Premier League newcomers Sheffield United have put forth a bid of £3million to secure the services of Nottingham Forest prodigy Ben Osborn, it has been claimed.
The Blades are apparently keen to make Osborn sign on the dotted line but the Tricky Trees want at least twice of the aforesaid sum, it has been claimed by The Sun.
Following their promotion from the Championship, Sheffield United have already signed Phil Jagielka and Luke Freeman to beef up their ranks.
However, they do need to bring in more reinforcements for the upcoming season as they will face the elite clubs in England and there will be a lot of competition to stay afloat in the division.
Osborn is in the last year of his contract at the City Ground and given the calibre he has shown, he will be a decent signing for Sheffield United.
Ben Osborn: Profile
Osborn spent his youth career at Derby County and Nottingham Forest and has also represented the Under-18, Under-19 and Under-20 sides of England.
He is now an established player on the books of Forest and no wonder he is being targeted by Chris Wilder’s camp this summer.
During the previous campaign, he mustered 39 appearances for his current employers in the Championship and managed to score 1 goal and bag 5 assists.
Besides, he made 1.8 tackles per game on an average and showed his versatility as he plied his trade as a midfielder, a left-back as well as a left-winger.
Having proved his mettle in the English second division, he might be keen to step up to play in the Premier League and the ticket for the same could be granted to him this summer.
What will he bring to the table?
Versatility is unarguably one of his strongest suits and if properly utilised by his potential new club, he could be a handy asset for Wilder’s side.
The Englishman is a technically sound player and his movement on and off the ball is decent. Besides, he passes the ball well and is an astute crosser.
The 24-year-old is strong defensively, is clever with his positioning and could add steel and flexibility if he manages to attain a degree of consistency.
He might not be a statement signing by Sheffield but this deal has all the potential to end up being a shrewd acquisition further down the line. Given the intensity and the level of competition they will face, Wilder needs to have all his bases covered and strength in depth will also come in handy in the latter stages.