da aposte e ganhe： Sheffield United made an offer to sign Steven Nzonzi this month, but the Frenchman reportedly swiftly rejected the Blades to stay with Galatasaray on loan.
What’s the word?
da roleta： Nzonzi, who was once of Stoke and Blackburn, is currently in Turkey on a temporary stint from Italian outfit AS Roma.
Linked with Aston Villa previously, the midfielder has taken a substantial amount of interest in the current window, also attracting the eyes of West Ham and Everton.
However, a report from Futbol Arena claims that despite being offered the chance to go to Bramall Lane, the 31-year-old turned them down.
The outlet suggests that Nzonzi is in search of finding a more prestigious club to play for with the ultimate goal of appearing at Euro 2020 in his mind.
A former World Cup winner, it could be seen as somewhat of a blow for the Blades.
Comparisons to Vieira
Boasting Premier League and Champions League experience, this would have been an attractive signing for a club looking to cement themselves in the top-flight.
Sheffield United’s midfield might be settled with the likes of John Fleck and Oliver Norwood in their ranks but adding a player of Nzonzi’s calibre would have been an undoubted help.
Back in 2013, the Frenchman spoke of comparisons to a great midfielder of his time.
Per the Independent, he said in 2012: “It’s true many people have said that I remind them of Vieira. He was a very good player – remember, he played with Claude Makelele, so at that time France had a really, really good midfield.
“Everyone was looking to be like Vieira. I think people said it more of me because of my face, and I’m tall and quite skinny like him. He was a big, big player. I’m just beginning. I’m a little player compared to him.”
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Those comparisons were from an early age but certainly in terms of his tough tackling nature, it’s rather apparent.
In Vieira’s final season with Manchester City, he made 2.2 tackles per game. Meanwhile, at Inter, he produced 3.4 tackles per outing. Last term, Nzonzi made 2.2 successful challenges on average as well.
If you compare that to those currently at Sheffield United, it would put him second in their squad behind Enda Stevens but just ahead of Chris Basham.
It’s unfortunate they now won’t have the opportunity to bring him in.
Meanwhile, Alan Nixon has provided an update on Luke Freeman’s future at Sheffield United…