How Vini Souza is getting on at Wolfsburg after Sheffield United exit - Blades are missing him dearly | OneFootball

The midfielder was a key operator for the Blades, but took on a Bundesliga challenge this summer

Vini Souza should now be well settled in at Wolfsburg after his summer transfer from Sheffield United.

The Brazilian midfielder played two full seasons with the Blades, including one in the Premier League, before agreeing the switch to Germany early in the summer.

It followed the club’s play-off final loss to Sunderland at Wembley all the way back in May, with Souza going in search of football in one of Europe’s top five leagues for the third time in his career.

He’s already made a handful of appearances for Die Wolfe, facing some top-level competition in the process - but how is he really getting on?

How Vini Souza has started life at Wolfsburg - he's already a first-team mainstay

Moving from the Championship to the Bundesliga does not come with nailed-on starts - ex-Sunderland starlet Jobe Bellingham will tell you that much, who has been in just two league starting 11's since swapping Sunderland for Borussia Dortmund.

But Souza has faced no such worries, starting all of Wolfsburg’s opening six games in the league, plus a start in the DFB-Pokal, clearly having made a strong impression on manager Paul Simonis from the outset.

He’s played predominately in his regular deep-lying midfield role, alongside captain Maximilian Arnold.

Souza has won 17 tackles and 63.6 per cent of his duels, putting him among the very best in his position in the Bundesliga in those metrics.

Wolfsburg are seeing much the same player Sheffield United saw

That is, in essence, Souza’s game – providing a defensive presence in the centre of the pitch, being safe in possession, and getting the ball to others ahead of him to work their creative magic.

He is yet to be dispossessed by an opponent in the Bundesliga and has a pass success rate of 83.8 per cent, showing he can still be counted on to treat the ball carefully.

Souza has, however, had just two shots on goal, generating an xG of just 0.03, and has created only three chances in his six league outings so far.

That chimes with what Blades fans saw in his two seasons at Bramall Lane, with the Brazilian registering just one goal and two assists in his 76 appearances for the club.

But output at the top end of the pitch is not Souza’s main selling point. If Wolfsburg were attracted by what Souza offered to the Blades, then they’ve undoubtedly got what they paid for so far.

Sheffield United could probably use Vini Souza now amid their Championship struggles

Having bought Souza for £10m in 2023 from Belgian side Lommel, the Blades bagged a modest profit when they sold him for €15m (£13.07m at today’s rates).

That small profit, however, is probably not worth what they’ve lost on the pitch.

They have been left with the likes of Tom Davies, Alex Matos and Sydie Peck to fulfil the role, and whilst all are talented players, they lack the experience and presence of Souza.

After a disastrous start to the Championship season under Ruben Selles, followed by the reappointment of Chris Wilder, the Blades find themselves last in the table after nine games, with just three points on the board and 16 goals shipped.

United have bigger worries than just lacking Souza in the middle of the pitch, and there’s no saying the side would be flying with him still here, but given the defensive shifts he’s put in for Wolfsburg already, and what we know he can do in England, you wouldn’t bet against the Blades’ “goals conceded” tally looking healthier with the Brazilian still in the squad.

Given how Souza’s started, compared to the Blades, and the relatively small profit the club earned off the sale, there will likely be many at Bramall Lane who are regretful that the move went through.