Sheffield United: Striker still expected to depart on loan before transfer deadline
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As The Star first revealed earlier this summer, Burton Albion is Paul Heckingbottom’s preferred choice of destination for the teenage centre-forward having been impressed by the work Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink performed with Daniel Jebbison last term.
The former Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and Holland striker is understood to have first expressed an interest in signing Osula, who is highly rated by coaching staff at Bramall Lane, around the time United travelled to the Pirelli Stadium for a pre-season friendly in July.
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A number of other English Football League clubs are known to be monitoring the Denmark youth international, whose displays at both senior and development squad level have also attracted scouts from both Liverpool and Newcastle - although neither of these two sides are thought to be planning imminent bids.
Speaking after United regained top spot in the Championship table following a 4-0 victory over previous leaders Reading, Heckingbottom said: “There’s lots of interest in Osula. We have to make sure that we are okay with our options though. I need to make sure that we have got the right players left when it (the window) closes.”
Despite losing Billy Sharp to an ankle problem and acknowledging United are “carrying too many” injuries ahead of Sunday’s visit to Hull City, Heckingbottom is unlikely to abort his plan to place Osula with an EFL rival. Although the academy graduate was named among the substitutes for United’s recent game against Sunderland, he has not featured on the bench in their two outings since.
United have also investigated the possibility of arranging a loan for defender Kyron Gordon, as Heckingbottom looks to further the 20-year-old’s development.
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Hide Ad“I like Kyron and he’s done really well for us,” Heckingbottom said, assessing Gordon’s situation on the eve of the present campaign. “I also think, at this stage of his career and in order for us to really maximise his potential, that he’d really benefit from being involved on a regular basis. I’ve told him that and I’ve told him why. Far from being a criticism, it’s actually praise.”