Sheffield United transfer notebook: Djibril Soumare delay, Wrexham's Kieffer Moore plan, Ruben Selles hope
Sheffield United transfer notebook including Djibril Soumare delay, Wrexham's Kieffer Moore plan and Ruben Selles hope
Ruben Selles is hopeful of unveiling the latest transfer addition of his Sheffield United tenure “soon” as the start of the Championship season ticks ever closer. The Blades are understood to be closing in on a deal for Djibril Soumare, the Senegalese midfielder currently of Portguese club Braga.
The delay in sealing his signature, as a de facto replacement for Vini Souza following his sale to Wolfsburg, is understood to have been over securing a visa for him to work in England, with Selles alluding to that particular frustration in his post-match interview following the Blades’ friendly win over Chesterfield at the weekend.
United are understood to be seeking a loan deal for Soumare, which would become a permanent deal if they won promotion to the Premier League during his time in South Yorkshire. United have also been linked with a move for Everton’s Tim Iroegbunam, formerly of Aston Villa.
“As a manager you always try to get the players that you want as early as possible, because that means you have the entire pre-season to work with them,” said Selles on his summer recruitment. “So the sooner is always the better but the market is always fluid and sometimes you cannot control those things.
“The boys who have come in have done a good job and we have a really good team. Yes I wanted players earlier but I understand that it is what it is. It takes longer in some cases. But in that case we are managing right now, it should be soon.”
Sheffield United transfer notebook amid Djibril Soumare snag, Wrexham’s Kieffer Moore plan
Selles also refused to be drawn too much on interest from Wrexham in striker Kieffer Moore, which was first revealed in The Star last week. The Welsh side are preparing for the Championship after a remarkable period of recent success, with a report from journalist Alan Nixon this week suggesting that they are willing to pay as much as £4m for Moore and pay him around £30,000 a week.
If a bid around that mark does officially arrive then it would no doubt be appealing for United, with the player turning 33 before the start of the new season and with two years left on his Blades deal. But for the minute United are preparing for the new campaign with Moore part of their attacking arsenal alongside Tyrese Campbell, Tom Cannon and rising star Ryan One.
Speaking to Football League World, former United midfielder Lee Hendrie said: “Wrexham are a team on the up, and looking to bolster their squad. I don’t think [Moore’s wages] will be an issue for them, I really don’t.
“Obviously the fear factor of all this is FFP and all the rest of it, but they’ll have clever business people behind the scenes who are looking at this, and I don’t think the wages will be a problem at all.
“They’ve been linked with the likes of Jamie Vardy, and potentially paying him big money, and they’re a wealthy club that can certainly do that. It does catch up with you, but if they want Moore, they’ll be pushing to make this happen, and it would be a great signing.”