Sheffield United have joined the race for free agent Will Smallbone along with Cardiff City, according to Sky Sports.
Sheffield United are interested in luring the midfielder to Bramall Lane if possible. SUFC are sat just outside the play-offs in the Championship table after six points from their opening four fixtures.
Smallbone, 26, has been available since his exit from Southampton in late June and he has been weighing up his options over the past couple of months. He spent last season on loan at Millwall and has been linked with a switch to Blackburn Rovers.
In this latest update regarding his situation, Sky Sports claim the Blades are keen on a swoop along with Cardiff City and Burnley. The player doesn’t appear to be short of options and he has a big decision to make on where he wants to play his football next.
Sheffield United had a pretty quiet summer on the recruitment front and still have some gaps to fill in their squad. Nevertheless, they have made a decent start to the new campaign and beat Bolton Wanderers 3-2 at home last time out after goals by Japhet Tanganga, Patrick Bamford and Romelle Donovan as they prepare to play Norwich City next.
Sheffield United could see Smallbone as someone to bolster their midfield department. If he joined SUFC, he would give them more competition and depth in the middle of the park.
The Republic of Ireland international, who has 14 caps to his name, would inject additional quality into the Blades’ squad. He could battle it out with the likes of Sydie Peck, Oli Arblaster and Joe Rothwell for a place in Chris Wilder’s starting XI.
Smallbone rose up through Southampton’s academy and was a regular for them at various different youth levels as a youngster. He then broke into their first-team in 2019.
The Basingstoke-born man was loaned out by the Saints for the first time to Stoke City in 2022 to get some more game time. He then linked up with Millwall for the last campaign but only played 10 matches for the Lions.
Will Smallbone stats for Southampton in all competitions to date
The Verdict: Will Smallbone would be decent signing for Sheffield United
Smallbone would be a solid acquisition for Sheffield United if they managed to snap him up. He knows the league well and would be a useful addition for SUFC.
He would give the Blades something different to pick from in his position and he has promotion experience. However, the likes of Cardiff City and Blackburn Rovers have also been mentioned as suitors so there is some competition for his signature.
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