Exclusive: Birmingham City & Sheffield United will rue missing out on 29-y/o striker - he "has a point to prove" | OneFootball

Birmingham City and Sheffield United were both linked with a move for the striker

Oli McBurnie has enjoyed a flying start to the 2025/26 campaign.

Hull City signed the forward on a free this summer after he spent last term playing for Spanish side Las Palmas in La Liga.

The 29-year-old hasn’t needed any time to adapt back to the English game, scoring four goals in his first seven games in all competitions.

McBurnie has also provided three assists in that time, which means that he has produced a goal contribution per game thus far for the Tigers.

The striker was available for a large portion of the summer and was linked to multiple Championship teams, including Birmingham City and Sheffield United.

McBurnie had previously spent five seasons at Bramall Lane, scoring 13 goals for the Blades during their 2022/23 promotion-winning second-tier campaign, but wouldn’t make a move back to the Steel City side.

Blues were extremely ambitious during the transfer window, recruiting forwards such as Kyogo Furuhashi and Marvin Ducksck, but opted against striking a deal for the Scotsman.

Both Birmingham and Sheffield United have struggled for goals during the opening stages of this season, which makes it even more frustrating for them that they didn’t decide to fully pursue a move for McBurnie.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Sky Sports pundit and former Aston Villa midfielder, Lee Hendrie, believes that clubs that missed out signing McBurnie will be feeling a great deal of regret following his brilliant start to the 2025/26 campaign.

Lee Hendrie full of Oli McBurnie praise following brilliant start to the 2025/26 campaign

McBurnie has enjoyed a blistering start to the campaign with Hull, with the Scottish international striker registering four goals and three assists from his opening seven Championship appearances for the Tigers.

Kyogo and Ducksch, meanwhile, are both yet to open their accounts in the Second City, and Sheffield United remain rooted to the foot of the table after losing six of their first seven games, in which time they've scored just twice, meaning Birmingham and the Blades may both be left with a tinge of regret.

In Hendrie's view, McBurnie has been "on flames" and is playing with a "point to prove". Indeed, Hendrie believes that McBurnie's summer suitors, such as Blues and United, will have regret over not signing him amid such blistering form infront of goal.

“He has been absolutely on flames,” stated Hendrie. He really has. He looks like he's enjoying his football.

“He looks fit, he looks bright, he looks sharp, and he looks like he's really got a point to prove and that's what I've noticed about him.

“He's always been that sort of player. I've watched him as such a young player back in the day and I've always thought that he's got lots of potential.

“I think he's really showing it and enjoying his football. The clubs that have been linked with him will be thinking, I wish we had pushed and pushed to get him in because he has really hit the ground running.”

Oli McBurnie would’ve been a solid addition for both Birmingham City and Sheffield United

McBurnie has shown in the past that he is more than capable of fronting a competitive Championship attack, scoring regularly for both Sheffield United and Swansea City.

The Blades’ struggles have been well-documented this season, scoring just one league goal in their first seven matches. The Scotsman would’ve helped this cause immensely, especially given his previous connection to the club.

His experience in the dressing room during Chris Wilder’s short absence may have been critical, but the Steel City side missed out on the opportunity to bring him back to Bramall Lane.

Birmingham City added lots of quality to their frontline during the summer window, but Chris Davies has struggled to get his players to combine effectively during the season’s opening stages.

McBurnie would’ve been a different option for Blues’ boss, with his experience and know-how of the division both attributes that the likes of Kyogo and Ducksch don’t possess.

Ultimately, both teams would’ve greatly benefited from having McBurnie’s presence in their squads, both on the pitch and in the dressing room.