Sheffield United are prepared to pay £12m to sign Swansea City striker Oli McBurnie, according to The Sun (page 63; 19/5).
However, they face competition from Brighton and Hove Albion for the highly rated 22-year-old.
The Blades are long-term admirers of McBurnie and want to add him to their squad as they prepare for a return to the Premier League.
Yet Brighton have now entered the race. Their chances are boosted by the news Graham Potter is set to become their new manager.
The BBC reports that Potter will leave Swansea for the Seagulls to replace Chris Hughton – who was sacked last week. They quickly moved to replace Hughton with the Swans boss.
Under Potter’s management, McBurnie thrived in 2018/19 scoring 24 goals in all competitions. The opportunity to continue that relationship at the Amex Stadium could prove too attractive to turn down.
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McBurnie alternatives
If United are unsuccessful in their attempts to sign the Scotland international then what next?
Well, according to various reports, there are a number of other targets on Chris Wilder’s wish list.
The Daily Mail claims that the club are considering permanent moves for Scott Hogan and Gary Madine. The duo arrived at Bramall Lane on loan in January from Aston Villa and Cardiff City respectively.
Meanwhile, the Sheffield Star reports that Neal Maupay has many admirers at Bramall Lane. Like McBurnie, the young forward had an impressive season in the Championship in 2018/19.
Maupay scored 25 league goals for Brentford; a total only beaten by Villa’s Tammy Abraham and Teemu Pukki of Norwich City.
Also like McBurnie, the Frenchman is only 22-years-old and therefore has plenty of potential to improve and have sell-on value.