Sheffield United have joined Watford and Leicester City in the race to sign Omar Elabdellaoui, according to Greek outlet FOS.
The Olympiacos right-back is out of contract at the end of June and there is plenty of interest in signing Elabdellaoui as a free agent.
From the Premier League, Leicester were the first side to make their intentions clear. Apparently the Foxes are willing to offer Elabdellaoui a £25,000-a-week deal.
The 28-year-old’s current club would not be able to match that, but both United and the Hornets shouldn’t have too much trouble.
Clearly, how the 2019/20 is concluded will play a big part in any decision from Elabdellaoui. As things stand, professional football in England – and across the majority of the world – is suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
There is no indication of when the campaign may begin again, if at all. However, if it does Leicester are in the most tempting position of the English trio. They are third in the table and likely to qualify for the Champions League.
MORE UNITED STORIES
The Blades are also in a good place. They are seventh and have a genuinely realistic chance of qualifying for Europe themselves. Watford, meanwhile, are only outside the relegation zone on goal difference.
How a current Blade could help in Omar Elabdellaoui transfer
Yet if it becomes a transfer battle, United could well have secret weapon when it comes to tempting Elabdellaoui to Bramall Lane.
That weapon is Sander Berge – their club record signing, who arrived at the club in January. Berge is an international teammate of Elabdellaoui with Norway.
Both are established figures for their national team, playing their last eight successive Euro 2021 qualifiers alongside each other.
Berge has spoken openly about why he was so keen to join Chris Wilder’s side. Perhaps he could convince Elabdellaoui to link up with him in South Yorkshire.
Unlike Berge, the full-back already has experience of English football. Elabdellaoui spent time in the Manchester City academy and also had a spell on loan at Hull City in 2017.
Panos Retsos, who joined the Blades on loan from Bayer Leverkusen in January, was also a teammate of the Norwegian’s at Olympiacos for two years.
United presumably view Elabdellaoui as competition for George Baldock, who has been outstanding at wing-back so far this term.