Plans drawn-up to loan out exciting young midfielder

Although Slater is highly-regarded by coaching staff at Bramall Lane, the 20-year-old could find opportunities to impress during United’s preparations for the new campaign in short supply if Wilder’s recruitment drive goes according to plan.

With United preferring to expose their most talented youngsters to regular first team football rather than take part in development competitions, that has persuaded Wilder and his assistant Alan Knill to try and place Slater with a club in the lower divisions - preferably at League One level or above following recent spells with Scunthorpe and Carlisle.

In the past, Wilder has used United’s summer friendly schedule to monitor the progress of players progressing through the Steelphalt Academy young programme, with the likes of Slater, Tyler Smith, Rhys-Norrington-Davies and Sam Graham among those to work with their senior players before being dispatched elsewhere.

But with the Covid-19 pandemic disrupting the international fixture calendar, Wilder’s squad will require only a limited number of games in order to prepare for September 12th’s return to action.

Although John Lundstram is expected to depart after refusing to sign a new contract, United have identified Reading’s John Swift as a potential replacement for the Liverpudlian and, as The Star reported earlier this year, have previously kept tabs on Rangers’ Finland international Glen Kamara.

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