Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder has confirmed that his side are still in talks with Leicester City over the services of Harry Souttar after their opening bid was rejected.
The Blades are believed to be frontrunners in signing the Australia national team captain, who has already informed Russell Martin that he would like to explore opportunities elsewhere in the wake of City’s relegation to League One.
Wilder Admits Interest
Reports at the start of the week from the Sheffield Star revealed that United had tabled a loan-to-buy offer to Leicester for the defender, but that was promptly knocked back and responded to with a £10 million price tag.
Since then, a follow-up article has since revealed that the quoted price may be too much for Wilder’s side to make a deal, but they would still consider making a move due to Souttar’s wish to play in a higher division.
Minutes have been hard to come by for Souttar since his return from a half-season loan at Bramall Lane in 2024, having played just twice for Leicester in the 18 months since leaving.
Now, speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield following the Blades’ pre-season friendly against Rotherham United, Wilder has stated that conversations are still ongoing between the clubs. (Quotes via Sheffield Star):
“I know people talk about it and say I shouldn’t be talking about other players, but he’s one that obviously has got history with us and we have been linked with him as well. We’ve already had conversations with Leicester about taking him.
“So, the conversations will be ongoing. He’s a player that we obviously like and he had a great time on the pitch for us and off the pitch with the supporters. You know how much they rated him and they valued him.
“So it’s ongoing, but if it’s not to be, it’s not to be. And if it is, then we’ll do what we can do. I’m speaking with the board and Steve Bettis in terms of trying to make something happen and we’ll go from there.”
Wilder is aiming to rejig his defensive unit heading into the Championship season, revealing in the same interview that Mark McGuinness is not part of his plans going forward.
The former Luton Town man was signed 12 months ago under the tenure of previous boss Ruben Selles, but only managed to make 26 appearances in total.
Can Sheffield United Strike A Deal?
With a £10 million price tag facing them, Sheffield United are in a tough spot when it comes to trying to recruit a former favourite in the form of Harry Souttar.
Chris Wilder admitted that only Japhet Tanganga and Jamal Baptiste are currently in his plans at centre-back, so adding new options to his ranks will be crucial in order to prevent an early-season injury crisis.
Souttar is a known quantity for the Blades, and his consistency and rapport with the existing options in the backline should be key to stopping the recent slide the Bramall Lane club have been facing.
Therefore, despite their budget constraints, re-signing Souttar may be pivotal to their fortunes, and raising as much as possible from sales of players like Mark McGuinness may become the crucial factor between success and failure.
For Leicester City, it would mark yet another step towards more financial security and £10 million would raise yet more crucial funds for Russell Martin to try and reinvest in a new squad to challenge in League One.
One Response
Sheff Utd, cough up or jog on.