Sheffield United’s long-term Cameron Archer transfer interest revealed, Leeds United ‘keen’

Sheffield United’s interest in Cameron Archer dates back at least to the last transfer window, The Star understands, before budget restrictions scuppered any hopes of the Aston Villa striker arriving at Bramall Lane to bolster the Blades’ promotion push last season.

With the Blades’ finances tightly stretched back then, and the club on its way to being hit with a transfer embargo, Archer - who was understood to be keen on the proposed loan move to Bramall Lane - instead joined their promotion rivals Middlesbrough in early January and fired 11 goals in 20 games for Michael Carrick’s men as they looked to push United all the way in the race for automatic promotion.

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They eventually fell well short in that task, finishing 16 points adrift of Paul Heckingbottom’s Blades before losing in the play-off semi-finals to Coventry City, and Archer went on to score a couple of goals in England’s successful U21 Euros campaign earlier this summer.

That form in front of goal has led United to revisit their interest in Archer this summer, with reports in the Midlands suggesting that he does not feature in Unai Emery’s immediate plans at Villa Park and could be either loaned or sold, with the proviso of a buy-back clause in any prospective deal.

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Archer is also thought to be a target of United’s Yorkshire rivals Leeds United, as they plot a return to the top-flight at the first attempt under Daniel Farke, but the chance of a real crack at the Premier League with United would hold obvious appeal to Archer if United followed up their interest with a concrete bid.

Heckingbottom is now armed with a bigger transfer budget than the one he was handed by the Blades hierarchy at the start of the summer, after the sales of Iliman Ndiaye and Sander Berge in recent weeks, although some of those funds have since been committed elsewhere, including on the signing of Coventry star Gus Hamer last week.

United began their Premier League season against Crystal Palace on Saturday with top-flight debutants Will Osula and Benie Traore up front, while teenager Antwoine Hackford came off the bench for only his second senior United appearance.

Oli McBurnie, Daniel Jebbison and Rhian Brewster are all injured, but United hope McBurnie may return to contention ahead of Friday night’s trip to Nottingham Forest.