Sheffield United: Chris Wilder hopes Aston Villa's interest in Chelsea star will pave the way for Scott Hogan to leave the Midlands

Sheffield United will intensify their efforts to sign Scott Hogan if Tammy Abraham joins Aston Villa on loan.
Scott Hogan (centre) is wanted by Sheffield UnitedScott Hogan (centre) is wanted by Sheffield United
Scott Hogan (centre) is wanted by Sheffield United

Chris Wilder, who also hopes Mo Besic's arrival at Middlesbrough will pave the way for Marvin Johnson to leave the Riverside Stadium, feared Steve Bruce would block the 26-year-old's exit after expressing concerns about the Midland club's firepower. But with Chelsea striker Abraham last night granted permission to open talks with Villa, Wilder is expected to make another approach for Hogan as he looks to increase his own attacking options before the transfer window closes next week. Explaining why United are in the market for a new centre-forward despite Billy Sharp's excellent start to the season, Wilder said: "He has to fit in with the way we play, what we need, and what we already have in the building. "We have the likes of Billy who is a box player, he scores and plays in and around the 18-yard box, David McGoldrick is a link-up player and Leon (Clarke) is an all-round player, so we probably need something a little bit different to complement the others. We just want to bring in another one in." Johnson, aged 27, is attracting interest from both United and Hull City but Tony Pulis, Wilder's counterpart on Teesside, has stated the winger will not be allowed to depart until a replacement is found. Wilder, whose side visit Bolton Wanderers tomorrow, could take a similar approach regarding Caolan Lavery's future despite making the former Northern Ireland under-21 international available for transfer. "There's been a couple of enquiries about Caolan Lavery, so we will wait and see on that one," he said. "But I am not expecting anything else. We have worked hard to put this squad together, and feel when the window shuts if we do get the couple of players in we want, it's a good group and a better group than last year, and one that started pre-season. "Now the key is to work them to produce results on a regular basis."

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