Exclusive: Rubén Sellés Set to Reunite with Serie A Veteran João Pedro at Sheffield United

New Sheffield United boss Ruben Selles is lining up a move to sign Brazilian-born striker Joao Pedro on a free transfer, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.

Earlier this week Pedro left Selles’ former club Hull City, his contract cancelled by mutual consent.

And now Spaniard Selles is looking to snap up the experience 33-year-old striker on a free transfer ahead of the club’s push to win promotion back to the Premier League.

Selles replaced Chris Wilder at the Blades’ managerial helm this week in a shock appointment which has rocked the Championship.

Wilder guided the Blades to the Play-off final last season and was adored at Bramall Lane, but it is 42-year-old Selles who is now tasked with going one step better as the ambitious South Yorkshire outfit look to get back to the promised land.

Pedro, the Tigers’ top-scorer last season with six goals and two assists, it is believed Selles know he would have a ready-made squad player who can do a job for him this season.

BAGS OF EXPERIENCE

The former Cagliari hitman has bags of Serie A experience under his belt having played seven seasons in the Italian top-flight.

However, new Tigers head coach Sergej Jakirovic saw no future for the marksman at the MKM Stadium and the club quickly did a U-turn with the playing having activated a second year of his two-year deal.

After starting his career with Atlético Mineiro, Pedro first moved to Italy with Palermo in 2010 and had loan spells with Portuguese side Vitória de Guimarães and Uruguayan outfit Peñarol.

The attacker returned to Brazil with Santos and spent a year back in Portugal with Estoril, where he scored 10 goals in 44 matches, before making his name at Cagliari.

Awarded the captaincy for 2020-21 season, Pedro plundered 16 and 13 strikes in his final two seasons in Sardinia to put him fourth on the club’s all-time goalscorers’ list, making 271 appearances overall.