Sheffield United make double promotion winner key transfer target amid rival Championship interest

Sheffield United see the potential acquisition of striker Kieffer Moore as a key part of their promotion push, The Star understands, after resurrecting their interest in the Welsh international. Moore was a Blades target last summer ahead of the Premier League season, but a series of injuries at left-back meant then-boss Paul Heckingbottom had to use his remaining domestic loan slot on Leicester City’s Luke Thomas.

The Bournemouth forward is free to leave the top-flight side this summer after falling out of Andoni Iraola’s plans, with Cardiff City also keen on bringing the 31-year-old back to Wales. Moore scored seven goals in 18 games on loan at Ipswich Town last season, to help them win promotion to the Premier League, and has been identified as a player capable of having a similar impact for the Blades.

United eyeing transfer swoop for highly-rated former Coventry man

Blades chief Chris Wilder has only signed one player so far this summer, in Leeds’ Jamie Shackleton, but is close to trying up a deal for former Norwich City man Sam McCallum. As The Star revealed this morning Callum O’Hare, the former Coventry City favourite, is another target for United, who kick off their pre-season campaign this weekend away at York City.

Moore is down the pecking order in terms of Iraola’s forward options, with England international Dom Solanke a shoo-in to start and the likes of Antoine Semenyo, Justin Kluivert, Enes Unal and Jaidon Anthony also on Bournemouth’s roster. Speaking earlier this summer, Iraola suggested that Moore’s future could be in his own hands.

“All the players we have on loan, they will return at the beginning of July,” the Spaniard said. “Then in these situations, for me, first we have to listen what they want to do. If they say: ‘I prefer to leave, because here I am not going to have the minutes I want’, then we have to discuss with the clubs, so the money works and everyone is happy.

“They might tell me: ‘I want to stay here and fight for the minutes’. They are our players. They’ve played some minutes this season with us and I value them. He [Moore] has showed he can score goals. He is a very good number nine. But it is very difficult, even for Enes. Enes is doing very well, and it is difficult for me to give him more minutes because right now, we have Dom Solanke. Dom is playing so well that he is not giving a lot of chances to the other number nines.”

Moore has a year left on his Bournemouth contract and has previously played for Rotherham United, Barnsley and Wigan Athletic earlier in his career. Bournemouth signed him in January 2022 for a fee understood to be worth up to £5m and helped the Cherries into the Premier League. He has scored 54 goals in 173 games at Championship level over his career and has also won 43 caps for Wales, scoring 12 goals.