Sheffield United finished fifth last season in the EFL Championship after they were relegated from the Premier League in 2020-21. They qualified for the playoffs but lost to eventual winners Nottingham Forest in the semi-finals. In a bid to challenge for promotion once again, the Blades will need to reinforce the squad this summer, especially in the attacking department. Both Rhian Brewster and Oliver McBurnie have been ruled out through injury and are unsure when they will return to action. This leaves only veteran Billy Sharp in the squad. Sheffield United have recently expressed interest in signing the Leeds United attacker, Tyler Roberts.
Roberts featured for Leeds United in 23 Premier League games last season, though only seven of those were starts. He only had 987 minutes of action. He scored and assisted one goal each, though xG indicated that he should have netted at least two or three. He took over two and a half shots per 90 but managed to muster only 29% of them on target. The 23-year-old was also ranked in the bottom half for touches inside the penalty area. His dribble success rate of 75.61% placed him in the upper quintile. He was also ranked in the topmost quintile for percentage of offensive duels won.
Roberts slightly underperformed in assists when compared to xA. His woeful pass accuracy of 72.18% ranked him in the bottom quartile of attackers. He fared slightly better than his peers in ball progression, with nearly 69% of his passes into the final third finding a teammate, ranking him just above average. The Welshman completed 1.3 long balls per 90, which placed him in the top 16% among attackers. Similarly, he was put in the upper quintile for smart passes per 90 and through balls per 90, with 1.06 and 0.98 to his name, respectively.
Roberts scored only once last season from 987 minutes spent on the pitch. He also missed a big chance from inside the six-yard box. Though he attempted more than half his shots from inside the box, he tried to shoot fairly often from outside the box. The 23-year-old took 30 shots, and his average shooting distance was 18.5 yards from the goal, according to FBREF.
As a second striker, Roberts was an active man in the final third whenever he played. He was often found just behind the striker and drifted frequently to the right wing. He received 7.18 progressive passes per 90. Additionally, the Welshman made 1.09 passes into the penalty box per 90, 3.91 progressive carries per 90, 15.4 pressures per 90 and 5.73 recoveries per 90.
Tyler Roberts may have underperformed as per xG and xA for Leeds United this season, but he made use of his limited game-time rather well. At Sheffield United, he would aid Billy Sharp and be a regular game-starter.
