Once a wonderkid and labelled as the future of England’s attack, Rhian Brewster now finds himself without a club as the new season approaches. Not many people would have predicted that at the age of just 25, Brewster would have no club, having just been released by a Championship side. So how did we get to this point and where does he go from here?
Early days
Having played for both Chelsea and Liverpool as a youngster, it is perhaps not too surprising that Brewster would go on to have such an impressive career at international youth level. He would score 4 goals in 4 games for England U16 and 20 goals in 23 games for England U17. However, in January 2018, Brewster would suffer the first significant injury of his career. During an U23 game against Manchester City, Brewster would suffer a high ankle sprain and related ligament damage, ending his season early. Two months later, he would undergo a second operation on his knee as a result of the same incident.
Leaving Liverpool
Having had extremely limited opportunities at Liverpool, Brewster would join Swansea City in the Championship in January 2020, where he would score 11 goals in 22 games. The very next season, Sheffield United would sign the young Englishman for around £22 million. However, Brewster wouldn’t register a single goal or assist in 30 appearances in all competitions as the Blades were relegated from the Premier League. This was made even more disappointing by the fact that they had finished 9th the season prior.
In January 2022, Brewster would once again suffer a season ending injury, this time to his hamstring. In October of that year, he would suffer a hamstring injury once again, that would keep him out for 11 months. Then in March 2024, he would suffer yet another hamstring injury, causing him to miss another 2 months of football.
Fortunately, since then, Brewster hasn’t suffered any major injuries. In December of last year, he would score his first goal in over two years and would end the season with 4 goals and 3 assists in 39 Championship appearances.
It looked as though Rhian Brewster would be continuing as a Sheffield United player, but this would not turn out to be the case. It is unclear as to whether or not Brewster declined the contract offer made to him or if new boss Ruben Selles rescinded the offer. Either way, Brewster is now a free agent. Despite his struggles in recent times, there seems to be a lot of interest in his services, no doubt aided by the versatility brought to Brewster’s game last year, often playing as a number 10 or as a winger.
Where Could Brewster End Up?
Sunderland
One club linked with Rhian Brewster is Sunderland, who will no doubt be looking to bolster their attacking options following their surprise promotion to the Premier League. However, I find this one quite difficult. Even if he can put his injury problems behind him, I don’t think Brewster is Premier League quality at this moment in time.
Preston North End
Of these four teams, Preston were the lowest scoring, ending the season with only 48 goals scored. 12 of these were scored by Emil Riis Jakobsen who has now left the club. Sam Greenwood and Ryan Porteous who scored 3 and 5 times respectively were both only at the club on loan. Brad Potts, who scored 4 times, has been linked with a move to Huddersfield. That is a lot of goals to replace, so Brewster could definitely be of use. He’d certainly fit into a younger core of players that Paul Heckingbottom seemingly wants.
Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers were the surprise package of the Championship last season. After surviving on the last day two seasons ago and losing the leagues Golden Boot winner in Sammie Szmodics, many had them to be relegated last time out. But, rather incredibly, John Eustance would guide them to a 7th place finish, narrowly missing out on the playoffs.
Their 53 goals were shared around last season, mainly by four players. Top scorer Yuki Ohashi and Makhtar Gueye will be at the club next season, but Tyrhys Dolan looks set to leave imminently as his contract is up. Andreas Weimann has already left the club, linking back up with John Eustace at Derby County. Brewster could certainly be an option for them, especially given his newfound versatility.
West Bromwich Albion
West Brom are arguably the team that need Brewster the least. Josh Maja is a fantastic number nine in a league that really lacks them at the moment. The only potential space I could see for Brewster in the starting XI would be on the left-hand side of the attack, if Karlan Grant leaves the club. The 27-year-old is going into the last year of his contract and has interest from several clubs. If West Brom decide to cash in, Brewster could be a solid replacement if he can leave his injuries behind him for good.
Where could Rhian Brewster end up next? let us know what you think in the comments!
