Sheffield United are facing up to the prospect of only being allowed to sign one of their two star loanees, Tommy Doyle and James McAtee, next season.
The Blades are expected to pursue both the Man City players if they win promotion. But with City unlikely to sanction the permanent departures of the pair, the Blades face a tough call.
Premier League rules dictate only one loan player is allowed to move to another PL side. And that means Paul Heckingbottom must decide who of Doyle and McAtee he’d prefer.
Battler
According to Alan Nixon, Sheffield United are leaning more towards pursuing Doyle right now if they do win promotion.
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Nixon reports how the idea of United not having the ball so much in the top flight means Doyle’s skillset is more likely needed than McAtee’s. Doyle’s combative nature in the middle of the park, coupled with his excellent long passing skills, means he could be vital.
It’s claimed City are set to make a decision on a number of young players in the summer. Of course, should Doyle be allowed to leave permanently, the Blades will be right in the mix to sign him.
Sheffield United News View: Doyle over McAtee makes sense
The notion that the Blades pursue Doyle over McAtee is indeed a sensible one. We’ve seen some players not have the same impact at Premier League level due to not being afforded the ball as much.
Morgan Gibbs-White, for example, has not quite had the same impact at Nottingham Forest as he did with United in the Championship.
Both Doyle and McAtee have been outstanding for United this season. In an ideal world, we win promotion and then sign both.
But, as reported here, it makes sense for Doyle to be the one we land if it is a case of one or the other.
