Sheffield United: What Olympiacos' bid for Max Lowe is worth

Although the exact amount the reigning Greek champions are prepared to pay in order to acquire the defender remains officially undisclosed, sources with knowledge of the offer last night indicated it is below the £2m plus potential add-ons Nottingham Forest tabled during the January transfer window.

Olympiacos and Forest, where Lowe spent last season on loan, are both owned by Evangelos Marinakis. But senior figures in Piraeus, where the Erythrolefki are based, insist their approach does not form part of a plan to eventually deliver the full-back to the City Ground.

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Lowe joined United as part of the £4.2m deal which also saw his Derby County team mate Jayden Bogle move to South Yorkshire in September 2020. Despite being priced at £2.1m apiece, County are thought to have initially valued Bogle as the more valuable of the two during those negotiations before eventually agreeing to split the cost straight down the middle.

Despite being expected to miss the start of the new campaign, as he recovers from an injury sustained midway through last term, Bogle has since become an influential member of United’s squad. Lowe, however, struggled for opportunities before excelling with Forest.

Before helping them win promotion via the play-offs, beating Paul Heckingbottom’s side on penalties at the semi-final stage, Lowe was the subject of a formal offer by Steve Cooper’s side. Both of those were rejected by United, who informed Forest it would take at least £5m to tempt them to the negotiating table.

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