Brentford have already dropped Frank Onyeka hint amid Sheffield United transfer interest after Dan Neil blow
Sheffield United want to strengthen their midfield options before Monday night’s 7pm transfer deadline.
After missing out on Dan Neil to Ipswich Town on Tuesday, Sheffield United are going to have to continue searching elsewhere in their pursuit of a midfielder.
After being linked with a cluster of clubs in England and Scottish outfit Rangers over the last few weeks, Ipswich won the race for the Sunderland midfielder, signing him on loan for the remainder of the season.
Despite being an important part of the Sunderland side that won promotion to the Premier League last season, Neil, 24, made just three substitute appearances for his boyhood club in the Premier League this season, meaning a January exit felt inevitable.
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Unfortunately for United, confirmation of Neil’s switch to Portman Road means they are now having to look elsewhere for a midfield signing ahead of next Monday night’s transfer deadline. Manager Chris Wilder has made no secret of his desire to sign a midfielder before the window closes.
Speaking recently, Wilder said: “As you can see we’re light in the middle of the park, after losing Jaïro [Riedewald] and obviously Djiji [Soumare] as well. That’s two out there.
“We're stretched, but we just have to get on with it and see where we are. We’re working as hard as we possibly can.”
With their chances of signing Neil now over, it remains to be seen who United will try and turn to in their efforts to ease their midfield shortage. Brentford ace Frank Onyeka is understood to be one of the names on their list of targets.
The Nigerian, who joined Brentford in 2021, has struggled for opportunities for the Premier League club this season, earning just six substitute appearances in the Premier League. His only starts have come in the Carabao Cup.
United are likely to target Onyeka on loan
Recently representing Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations [AFCON], Onyeka, who is also attracting interest from Birmingham City and Coventry City, is understood to be on the Blades’ radar, but it is thought they would prefer to target a loan move for the 28-year-old. The BBC has reported Brentford could let him go on a permanent deal for a fee of around £8million.
Whether Brentford would prefer a sale or a loan exit for Onyeka remains to be seen, but regardless of their preference, Bees boss Keith Andrews, who, of course, worked at Bramall Lane prior to moving to the Gtech Community Stadium, has not dismissed the prospect of Onyeka moving on before next Monday’s 7pm deadline.
Speaking about the midfielder’s situation earlier this month, Andrews said: “Naturally, he’s had fewer minutes, and he’s been away at AFCON, and he’s still away at AFCON.
“We’ll see what happens with that one because I know Frank is keen to play football more regularly than he has, and I completely understand that.”
On the prospect of departures before the window closes, Andrews added: “I think there’s a balance between being fair to people—to players who haven’t played as much as they would like.
“If I don’t see them playing a decent part in the next chunk of the season, we would look at (a move).”
With Andrews refusing to rule out the prospect of Onyeka being allowed to move on, he could be an option for the Blades to try and fix their midfield troubles after missing out on Neil, who would have been an excellent signing after doing an outstanding job in Sunderland’s midfield last season.
Bringing in a midfielder before the bell could also allow United to offload Alex Matos. The former Chelsea man has played just eight times for the Blades since arriving last summer, last starting on October 4.