Sheffield United transfer news: Paul Heckingbottom on Tommy Doyle, loan signings and free transfers

Two seasons ago Morgan Gibbs-White excelled for the Blades on loan from Wolves and promptly joined Nottingham Forest for £44m the following summer.

Then last season, Tommy Doyle and James McAtee helped Sheffield United win promotion while on loan from Manchester City.

Doyle is someone Heckingbottom could bring back to the club, with the manager saying on Thursday: “He’s someone I’ve always been in contract throughout – with Tommy and his agent – so yes.”

With clubs allowed two domestic loan players, Heckingbottom has hinted that is an avenue United will explore and will even go right to the wire to get them over the line. Transfer deadline day is Friday, September 1.

And he hopes their reputation for continuing the development of players will help them hit on another couple of gems.

"If agents have done their homework, they know we’re a good club for their players,” said Heckingbottom ahead of United’s Premier League trip to Nottingham Forest on Friday night.

“If clubs have done their homework, they know we’re a good club for their players if it comes to loans.

“Generally we don’t have to speak about it too much. They would know how we work and what the environment is like – and why the loans have worked well.

“It’s not like we’re magicians, it’s hard work, and the players have to buy into it as well.

“We tend to find when agents ring us, it’s because they want their player to come here and when we contact clubs they know we will be a good fit for them football-wise.

“The work has never stopped in terms of trying to get players in.

“We know what we need and we have to go all out to try and get it.”

United added former Everton midfielder Tom Davies on a free transfer this week, but asked if that was a route they would go down again, Heckingbottom replied: “Where we are looking at the minute, there are not too many frees unless something happens between now and the end of the window with people wanting to get themselves in a position where they are a free transfer when the window closes.

"I am not ruling it out but as it stands right now I probably can't see there being another free transfer.”