Sheffield United break club transfer record to sign Scotland star Oli McBurnie

Sheffield United have completed the signing of striker Oli McBurnie from Swansea for a club-record transfer.

The 23-year-old Scotland international, who scored 22 goals in the Sky Bet Championship last season, has agreed a four-year contract at Bramall Lane for an undisclosed fee.

It is the fourth time this summer the Blades have broken their transfer record, with the money spent on McBurnie following the sums paid for Luke Freeman, Callum Robinson and Lys Mousset.

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— Sheffield United (@SheffieldUnited) August 2, 2019

McBurnie joins Scotland team-mate John Fleck at the club.

“We’ve had to be patient and work very hard to get Oli but I am confident he will be a tremendous success,” United boss Chris Wilder told the club website.

“We need options at the top of the pitch and Oli, as anyone who has watched a significant amount of Championship football will tell you, offers plenty in that area.

“He fits the profile of our transfer policy this season and is at an age where his better years are ahead of him – hopefully he and the club can continue to grow together.”

The Blades have also signed Dean Henderson, Ravel Morrison, Phil Jagielka and Ben Osborn since winning promotion to the Premier League.

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— Sheffield United (@SheffieldUnited) August 2, 2019

Wilder continued: “I’m delighted with the transfer business over the summer, Oli is a big piece of the jigsaw, and the squad is shaping up ready for what will be a long and demanding season.

“Over the years we’ve had the stigma of being a selling club and, of course, there will be sales in the future, but it should be noted that we are a buying club.

“We’ve spent a significant amount and the owners deserve a huge amount of credit for the way they have sanctioned our assault on the transfer market.”

McBurnie began his career at Bradford and the Bantams, relegated to League Two last season, are set for a windfall having put a sell-on clause in the deal that took him to Swansea in 2015.