Sheffield United make loan decision as £12.5m ex-Liverpool man becomes Blades 'target'

Sheffield United are reportedly considering a move to sign Leicester City goalkeeper Danny Ward this month. The Blades are known to be on the lookout for a new goalkeeper in January as they look to make the necessary improvements to help them in the battle against Premier League relegation.

Kasper Schmeichel, formerly of Leicester, of course, has been consistently linked with a switch to Bramall Lane over the last few weeks and could be an option for the club. But, according to Sky Sports, United are keen on Ward, who may well prove to be a cheaper option for the club.

Ward hasn’t seen a minute of first-team action this season under Foxes boss Enzo Maresca after finding himself rooted behind Mads Hermansen in the King Power Stadium pecking order. As such, the Wales international could be available this month and Wilder is said to be keen on adding him to his squad to compete for the number one spot with Wes Foderingham.

In a move that appears to facilitate the switch, it seems the Blades are set to cut Luke Thomas’ time at the club short, as per Alan Nixon. Thomas is currently on loan from Leicester and has found opportunities hard to come by since the decision was made to replace manager Paul Heckingbottom with Wilder last month.

As such, in order to free up the loan spot they need to sign Ward, the club may look to send him back to Leicestershire. Thomas has been with the Blades since the start of the Premier League season, making 12 outings in the league, with his most recent appearance coming in the FA Cup against Gillingham.

Ward, on the other hand, has been a Leicester player since completing his £12.5m switch from Liverpool back in 2018. The goalkeeper has made 27 league appearances in that time for the Foxes. He took in spells with Wrexham, Tamworth, Morecambe, Aberdeen and Huddersfield Town earlier in his career.