Stead heads for Blades
11 Jan 2007 - 10:39:13
Sheffield United have signed striker Jonathan Stead from Sunderland for an initial fee of £750,000, which could eventually rise to £1.25million.
The 23-year-old has signed a contract running until the summer of 2010 at Bramall Lane to become the second new arrival for the Blades this month, following the signing of Leeds United defender Matthew Kilgallon.
Stead had recently impressed while on loan at Derby County, having fallen down the pecking order with the Black Cats.
He had joined Sunderland for £1.8million in the summer of 2005 from Blackburn Rovers, having failed to make his mark at Ewood Park after rising to prominence with his home town club, Huddersfield Town.
Blades boss Neil Warnock had earlier told the club's official website about any new recruits: "It's a case of getting the right people in.
"We're doing very well with the spirit in the dressing room and certain players have played beyond expectation.
"The players I'm bringing in aren't guaranteed to get in the starting line-up, they've got to fight, because the team is doing quite well."