Sheffield United transfer target set for Championship rivals Southampton
Sheffield United’s recruitment has yet to get into full swing and a previous target looks set to join another Championship side
A player on Sheffield United’s summer transfer radar looks set to join one of the Blades’ Championship rivals.
The Star reported on Thursday that United appear to have been priced out of a transfer for Aston Villa’s Lewis Dobbin, the forward is now set to be on the move to another second tier club on a permanent basis.
Dobbin, 23, spent last season out on loan with Preston North End, but Villa favour a sale of the forward this summer, with the asking price of upwards of £5m being out of the Blades’ range.
Goals in both of Dobbin’s encounters with the Blades last season will have sparked the interest in bringing him into Bramall Lane this window; however, the loss of parachute payments has meant that United are keeping a tighter grip on finances this summer.
It was an impressive season at Deepdale for the forward, scoring 11 goals and setting up eight in 41 appearances.
It has been reported in The Athletic that Southampton now lead the race to land the 23-year-old permanently to build on their promotion push from 2025/26, with a deal set to be completed in the coming days.
Dobbin, who has also had Championship loans with West Brom and Norwich, signed for the Villans in June 2024 but has not registered a single minute in claret and blue.
After graduating from Everton’s academy, Dobbin made a total of 15 top-flight appearances for the Toffees and spent a season in League One with Derby County before making the move to Villa Park.
United drew up a long list of potential targets in the summer after identifying the left wing as a key position to improve. Ipswich Town winger Jack Clarke was another name known to feature on it.