Sheffield United plotting move for Wolves star | OneFootball

Tommy Doyle is no stranger to Bramall Lane

Sheffield United are considering a move to bring Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Tommy Doyle back to the Steel City.

That is according to a fresh report from Danny Hall of the Sheffield Star, which states that the former Blades loanee of two seasons ago is on a list of targets as the club seek further midfield reinforcements.

The versatile Hamza Choudhury of Leicester City is also on said list, and has been linked with a potential switch to Bramall Lane in recent days, although developments regarding a move for the Foxes midfielder haven't quite gone as first envisaged at this moment in time.

United are currently in the midst of a four-team battle for automatic promotion to the Premier League at the first time of asking, alongside Leeds United, Burnley and Sunderland.

Despite suffering a two-point deduction at the start of the season, Chris Wilder has been able to galvanise a much-changed team into this position, although recent injury issues have taken their toll on a threadbare overall squad.

And, with that in mind, the aforementioned Doyle has been pinpointed as a potential addition in the middle of the park during what remains of the current transfer window.

Tommy Doyle emerges as new Sheffield United midfield target

The former Manchester City midfielder is no stranger to this part of South Yorkshire, having signed on loan with James McAtee under the management of Paul Heckingbottom in the summer of 2022.

Doyle then went on to play an integral part in the Blades' promotion season and run to the FA Cup semi-final, where they were ironically beaten by Pep Guardiola's side after Doyle's last-gasp curler in the quarter-final against Blackburn Rovers.

He made 38 appearances in all competitions, scoring four times and providing seven assists alongside the likes of Sander Berge and John Fleck.

The Manchester-born playmaker then agreed a loan switch to Molineux under Gary O'Neil in September 2023 and, was once again the heartbeat of the side who went on to finish 14th in the Premier League, making 26 appearances, before Wanderers activated the reported £4.3m option to strike a permanent deal, which came into effect at the start of this season.

However, this season has been a completely different story for the 23-year-old, who has made just three starts in the top flight this season, failing to have any strong impact on the relegation-threatened side, and he was lambasted for a lacklustre recent performance against Nottingham Forest at Molineux, described as "missing" by new boss, Vitor Pereira.

Tommy Doyle would be a strong Hamza Choudhury alternative

As previously mentioned, this fresh report by the Sheffield Star states that Doyle is being considered as an alternative option to Choudhury, with progress seemingly stalling between the relevant parties, despite reports earlier in the week stating that a deal for the 27-year-old could be completed by the end of the week.

If that fails to materialise, United should pull out all the stops to acquire their former loan star, although a significant fee may be required as Doyle is under contract in the Black Country until 2028, with Wolves holding the option to extend that deal a further two years should they wish.

Either of these deals would be a smart piece of business for a variety of reasons, but with Blades fans and a handful of the current squad already knowledgeable when it comes to his creative and destructive attributes, it would suit both Wilder and the player, who is in serious need of a confidence boost.

This would also alleviate the pressure on Tom Davies and Sydie Peck, who are having to work 'overtime' as a result of injuries sustained by Vini Souza and Ollie Arblaster, as the club are paper-thin in this area of the pitch.

Nonetheless, the recapture of Doyle would also send a signal of intent under the new ownership group, COH Sports, who will hope the Blades can cap off a memorable period and regain their top-flight status at the first time of asking.