Patrick Bamford

Bamford makes his living through anticipation rather than speed, drifting into the pocket of space a cross is heading toward before a defender notices the danger. His finishing with his favoured foot is genuinely reliable, and his link play brings others into scoring positions rather than hunting for his own chances. That movement and awareness once fired a Championship winning promotion, proof of the level he can reach for Sheffield United.

The tension around Bamford is fitness, since injuries have interrupted his career enough that staying available has become the real test. When healthy he offers a level of craft in the final third that few Championship strikers can match, which is exactly why Sheffield United took the gamble on signing him. Whether his body lets him deliver that quality consistently is the question that will define his time at the club.