£5m man linked with Sheffield United, Luton Town edges closer to transfer move amid training absence mystery

A £5m-valued Europa League star tenuously linked with Sheffield United this window is edging closer to a transfer move elsewhere. The Blades were said to be “battling” divisional rivals Luton Town for the signature of Timothy Ouma, as he nears an exit from current club IF Elfsborg in the Swedish Allsvenskan.

United were linked with Ouma by reporter Alan Nixon late last year with a hefty valuation placed on him by the Swedish side, who had tied him down to a deal until 2027 in a bid to ward off interest. The 20-year-old Kenyan was also said to be attracting interest from France, with Saint-Étienne reportedly keen.

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Speculation about his future only ramped up after his absence from Elfsborg’s training session at the La Finca Resort, just outside Torrevieja in Spain, with Sportbladet reporting that Ouma was nearing a move to Czech giants Slavia Prague for what would be a record sale for the Swedish side.

“We would have liked to have Timothy with us in Spain,” director Stefan Andreasson told the outlet, “but discussions are ongoing with other clubs. We are also discussing with Timothy and his representatives how we should proceed. I cannot comment on anything further.”

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Ouma also had lucrative offers from Saudi Arabia but turned them down with a preference for a sporting project rather than one that would boost his bank account. Reports in Sweden suggest that an agreement in principle has been reached between the two clubs, with the Elfsborg board expected to give their approval to the deal which will see Ouma continue his career in the Czech Republic.

United are known to be in the market for midfield reinforcements but targeting a young midfielder with no experience of the English league would appear to go against manager Chris Wilder’s preference for players who have been in situations similar to United’s before, with the Blades looking to navigate the pressures of a promotion race and cement an instant return to the Premier League.

United are keen on Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury, who helped the Foxes win promotion to the top-flight last season, who would require next to no acclimatisation to life at Bramall Lane. United’s last gamble with a transfer from the Allsvenskan was a costly one, too, with £4m striker Benie Traore not up to the physicality of English football and sold to Swiss Super League club Basel, where he is now impressing.