Sheffield United struck gold with record-breaking £4m transfer deal | OneFootball

Sheffield United struck gold with at the time record-breaking transfer deal of John Egan

Sheffield United struck gold with the record-breaking £4 million transfer deal of John Egan.

In the summer of 2018, Sheffield United made the signing of John Egan from Brentford in a deal worth £4 million making the transfer a club record at the time .

The Irish international went on to make over a double century of appearances for the Blades, making himself a memorable servant for the South Yorkshire side and cemented his name in the history books at Bramall Lane.

His arrival brought about much excitement after making a name for himself in League One whilst playing for Gillingham, where the defender was named in the 2015/16 League One PFA Team of the Year.

Subsequently, Egan continued his good form when signing for Brentford, where he made 67 appearances in two seasons.

When speaking to Sky Sports about signing Egan from Brentford, former Blades boss Chris Wilder said, "John has been our number one target in that position throughout the summer, it has been going on a while, and we've kept it close to our chests because we've had to."

Egan's instant impact at Bramall Lane

After going on to become very much part of the fixtures and fittings with Sheffield United by spending six seasons with the club, Egan's first season was very successful under Chris Wilder making an instant impact for the Blades by featuring 44 times in the league.

The Irishman contributed with one goal and one assist at the top end of the pitch and, in the defensive third, was rock solid, helping his new club to finish 2nd in the Championship and earn a spot in the Premier League the following season.

Slotting into Wilder's tactics of a back three was a change that would take some getting used to for Egan, but the defender took to the Blades' system like a duck to water.

After having his first season to learn the ropes of his new role, Egan once again had an outstanding season making the step-up to the Premier League, which saw the Blades pull off a shock top-half finish.

This saw Egan quickly become a fan favourite in South Yorkshire due to his constant availability for selection under Wilder and powerful defensive performances.

Egan proved to be £4 million steal

With Egan making a strong start to life in a Blades shirt, the club record fee at the time of £4 million seems to have been a steal for the centre-half.

Having broken the club-record transfer fee on multiple occasions since Egan's arrival, the reliable defender could be regarded as one of the club's most successful signings for the price tag, with expensive incomings such as the likes of Rhian Brewster from Liverpool for £23.5 million not living up to expection at Bramall Lane.

Despite a bitterly disappointing following season for the Blades which saw them finish rock bottom of the Premier League, Egan's performances remained constant even after the departure of Wilder.

With Egan struggling for constant game time towards the end of his tenure at Sheffield United due to injuries, this eventually led to him making the move to Burnley in the summer of 2024.

Egan's name will long be remembered at Bramall Lane due to his excellent service to the club over six seasons, making the £4 million the Blades paid for the defender a golden transfer.