Sheffield United linked with £25m-rated Bristol City man Pep Guardiola says is “unbelievable”

Sheffield United are amongst a host of clubs to have been credited with an interest in Bristol City starlet Alex Scott.

Hailed by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola as “an unbelievable player”, Scott impressed against the Blades earlier this season and at just 19, has been one of City’s most impressive performers.

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Reports online have credited United, Burnley and Middlesbrough with an interest in Scott if they are promoted this season, while nine clubs already in the top-flight - including Tottenham, Everton and Newcastle - are said to have enquired about the young midfielder.

City are thought to value their prized asset at around £25m and could even get nearer to £30m if they manage to get something of an auction going. As things stand that would make interest from United unlikely, even if they were promoted to the Premier League.

The Blades are in a perilous financial position and were recently placed under an EFL embargo for previous non-payment of transfer funds. Promotion to the Premier League - they will travel to Sunderland tomorrow evening second in the Championship table - would go a long way to easing their money worries, if they can see off the threat of Middlesbrough and Co. But under the current ownership there is likely to be a higher degree of reticence in the transfer market, after a level of spending never seen before in the club’s history during their last spell in the top-flight.

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United splashed £22m on Sander Berge and agreed a fee that could have risen as high as £23.5m for striker Rhian Brewster. It appears likely that the Blades would have to reach a similar level if their apparent interest in Scott was followed up - and even then, they would be going up against a host of established Premier League clubs who could, and probably would, blow them out of the water when it came to the player’s remuneration package.

The situation highlights the difficulty hopefully facing United and any other side promoted to the Premier League. Previously the disparity between the two leagues meant that top-flight sides had an easier time in picking off the cream of the Championship - something United discovered to their cost when Spurs took Kyle Walker and Kyle Naughton for a bargain double-deal fee all those years ago.

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Championship clubs, increasingly owned by rich businessman, are now putting up bigger fights for their star men - as United saw last time around, when they were priced out of moves for the likes of Neal Maupay and Callum Wilson from sides in the second tier.

Born in Guernsey, Scott has represented England at U18, U19 and U20 level and has been likened to Jack Grealish in terms of playing appearance and style, attracting the nickname of ‘the Guernsey Grealish’.