The hype surrounding Lys Mousset’s club-record move to Sheffield United was never lived up to.
The Frenchman paid £10 million, a club record at the time, to join the Blades in 2019.
But he went on a free transfer after failing to score ten goals or more in the following three seasons.
Excitement was high for Lys Mousset as Sheffield United completed a club-record deal.
After progressing through the development systems and making an impression at the French club Le Havre, Mousset was transferred to AFC Bournemouth. In 36 games in France, the center-forward scored 14 goals and provided three assists, solidifying his status as one of the game’s most promising offensive players.
The striker made 71 appearances in three years after relocating to the south coast of England. But throughout that period, he only managed five goals and one assist. For someone who seemed to have a lot of potential after his initial performance, it was a dismal comeback.
Nevertheless, in 2019, United paid a club record amount for him, bringing him to South Yorkshire to play for the Premier League squad.
Even though his goal-scoring ability increased from the Cherries to the Blades, he never performed as well or even came close to reaching the stats he did in France.
| The dismal tenure of Lys Mousset at Sheffield United (source: Transfermarkt) | ||
| Season | Appearances | Goals |
| 2019/20 | 33 | 6 |
| 2020/21 | 13 | 0 |
| 2021/22 | 7 | 3 |
| TOTAL | 53 | 9 |
Although Bournemouth, who had initially paid £5.4 million for Mousset, made money from the trade, United broke their club’s transfer fee record for the third time in the summer of 2019.
Although he assisted three times against Burnley and scored against Arsenal, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur during his rookie season, his greatest total was 10 goals in 30 Premier League games.
But the promise he held never came to pass, especially in Sheffield, where his record became a source of discouragement.
The transfer of Lys Mousset to Sheffield United will always be a letdown.
United were in the Premier League when they signed Mousset from Bournemouth, and the transfer was never more than a complete disappointment.
He showed great promise in his first season, netting six of his nine goals in three years at Bramall Lane. However, it was never enough to realize his full potential when the Blades splashed out.
Investing a transfer fee that breaks records is always risky since it instantly creates a high expectation next to that player’s name.
That expectation was never met by Mousset, and it continues to be a slight blot on the Blades’ recent roster of successful additions. This is also supported by Mousset’s professional path since leaving Sheffield’s red and white team.
After only scoring once in nine league games, the 29-year-old was recently let go by League of Ireland team Boheniams.
His time in the Emerald Isle came to a close with a succinct 37-word statement that summarized a mutually agreed upon decision.
His career has been in decline since a miserable transfer to Bramall Lane in 2019, and stints in Germany’s VfL Bochum and back home with Nimes Olympique have also failed to yield goals.
The Blades suffered a huge loss with a free-agent move that marked the end of a difficult time in Sheffield, while Bournemouth made money when they signed Mousset. Comparing the Frenchman to David McGoldrick, who was also fired by United that summer, highlights just how awful his goal-scoring record has been.
The striker scored 30 goals in two seasons with Notts County, who plays football in the fourth level in England. However, since leaving the Blades, Mousset has only managed a few goals, and his worst showing occurred against Bohemians.
Any striker signing entails the expectation of early goals and impact, especially if the player is being acquired for a club record transfer fee. It just never came to Mousset and the Blades.
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