Paul Heckingbottom has revealed that Sheffield United have “quite a lot of irons in the fire” in their quest for further transfer reinforcements ahead of next week’s deadline. The Blades are close to confirming the signing of Cameron Archer from Aston Villa.

Another target is Facundo Pellistri of Manchester United, with the Premier League giants taking their time before making a decision on whether to let the 21-year-old Urugyuan leave on loan. United are keen but know they may have to wait until closer to next Friday’s deadline for a more definitive decision on Pellistri’s future.

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In an attempt to avoid being hamstrung late on, United have identified alternative targets that they will move onto should any of their current deals prove too problematic. Speaking ahead of this Sunday’s clash with treble-winners Manchester City at Bramall Lane, boss Heckingbottom said: “We’ve got a lot of people - and I’m not saying Facundo is one - that we’re speaking about and speaking to. Whether that’s the players themselves, the representatives, the family, their parent clubs. And there’s a lot we want to get done.

"Knowing that it’s difficult to get players in, we have quite a lot of irons in the fire with different types of deals, because we can’t be relying on one in case at the end of the window nothing happens. So we’re working hard."

Asked how many players he hopes to bring in ahead of the deadline, Heckingbottom said: "As many as possible. I wouldn’t put a number on it."