"Really unlucky" Sheffield United player tipped for summer exit on promotion condition | OneFootball

Our Blades fan pundit has forecasted Andre Brooks to go out on loan next season if Wilder's men reach the Premier League

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

FLW's Sheffield United fan pundit has predicted out-of-favour midfielder Andre Brooks to be sent out on loan in the summer if the Blades are to clinch an immediate promotion back to the Premier League this season.

Brooks is Sheffield born and bred, and he joined the United academy at the age of eight before working his way up the youth teams to sign a first professional contract with his boyhood club in 2021.

He made his senior debut in the Championship a year later, at 19-years-old, and has become a regular in the squad under Chris Wilder over the last 18 months, but has struggled to ever nail down a consistent starting berth in either the Premier League or second-tier.

Blades fan pundit forecasts Andre Brooks summer exit following potential promotion

Brooks made four appearances in his maiden season as a senior player, amid a loan spell with Bradford Park Avenue, then featured 23 times in a breakthrough 2023/24 campaign, with 12 starts in the Premier League, as Wilder trusted him at the highest level for the first time.

The 21-year-old signed a new contract extension last January to keep him at Bramall Lane until 2027, and he has continued to play regularly this season with two goals and assists each in 22 games in all competitions, but has been limited to only nine starts in the league so far.

When he has played this term, it has largely been off the right wing rather than his preferred central midfield position, yet he still failed to nail down a consistent starting spot while Jesurun Rak-Sakyi was injured around the turn of the year.

Brooks has not played in any of the club's last four outings, and as Wilder's side aim to return to the Premier League this season, our United fan pundit, Jimmy, of the Blades Ramble, has predicted him to depart on loan in the summer if they are back in the top-flight ahead of 2025/26.

"Andre Brooks has been really unlucky with his lack of game-time. His form has been very up-and-down, very patchy and inconsistent, but you get that from a young player," Jimmy told FLW.

"He hasn’t had the consistent game-time that he had in the season before, really. He’s playing in a different position this time as well. Normally, we’re used to seeing him as a left central midfielder, whereas in this system he has been playing on the right-wing.

"He’s done a decent job there, so it is going to be interesting to see what happens with him.

"I actually think if we are promoted to the Premier League, which is not a foregone conclusion, but if we are, I think he could do with going out on loan.

"Maybe to the Championship and playing 40 games next season, and finding his true position. He is going to be a real player, but I don’t know whether the path is blocked for him at the moment."

Chris Wilder is a fan of Brooks and may want to keep him regardless of league status

Brooks has popped up with a couple of big moments so far this term, despite his game-time likely being less than he would have expected or wanted ahead of the start of the season.

The first of those was when he netted the first professional goal of his short career up to now against West Brom on December 29, as he latched on to Callum O'Hare's flick to score the opener in a 1-1 draw at Bramall Lane, with the point gained seeing the Blades go top of the Championship.

Boss Wilder spoke glowingly to the media following that game about the 21-year-old's impressive attitude to his setbacks this season, as well as his versatility and quality at such a young age.

"He started off the season really on the front foot, and he's obviously been disappointed because Jes (Rak-Sakyi) has come into the team. But how he needs to show it is by being good on a Monday to Friday," he told The Star.

"He needs to show that consistency for me to go ‘bang’ and put him in the team. We've talked to him and he understands it.

"He's got himself pretty close, and I'm delighted he's got his first goal. I thought his attitude to the game was outstanding.

"We're playing him in a different position this season as well. He's a left-footed eight, and we're playing him as a right-winger, coming off the line. He's learning about his game and his position as well.

"It was a great goal from him, his contribution was excellent, as it was from all the players."

Brooks has since scored in the Championship once more, with a curling winner away to Watford in January to keep the Blades' promotion push on track, and despite his recent struggles, he will undoubtedly play his part in any success that Wilder's side may have in the coming months.

His whereabouts next season could well hinge on what goes on in the season's run-in, but what has been made clear is that Wilder is clearly a fan, as shown by the chances he gave Brooks in the top-flight last campaign, and how he has trusted him to perform in a battle for the top two this time around.