Basel left-winger Liam Millar is on the books at Sheffield United, according to Adam Oxley of BBC Radio Sheffield. The 24-year-old Canadian international star is expected to sign with the Blades following the conclusion of his country’s Copa America campaign.
United has had the attacker under observation for some time. It was also reported that Burnley was considering him.
A graduate of the Liverpool academy, Millar is now contracted to Basel in Switzerland, but he played in the Championship with Preston North End the previous campaign. The 24 times capped international played 35 league games for Preston last year, tallying five goals and five assists.
Chris Wilder has mostly used a 5-3-2 formation at Sheffield United, however early in his second spell, the United manager experimented with a 4-3-3 configuration. Cameron Archer was used in this configuration as an inverted wide man to the left of a front three. If Millar were to join with United, this system and role would be ideal for him because of his skill set and playing philosophy, which both fit the needs of the role. He is also capable of playing as an offensive midfielder.
Tom Lawrence, an attacker for the Rangers, is another inverted left-winger that the Blades have been connected to this summer. Last season, Lawrence participated in 32 games for the Rangers in all competitions. The adaptable winger provided three assists and three goals during the 2023/24 campaign.
Is it a sign that Chris Wilder will be looking to play a formation that consists of wide players next season?
Director of Preston North End Peter Ridsdale recently discussed Liam Millar in an interview with the Lancashire Evening Post. Liam has been really upfront with us, expressing his love for the team and his intention to return tomorrow—but he wants to play left wing. We also expressed our love for him and our desire for him to return tomorrow, but we want him to play left wing-back.It’s a conundrum and a difficulty since we are not going to alter the formation to accommodate a single player. Although we will find a solution, it is arguably the most difficult position to fill.
What could Liam Millar bring to Sheffield United?
Millar’s statistics on FBref rank his percentile rankings relative to Championship full-backs and wing-backs, rather than his natural left-winger position, because he played as a left-wingback for Preston the previous season.
With a non-penalty xG of 95th and a total shots per 90 of 99th, the Canadian international is a formidable offensive danger. Throughout the year, he also showed off his inventiveness by being in the 87th percentile for assists, the 71st for crucial passes, and the 88th for actions that resulted in a shot.
Millar’s dribbling analytics demonstrate his high level of energy and pace in the game. In terms of progressive carries, carries into the penalty area, and one-versus-one skills, he is in the 99th percentile. He has a 99th percentile take-on success rate.
These results are quite encouraging since they demonstrate his values clearly and his numbers support the eye test. He will push the team forward, commit defenders, and frequently choose the best course of action when it comes to finding teammates or going for the ball himself. Since Millar played as a wing-back last season, he was constrained; United would be well to exploit his potential to play him as a number ten or wide on the left.
