Jesurun Rak-Sakyi opens up on choosing Sheffield United over Leeds United
Jesurun Rak-Sakyi has revealed the reasoning behind his decision to snub Leeds United in favour of signing for Sheffield United this summer.
The winger made the switch to Bramall Lane on loan in favour of Leeds, who made a £15 million bid to sign the player according to Alan Nixon.
There were multiple clubs in the race to sign the 21-year-old, with Chris Wilder’s side securing his signature in the final couple of weeks of the window.
Rak-Sakyi made his debut for Sheffield United by coming off the bench in the closing stages of their 2-2 draw against QPR.
He has already made four appearances for the club in all competitions, earning a first league start in their 1-0 win over Watford on 1 September, but he is yet to contribute a goal or assist (all stats from Fbref).
Jesurun Rak-Sakyi opens up on Leeds United snub
Rak-Sakyi has revealed that his decision to sign for Sheffield United was influenced by discussions with Wilder.
He has claimed that the club’s immediate ambition to fight for promotion to the Premier League persuaded him to sign for the Blades.
“My agent made me aware of the interest from them and I knew it was a big club,” said Rak-Sakyi, via The Star.
“But the manager here spoke to me and I was really impressed with what he said and the plans he had for me.
“It’s a big challenge, going to somewhere that’s ambitious rather than being mid-table or fighting to stay up.
“But I wanted to go to a club with ambition because I’m ambitious myself.
“So I think it was a good choice.
“It’s tough to move away [from his native London] but I’m growing up now and you’re not always going to be at home.
“So it’s about adapting to the situation you’re in and making the best of it.”
Sheffield United’s Championship season so far
Sheffield United lie eighth in the Championship table after their opening four games of the campaign.
Wilder’s side have won two and drawn two, leaving them with six points from a possible 12 due to a two point deduction penalty they’ve received.
The Blades are two points behind Leeds, who sit fourth ahead of the Championship’s return from international break this weekend.
Next up, Wilder’s side will face Yorkshire rivals Hull City on 13 September in an 8pm kick-off.
Rak-Sakyi signing was a real coup for Sheffield United
Given the competition that Sheffield United faced, the club did well to secure the signing of the Crystal Palace player on a temporary basis.
The winger hasn’t quite made it work in the Premier League, but his performances while on loan for Charlton Athletic in League One indicated that he is more than ready for life in the second tier.
He contributed 15 goals and eight assists in the 2022/23 campaign in League One, so Sheffield United will be hoping he can have a similar impact in the second division.
It is a positive sign for Wilder that the promotion project he’s building at Bramall Lane is convincing players that this is the place to be, especially when opposed to rivals Leeds.
