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Sheffield United transfer interest in 44-cap international sparks debate after cryptic Leeds United future message

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Israeli international Manor Solomon is a transfer option for Sheffield United ahead of Monday’s deadline - but the interest has sparked debate amongst the Blades fanbase. The Tottenham Hotspur man spent last season on loan at Leeds United, helping them win 100 points and lift the Championship title.

He returned to London facing somewhat of an uncertain future this summer and could still be let out again before the window slams shut at 7pm on Monday evening, with Leicester City another potential destination in the second tier.

Boss Ruben Selles is keen to add some width to his side after United’s transfer business cranked into gear of late, with four players - Ben Godfrey, Nils Zatterstrom, Danny Ings and most recently Japhet Tanganga - arriving at Bramall Lane in the space of a week.

As we revealed yesterday Luton Town man Tahith Chong is a player of interest for United, who are also considering a move for Chelsea youngster Alex Matos after the 20-year-old caught the eye in a half-season loan spell at Oxford United last season.

Sheffield United transfer interest in 44-cap man sparks debate after cryptic Leeds United future message

But it is the interest in Solomon that has set tongues wagging amongst Unitedites, and not because of his on-field abilities. The 26-year-old has previously shared pro-Israeli, anti-Hamas messages on his social media accounts in the middle of the Gaza war with Palestinians. Leeds were forced to condemn a song sung routinely by their fanbase last season which suggested that Solomon “hates Palestine.”

After news was broken of United’s Solomon interest by journalist Callum Cheswick, debate quickly raged on social media. @LeftyPayne posted on X: “I want him nowhere near my club…. I don’t care whether you are ‘left’ or ‘right,’ this player openly supports a genocide.”

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Prominent X account The Bladesman added: “Don't care that he's Israeli, I care that he actively supports a genocide. If you are happy with your club paying someone like that, and think a few goals outweighs basic human decency then that's your business. I don't. And for the people saying keep politics out of football... 1. Not liking someone who supports a genocide isn't politics and 2. grow up.”

But others disagreed with the stance, instead focusing on what Solomon could add to United on the field. X user @chapman80220 wrote: “A fantastic player who will be very welcome at our club if he signs. He will also be entitled, like everybody in this country to his opinions and his views.”

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David Morton added: “Manor is very good at our level, in fact too good. He ended up at Leeds and could possibly end up at us, because teams in higher leagues wouldn't want to sign him for precisely what you're seeing in the thread. I personally don't want him, but I can understand why others would.”

Solomon scored 10 goals and added 12 assists for Leeds as they edged out Burnley on goal difference to lift the Championship title last term. Posting on social media at the end of the season, he cryptically wrote: “After nearly a year without football, I couldn't have asked for a better comeback season and a better ending.

“I really don't know what the future holds, but I do know that Leeds United will forever be in my heart. Thank you again, fans, for the unforgettable past few weeks and all your incredible support and love throughout the entire season.”

Sheffield United have a busy summer ahead of them preparing for another Championship promotion push.

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Sheffield United are thought to be interested in Tottenham Hotspur defender Ashley Phillips with reports suggesting a £6m transfer is being weighed up.

United are in desperate need of defensive reinforcements this summer, with only two senior centre-back options currently on the books. The Blades tied club captain Jack Robinson down to a new one-year contract earlier this year while fellow starter Anel Ahmedhodzic - whose deal also expires next summer - is expected to attract top-flight interest following an excellent individual season in the Championship.

Among the many potential targets reportedly being eyed is Phillips, who spent last season on loan at Championship strugglers Stoke City and made 35 league appearances. The Tottenham Hotspur man has also played second-tier football on loan at Plymouth Argyle but after impressing at both looks ready to progress to the higher ranks of the division.

And that could well lead the 20-year-old to Bramall Lane, with journalist Alan Nixon reporting via his Patreon page on interest from United. The well-connected EFL writer claims the Blades are willing to fork out a significant sum for Phillips, suggesting they could end up paying £6million to sign the Spurs youngster permanently.

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Phillips is first expected to get a chance to impress at Spurs this summer, with new manager Thomas Frank keen to assess his squad entirely before making any decisions on transfers, be they in or out. But should the Dane deem his young defender surplus to requirements, United could be ready to pounce with competition expected.

‘Huge potential’ Ashley Phillips on Sheffield United’s transfer radar

The 20-year-old defender already has 61 Championship games under his belt and steadily improved across that most recent spell at Stoke. The young defender benefitted from having experience around him in the back-line, including centre-back partner Michael Rose.

“He’s come on a lot this season, I think just from playing a lot of games,” Rose told Stoke Live in February. “I think he’s been brilliant, he’s got huge potential and I still think he’s got so much to learn as well, which is a good thing. He’s going to have a big career ahead of him if he keeps playing the way he is.”

United are a little over one month away from returning to action against Bristol City but have a lot to do this summer, having fallen behind their Championship rivals in terms of planning due to their play-off progression and subsequent change of manager. The Blades are yet to welcome a first-team player through the door with only Nigerian winger Ehije Ukaki picked up so far.

The Blades waved goodbye to seven senior loanees earlier this summer including regular starters like Ben Brereton Diaz, Hamza Choudhury and Jesurun Rak-Sakyi. There is also a major risk of losing other top performers, with recent reports suggesting Vinicius Souza is on his way to Wolfsburg in a £13m deal while there is also interest in Gustavo Hamer.

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Top-flight transfer deal could improve Sheffield United's position after encouraging Fabrizio Romano update

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Sheffield United’s hopes of strengthening a priority position with the loan signing of a Premier League starlet could receive a boost in the coming days - if his parent club get a deal over the line themselves. The Blades are looking for cover and competition at centre-half following the loan departure of Crystal Palace man Rob Holding.

That leaves, as things stand, Anel Ahmedhodzic and Jack Robinson as the only senior options in a key position, with both facing somewhat uncertain futures at Bramall Lane as they prepare to enter the final years of their current Blades deals.

As we revealed earlier this month, Tottenham Hotspur defender Ashley Phillips, who spent time last season on loan at United’s Championship rivals Stoke City, is a potential transfer option this summer. Reports subsequently suggested that new Spurs boss Thomas Frank may keep Phillips in north London while he assesses the squad he has inherited from the sacked Ange Postecoglou.

But Phillips’ potential path to Bramall Lane could be cleared if Spurs manage to pull off an expected deal for Kota Takai, the centre-half who plays for Japanese top-flight side Kawasaki Frontale. Takai is nearing a £5m switch to the Premier League side but may not arrive until later next month, when Frontale’s J-League season takes a break.

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His arrival, which has been described as close by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano this week, could push Phillips further down the pecking order at Spurs and if so, the obvious answer would appear to be another loan deal rather than be left kicking his heels in the stands.

Stoke would likely make another play for Phillips if he was allowed to leave but the prospect of a potential promotion bid would have clear benefits to both the player and his parent club, who will be keen to expose him to different challenges and environments to further his development - both on and off the pitch.

Speaking at the end of the season, Stoke boss Mark Robins said of Phillips: “I think Ash has got a brilliant future ahead of him. He’s been superb for us. He’s been playing through the last month with injury and got through.”

United are yet to make their first senior signing of the summer but boss Ruben Selles, who succeeded Chris Wilder at the helm last week, is relaxed about the situation ahead of next week’s return to pre-season training.

“The first statement is that I want everyone back, to just start to work with them,” said Selles when asked about his recruitment process this summer. “The squad that finished the season is very powerful, the players that we already have in the squad.

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“We need to try to identify the players who can potentially support us and get some extra levels in terms of quality. We don't [just] want to add numbers or we don't want to rush in our decision. We have to assess what we have and then look at exactly what we need.”

The Blades are also interested in Phillips’ Spurs teammate Alfie Devine and are said to have also looked at young Liverpool duo Owen Beck and Lewis Koumas ahead of potential loan deals, with Selles also keen to add some new faces to his squad on a permanent basis.

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Sheffield United consider double Premier League transfer swoop with Ruben Selles era on the horizon

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Sheffield United are understood to be considering a double transfer raid on a Premier League club as the start of the Ruben Selles era approaches. The Blades are preparing to announce the former Reading and Hull City man as their new boss, after reaching a decision on Chris Wilder’s future earlier this week.

With the start of pre-season rapidly approaching and United yet to replace any of the six loan players who returned to their parent clubs following the conclusion of last season, Selles will look to hit the ground running in the transfer market as he looks to put his stamp on the squad he will - barring any late hitches - inherit from Wilder.

And The Star has been told that two players under consideration are young Tottenham Hotspur pair Ashley Phillips and Alfie Devine. Centre-half Phillips, aged 19, spent last season on loan at United’s Championship rivals Stoke City and was linked with the Blades last summer while Devine, an England U20 international, was with K.V.C. Westerlo in Belgium last term.

A key player in the deal is said to be entrepreneur James Bord, a former professional poker player and founder of the Short Circuit company - whose data is understood to help feed United’s owners’ AI model. Sources with knowledge of the process have told The Star that Bord’s links with Spurs, who he supports, have played a part in the interest in Phillips and Devine.

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Devine, who became Spurs’ youngest ever player and goalscorer when he netted in the FA Cup against Marine at the age of 16 years and 163 days, is a former teammate of United midfielder Oliver Arblaster from their time together at Port Vale while Phillips played in both Stoke’s games against United last term, with the Blades winning 2-0 on both occasions.

Speaking at the end of the season, Stoke boss Mark Robins said of Phillips: “I think Ash has got a brilliant future ahead of him. He’s been superb for us. He’s been playing through the last month with injury and got through.”

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Ryan Mason, the former Spurs coach, could use his connections with the reigning Europa League champions to bring some players on loan to West Bromwich Albion after leaving north London to take over at United’s Championship rivals.

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Devine was rated highly by Ange Postecoglou but the Australian was fired despite leading Spurs to European glory, with Thomas Frank recruited from Brentford to replace him. Both youngsters remain down the pecking order at Spurs and after previous Championship experience, with Devine tasting the second tier with Plymouth Argyle in the second half of the 2023/24 season, the Londoners may feel that exposure to what will hopefully be a promotion push at Bramall Lane could further their development.

United are in need of defensive reinforcements, with Anel Ahmedhodzic and Jack Robinson currently the only two senior centre-halves on their books after Rob Holding’s return to Crystal Palace. Both Ahmedhozic and Robinson will both enter the final year of their respective contracts at the start of next month.

Sheffield United outperform European champs (& Sheffield Wednesday) in key metric to lay promotion foundation

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Sheffield United’s academy produced more playing minutes last season than both winners of Europe’s top club competitions, as the Blades laid the bedrock for another promotion push last season. United’s tally of 9,321 minutes last term was the 13th best in the whole of England.

Only Leeds United and Hull City featured higher in the table, compiled by PA Sport, than the Blades, who left a host of Premier League clubs trailing in their wake as well as Champions League winners PSG and Europa League champions Tottenham Hotspur.

Much of that tally would have been down to Sydie Peck, the youngster who featured in the majority of United’s games last season, and would have been higher but for Oliver Arblaster’s season-ending injury. Youngsters including Femi Seriki, Andre Brooks and Ryan One also had valuable experience of first-team football during the Blades’ promotion push, which fell at the last hurdle with a cruel injury-time defeat to Sunderland in the play-off final last month.

A number of academy graduates also played elsewhere in the English leagues over the course of the season, including Harry Maguire, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Aaron Ramsdale in the Premier League - with the Shirecliffe academy once again proving its worth.

But the results also once again highlight the importance of United’s academy getting a much-needed category-one upgrade, to give the Blades a better chance of holding on to their young starlets - or at least getting a fair price when they are prized away by clubs higher up the food chain.

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One of their recent success stories, Will Lankshear, was scooped up by Spurs and received a European winners’ medal after Ange Postecoglu’s men beat Manchester United in the Europa League final last month, with United effectively powerless to keep him once a category one club made their move.

Elsewhere Chelsea’s academy gained top spot in the Premier League, with 20 academy graduates playing just over 28,500 minutes across the season - both for the Blues and other clubs - while Liverpool gave the largest share of their own first-team minutes to homegrown players.

At the other end of the scale Brentford were 274th of the 275 academies represented, ahead only of Rochdale, while fellow Premier League side Wolves also produced just one player. Meanwhile United’s city rivals Wednesday were ranked 53rd, with 3,876 minutes.

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Sports science company Kitman Labs partnered with the Premier League in 2023 to launch the Football Intelligence Platform, a centralised hub for performance and medical data which forms a key part of the league's Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP).

Stephen Smith, their chief executive, told PA: "It's only the last couple of years that we're starting to see kids who have come through a full pathway and been supported by the EPPP. We have younger players coming through that are capable of playing at a higher level much earlier, much more consistently.

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"I think we're only at the beginning. As we continue to bring players through these pathways, we're going to continue to see homegrown players playing first-team minutes. I think it's a really exciting period for the Premier League and UK football."

For clubs up and down the pyramid - led by Chelsea - the importance of developing players to sell has also never been higher. “It's not just generating players for their first team,” Smith added. “It's also generating sales and revenue.

"When you think about the importance of profit and sustainability rules, having a club that's developing revenue through their academy network that is supporting the first team is a dream for any club.

"There are only a certain number of places in your first team. All of the players you develop, they're not all going to be able to stay with you. If that means you can develop somebody world-class, sell and bring in other world-class talent that supports your style of football, that's great."

THE FULL TABLE OF ENGLISH CLUBS BY ACADEMY GRADUATE MINUTES PLAYED, 2024/25

(All totals rounded to nearest full minute. Clubs shown with identical totals have different numbers of seconds and are ordered by that measure.)