As is common practice, when Sheffield United signed Ben Osborn from Nottingham Forest it was announced as an undisclosed fee.
It isn’t unusual for clubs to hold back financial information concerning transfers, but generally other media outlets discover it.
However, when it comes to Osborn there seems to be some confusion over exactly how much he cost.
Nottinghamshire Live – one of the leading Forest experts – report that the fee is somewhere between £3m and £3.5m. This came after an initial £3m bid was rejected.
Yet the Blades came back with a restructured offer, which included more money upfront and improved terms concerning the sell-on clause. The Reds did not want to sell, but with Osborn having entered the final year of his current contract, they reluctantly agreed.
This is in line with a report from the Sun, who claim that £3.5m was paid for the 24-year-old.
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Was Osborn actually more than this?
Not all reports agree, though. One of the biggest outlets covering the Blades, the Sheffield Star, says that the South Yorkshire club actually paid £5m for Osborn.
They believe this is a deal that represents value for all involved. Forest make a significant profit on an academy product in the final year of his contract. United sign a promising and relatively young Championship talent whose worth could greatly increase with exposure to Premier League football.
The Yorkshire Post concurs, also reporting that Osborn cost the Blades £5m.
Deciphering the exact fee appears to be a tricky task, with it likely to be ranging between £3.5m and £5m. The transfer also includes a healthy sell-on clause that the Reds would benefit from should Osborn move on in the future.
The versatile player joined alongside Dean Henderson as United’s sixth and seventh summer signings following promotion. Oli McBurnie is expected to be the eighth and become their record transfer in the process.