjohnsen.

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...

Sheffield United are monitoring Icelandic striker Daniel Gudjohnsen, as per reports from Alan Nixon.

The 19-year-old striker is the son of former Bolton and Chelsea hero Eidur Gudjohnsen, and is currently playing for Swedish champions Malmö.

With the Blades looking to bounce back from their heartbreaking play-off final defeat against Sunderland, it is a big summer for the club as they enter a new era under Ruben Selles.

Attention has also been attracted as a result of the club using Artificial Intelligence to drive their summer activity.

Speaking to Football League World, Blades fan pundit Jimmy believes that supporters should place their trust in Selles and the club ahead of the upcoming term.

"If he is anything like his dad" - Blades urged to gamble on Icelandic youngster

"It's a tricky one," said Jimmy when asked whether a move would be a shrewd one, or a gamble. Adding: "I know nothing about him personally, but his dad was an exceptional player who I am old enough to have seen play in his pomp for Bolton and later Chelsea. What a striker he was."

"If he is anything like his dad, sign him up, sign him up now," said Jimmy.

After making a name for himself at Bolton, most remember him from his time at Chelsea, where he made 263 appearances over six years, winning two Premier League titles and a League Cup during that time.

Gudjohnsen then went on to have more spells in England with Tottenham, Stoke and Fulham.

"But we don't know much about him, do we? Malmö are a decent-sized club, so he has got pedigree in terms of his genes. But we honestly don't know, and without seeing him, I am talking about him blindly."

However, despite Gudjohnsen being a relatively unknown prospect, Jimmy was keen to place his trust in Selles and the club over the summer months: "You see a lot of this from Ruben Selles, picking out names that aren't necessarily heard of, and we have just got to trust the manager."

"However sceptical some of us have been throughout the summer, with the club previously only looking for proven Championship players and below, pre-season seems to point towards the plan doing well."

"Trust the manager, trust the club, and if they believe he is a decent addition to the squad, then get him in."

Youngster carries Real Madrid and Barcelona experience

After starting his youth career in the lower levels in Spain, Gudjohnsen impressed some people in high places.

He spent four years in Real Madrid's youth system before signing for the Swedish club Malmö in 2022 at the age of 16, and he has also spent time in Barcelona's fabled academy system, too, with his father also playing for the Catalan giants during his playing career.

In 2023, he was listed as one of the Guardian's Next Generation 2023, their analysis of the 60 most talented players in the world born in 2006, saying: "Could Daniel become the most successful of Eidur Gudjohnsen’s three sons? Pundits in Iceland most certainly believe so."

He's only made 13 league appearances for Malmö since joining the club, but has played in both the Europa League and the Champions League for them, earning crucial European experience as he continues to develop.

He's also represented Iceland at Under-16, Under-17 and Under-19 levels.

Gudjohnsen is very highly thought of. Being a part of both Barcelona and Real Madrid's academy systems, the 19-year-old has a considerable amount of potential, and Sheffield United could steal a march on bigger rivals by acting quickly to secure his services ahead of the new season.