Sheffield United 'eyeing' Preston North End's on-loan Aston Villa winger Lewis Dobbin
Sheffield United linked with Preston North End's on-loan Aston Villa winger Lewis Dobbin
Aston Villa winger Lewis Dobbin is reportedly among the players being eyed by Sheffield United ahead of the summer transfer window.
The 23-year-old joined Villa in the summer of 2024, sealing a switch from Everton for a fee reported to be in the region of £9m.
He is currently in his third loan spell away from the Midlands, starring for Preston North End after stints at West Bromwich Albion and Norwich City.
Dobbin was on the scoresheet at Bramall Lane at the weekend, helping Preston leave South Yorkshire as 3-2 victors.
Sheffield United look at Aston Villa winger
According to The Star, the former England youth international features on Sheffield United’s longlist of targets.
Chris Wilder’s squad is in need of a revamp at the end of the season and lessons from the previous summer must be learnt.
It has been claimed Sheffield United will look at players on the fringes of Premier League squads who have experience in the second tier.
Dobbin ticks that box having racked up 65 appearances across three loan spells in the Championship. The current campaign has been his most productive to date, yielding nine goals and eight assists across 38 outings in the league.
Competition for Lewis Dobbin
If Sheffield United do make an approach, it has been suggested they could face competition from the Bundesliga. Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom, meanwhile, has indicated he would like to be reunited with the wideman.
Dobbin can also operate up front and would arguably be an exciting addition to the Blades ranks. However, with the South Yorkshire strugglers set for a summer of belt-tightening, players will most likely need to be sold to pave the way for new blood.
Midfielders Gustavo Hamer and Sydie Peck are among those who could reportedly move on as Sheffield United prepare for life without parachute payments.
It remains to be seen whether a loan agreement or a permanent deal for Dobbin will be sought, although the former would arguably better-suit the Blades in a summer of tough financial decisions.