Sheffield United have completed the signing of England striker Cameron Archer from Aston Villa, securing his services for a four-year contract.
The Blades have signed the 21-year-old for an undisclosed fee, estimated to be around £18.5m on a contract that will keep him at Bramall Lane until 2027.
Archer’s departure marks the end of a 13-year union with Aston Villa. He first joined the club at the age of eight and later went on to score four goals in 14 appearances for the senior team.
After making his Premier League debut in September 2021. He went on to have loan spells with Championship teams Preston and Middlesbrough.
Last season, Archer had an impressive performance on loan at Middlesbrough, scoring a total of 11 goals in 20 games.
Additionally, he contributed two goals to England’s victory in the European Under-21 Championship.
Archer becomes the eighth summer signing for the Blades, who secured their return to the Premier League this season after finishing as runners-up in the Championship.
The Blades welcomed the addition of the 21-year-old player, who joined the team alongside Gustavo Hamer, Vinicius Souza, Auston Trusty, Benie Traore, Anis Slimane, Tom Davies, and Yasser Larouchi.
Upon his arrival, Archer expressed his elation on the club’s official website stating that his ultimate desire has always been to play football regularly, and that is precisely what he intends to do now.
He wrote: “Everyone is happy if they are playing football regularly. That’s something I want to do now.”
“I think it was important to come here and look for Premier League football, that was key for me because I want to make that next step now and challenge myself. Hopefully, I can do that here.”
“Sheffield United have a long history of developing players in terms of playing and hopefully making better people as well.”
Meanwhile, Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom has showered praises on Archer while commenting on his successful transfer to the club.
Paul wrote: “We had a fantastic opportunity to acquire a young and talented forward who displayed a strong eagerness to join our team.”
“Cameron possesses pace, agility, and an impressive goalscoring record. We eagerly anticipate the opportunity to collaborate with him.”
Who is Cameron Archer?
Cameron Desmond Archer (born 9 December 2001) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for Premier League club Sheffield United.
Archer’s professional career
Cameron Archer is a product of Aston Villa’s Academy and made his debut for Villa in the Carabao Cup against Crewe Alexandra in 2019.
In 2021, he achieved a remarkable feat by scoring his first goal, a hat-trick, against Barrow in the same competition.
He also had loan spells at Preston North End and Middlesbrough in the Championship.
He played for Middlesbrough last season and also scored for England’s Under-21s on their way to winning the Under-21 European Championship this summer.
What’s next for Archer and Sheffield United?
The Blades have suffered defeats in their first two matches of the Premier League this season. They are set to face the reigning champions, Manchester City, today, August 27 by 2 p.m.
It is understood that all parties have agreed to the move earlier this week.
However, due to a delay in finalizing the transfer, Archer will not be able to make his debut in this afternoon’s Premier League clash with champions Manchester City.
Nevertheless, the forward, who will be wearing the number 10 shirt, may make their debut in the upcoming EFL second-round match against Lincoln City on Wednesday, August 30.
