Sheffield United forward Tyrese Campbell is reportedly on the radar of AFC Bournemouth ahead of the January transfer window but Carlton Palmer does not believe a move will materialise.
After a disappointing 2023/24 season at Stoke City, Campbell has certainly got his career back on track at Sheffield United after completing a move to Bramall Lane in the summer. While it's been clear to everyone for years that he is a talented Championship player, his career was at a crossroads in the summer after leaving Stoke and the move to Sheffield United has undoubtedly revitalised him.
So much so that he is now attracting top-flight interest, according to TalkSPORT. Campbell is being monitored for a move to the Cherries this winter. That's because despite starting just eight games out of a possible 21, the Blades forward has scored six times in the league this season, making him Sheffield United's top scorer and the player with the best 'goals per 90 minutes' league-wide, as per FotMob.
Prior to this season, Campbell made 164 appearances for the Potters, scoring 36 goals and notching 21 assists. His most prolific league campaign in a Stoke shirt was 2019/20, where he netted nine goals in 33 appearances - bagging a goal every 180 minutes, on average.
The 24-year-old has become somewhat of a divisive figure among Stoke supporters in recent years, with debates over his attitude and whether he has ever been the same player since injury issues after scoring at a much slower rate of 18 goals in his next 98 games for the club.
However, there is undoubted talent there, and it was not too late for his career to get back on track, which Wilder and co. were willing to risk by taking a chance on a poor injury record this summer. When fit, Campbell has the quality to offer something at the upper reaches of the second tier.
Carlton Palmer's verdict on Bournemouth links to Tyrese Campbell
Carlton Palmer in charge of Mansfield Town in 2005
Sadly, Campbell sustained a hamstring injury playing against Millwall earlier this month, the severity of which is currently unknown. However, the low-risk of a free transfer appears to have been a masterstroke thus far, with Wilder getting the most out of Campbell in nigh on five years.
Ex-England international and current EFL pundit Carlton Palmer can't see an exit being something Sheffield United entertain next month, with Palmer particularly impressed with Campbell's all-round game so far this season.
Speaking to Football League World, he said: "News coming out of Sheffield United is that AFC Bournemouth, alongside a few other teams, are monitoring their striker Tyrese Campbell.
"He has been in outstanding form for Sheffield United as they have shot to the top of the league in the Championship, scoring six goals in 14 games.
"He was only signed this summer on a free transfer by the Blades. That means nothing that he went on a free, with Tyrese coveted by a lot of football clubs.
"Glasgow Rangers being one of them after he ran down his contract. It wasn't that other clubs weren't interested at the time. He ran it down so he was a free agent.
"The situation with Campbell is that Bournemouth are sat sixth in the Premier League and he is a good hold-up and link-up player, and he can run in behind.
"But he is not prolific with goals. Through his career at Championship level, he has scored a maximum of nine goals in a season. Whether he can carry that threat to the Premier League? I don't know.
"But I suppose Bournemouth are looking at him and it could be a relatively cheap option. But I also can't imagine a Sheffield United side that are top of the league and looking to get back to the Premier League, letting him go.
"So, I am a little surprised at this one. But, obviously, with Tyrese in the form that he is, and Sheffield United doing as well as they are, then, of course, there is going to be interest in the player.
"But I can't see anything coming of that."
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Tyrese Campbell's impressive start to life at Sheffield United
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The risk regarding his injury record was especially worth taking given Campbell's versatility, with the forward able to operate as a number-nine, a second-striker, or as a right-sided forward. Time will tell just how smart this move is in the long run for Sheffield United, but Stoke's loss has become their gain thus far.
It shows just how well the 24-year-old is performing that he's attracting interest from the Premier League, and Wilder will be a happy man that he secured his signature. Campbell put pen-to-paper on a three-year deal with the Blades, another risky decision from the club after his injury woes last season, but it's paid dividends, particularly in recent weeks.
|Tyrese Campbell's senior career - As Per Transfermarkt (19/12/24)|
|Club|Seasons|P|G|A|
|---|
|Stoke City|2018-24|164|36|19|
|Shrewsbury Town (Loan)|2019|15|5|0|
|Sheffield United|2024-|15|6|1|
Campbell had previously shown flashes of his immense potential in the Championship. However, his career has been plagued by injuries, with long spells on the sidelines halting his progress at crucial junctures. His tally of six makes him currently the club's top scorer, which is perhaps surprisingly low for a table-topping side, albeit the goals have been more spread out by the Blades.