Brighton and Hove Albion are likely to look at other options to Swansea City striker Oli McBurnie, reports Wales Online.
This should be a boost for Sheffield United, who are now the leading contenders to sign McBurnie this summer.
Blades manager Chris Wilder has made the Scotland international one of his top targets following promotion to the Premier League.
The Sheffield Star says McBurnie is interested in their proposal as well. Especially as it would mean moving closer to his home city of Leeds.
There are reports United have made an opening £10m bid for the 23-year-old. Apparently the Swans deny this, though, as they seek closer to £20m.
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Why have Brighton moved away from McBurnie?
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Initially it seemed like the Seagulls had the advantage in the pursuit of the forward. That is because they have appointed McBurnie’s former Swansea boss, Graham Potter, as their new chief.
Under the guidance of Potter last season, the Scot scored an impressive 24 goals in all competitions. Following him to the top flight would seem like a natural move for McBurnie.
Yet Potter has doubts over whether the attacker has what it takes to succeed in the top tier of English football. With £20m also being demanded for McBurnie’s services, Brighton see no value in the deal.
Wilder and his team are rightfully trusted by the Blades’ hierarchy in the transfer market. In recent years they have taken chances on the likes of Leon Clarke and David McGoldrick, with great reward.
Yet they don’t always get it right. The likes of Ricky Holmes and Nathan Thomas have had little to no effect since being brought in, for example.
There are of course many factors in a transfer being successful. However, the fact that Potter – who worked extremely closely with McBurnie for an entire campaign – doubts the value of the deal should ring at least some alarm bells.
