Wilson targeting return for former Blade Beattie

Beattie, the most expensive player in Blades’ history, is a free agent after being released by Scottish champions Rangers.

Wilson has also revealed that striker Ched Evans, who is currently on bail after being charged with rape, could figure for the first time this season against Scunthorpe United tomorrow.

Both developments coincide with a chronic shortage of attacking options at Bramall Lane after the sale of strikers Jordan Slew and Daniel Bogdanovic.

Rangers duo Kyle Hutton and John Fleck were lined up to fill the gap on loan but both deals collapsed when the paperwork failed to reach the Football League before deadline.

Commenting on Beattie’s availability, Wilson said: “He’s been given a free by Rangers and we have asked him if he would like to come back. He says he is nowhere near fit at this moment in time and won’t go to anybody until he gets into a position where he can do himself justice.

“I expressed an interest in him keeping us updated as to his fitness and left it at that.

“We have not spoken about money. It was a very informal conversation.

“I would also imagine that a number of clubs will be interested in keeping up with his progress.”

Nottingham Forest manager Steve McClaren is among those chasing Beattie’s signature and there is also talk of interest in the Premier League from Newcastle United and Swansea City.

Against that type of competition, it is difficult to imagine Beattie joining a League One club – but the striker, now 33, may feel he has unfinished business with the Blades.

The Blades paid a club record £4m to sign Beattie from Everton in the summer of 2007 and his goals nearly brought about an immediate return to the Premier League. He scored a total of 34 in 62 appearances and there was widespread anger among supporters when he was sold to Stoke City for £3m amid growing financial pressures.

Beattie was paid around £35,000 a week during his 17-month stay with the Blades so would have to be prepared to take a massive pay-cut.

Evans’s return to the spotlight, meanwhile, will also raise eyebrows.

The Welsh international was due to be sold after recovering from injury this summer but was charged with raping a woman at a Premier Inn near Rhly in May. Also accused of the rape is Clayton Rodney McDonald from Crewe.

Evans, 22, has still to submit a plea and is next due back in court on October 7.

Omitted for the first nine games of the season, Evans played over 70 minutes for the reserves in midweek against Burton Albion

Now back in full training with the first team, he is a genuine contender for the bench tomorrow although Wilson has still to finalise his squad.

“We will wait and see how he reacts in training,” said Wilson. “He came through a reserve game but we have to remember how long he has been unavailable.”

The former Manchester City striker has struggled for goals since joining the Blades in a £3m deal two years ago and will need to demonstrate that, psychologically, he is ready to return to the fray.

“There’s still a lot going on, a lot we can’t talk about that I won’t get involved in,” said Wilson. “But it’s fair to say he is getting his head around the situation and knuckling down to his football.

“I think he is managing to put off-the-field events out of his mind when he is training. He’s done very well in that respect. Separating the two must be very difficult, I am sure, but he is trying.”

Ironically, Wilson insists that strengthening the attack is not his biggest priority now that the loan window has re-opened.

Instead, he feels it more important to bring in defenders who can cover for the on-going absence through injury of Chris Morgan, Johnny Ertl and Andy Taylor.

“Defence is the priority and I had wanted someone in for Saturday but that won’t be the case,” he said. “We had one or two lined up defensively (last week) and hopefully those can progress.”

On missing out on Hutton and Fleck, he said: “We had two boys who we thought could really contribute to the squad but the world’s full of disappointments and it’s how quickly you move on.

“It hasn’t affected the squad and now we have to find other people. Those two would have been a bonus.”

With the possible exception of Evans, the Blades will have an unchanged squad for tomorrow’s trip to Scunthorpe.

Summer signing Kevin McDonald is back in training after nearly a month out with an ankle injury but is unlikely to be risked.

Midfielder Nick Montgomery remains sidelined by damaged ankle ligaments and defender Elian Parrino has a broken nose.

Midfielder Lee Williamson, who returned to action as a substitute last weekend, is pushing to start.