Sheffield United have been urged to strike an ambitious transfer deal for Callum O’Hare following his departure from Championship rivals Coventry City as a free agent.
O’Hare brought the curtain down on a successful five-year stay with the Sky Blues by letting his contract run down and leaving as a free agent this summer. When fit, the attacking midfielder was an ever-present in Mark Robins’ side and helped them to League One promotion in 2019/20 while initially on loan from Aston Villa before signing on a permanent basis and flourishing in the Championship.
He’s now one of the most high-profile free agents on the market, with various clubs scrambling for his signature in the off-season. According to the Star, Chris Wilder’s United are eyeing a move and O’Hare is understood to be keen on moving to Bramall Lane although there’s reported competition from the likes of rivals Leicester City as well as Leeds United and Burnley, who could both be firm promotion foes in the upcoming season.
O’Hare’s signing would be a huge coup for the Blades in light of their current ownership, which has so far limited any acquisitions. Jamie Shackleton and Sam McCallum have joined Wilder’s team after leaving Leeds and Norwich City, respectively.
However, Football League World’s resident Blades fan pundit Owain Wyse is extremely excited about their interest in O’Hare and believes that he would significantly bolster the strong midfield options that Wilder already has at his disposal.
“What a brilliant signing O’Hare would be,” Owain explained to Football League World.
“I think if he was still under contract at Coventry he’d be worth upwards of £10m, he is that good. So getting him on a free would just be wonderful.
“Putting him in a midfield alongside the quality we already have in (Gustavo) Hamer, (Oliver) Arblaster and (Vinicius) Souza if we keep hold of him would be scary for the rest of the division and I really hope we can go and get this one over the line.”
After returning to the Championship, Luton Town and Burnley have been given more credit than the Blades in the early promotion race. However, if O’Hare joins the team without some obvious competition, that might all change.
It would undoubtedly be a declaration of purpose that United has not yet made, and the 26-year-old may also give their midfield a fresh look.
While Owain is right to commend their current midfield group for having players with a lot of agility, persistence, and poise when in control, they need an advanced midfielder who can create opportunities and gradually carry the ball at whim. Examples of such players include Souza and Arblaster.
Coventry supporters don’t really need a reminder of how effective O’Hare and Hamer were together under Mark Robins, but the Blades faithful may suddenly be getting excited about that intriguing possibility. If they’re serious about challenging for promotion next season, they’ll have to take advantage of his personal desire towards the transfer, even though the fierce competition for his signing would raise doubts about their resolve.
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