Sheffield United boss explains Benie Traore signing after transfer confirmed

Traore was unveiled as a Blade this evening during the club’s Portugal training camp, after a deal was agreed with Swedish side Hacken to bring him to England.

Aged 20, Traore attracted the interest of United - as well as Glasgow giants Celtic and Rangers - after scoring 12 goals in 14 games for Hacken during the early part of their Allsvenskan season. He has not played for Hacken since July 2, after a deal to bring him to South Yorkshire began to accelerate, and he recently appeared before the club’s fans to wave goodbye to the Bravida Arena.

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Traore jetted out to United’s training base at the City of Football, the training base of the Portuguese national team, after completing a medical, and met with his new teammates for the first time ahead of Wednesday night’s friendly against Estoril.

“Bénie is an exciting young player who works really hard and uses his pace to press out of possession, as well as using it as a threat by playing on the last man,” Heckingbottom said of Traore, who has signed a four-year deal at Bramall Lane. “We see Bénie as someone who has the qualities and the ability to play at the top level.”

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United identified Traore as a target after determining that he matched their transfer profile, aimed at securing undervalued players with potential - and sell-on value - for reasonable sums of money. Traore joins Anis Slimane and Yasser Larouci through the entrance door at Bramall Lane, with Heckingbottom and his recruitment staff now expected to turn their attentions towards signing reinforcements at left centre-half after Jack O’Connell’s departure.