"Some follow-up prize" - Sheffield United urged to pursue Carl Rushworth amid Plymouth Argyle stalemate | OneFootball

FLW's Sheffield United fan pundit has weighed up the club's pursuits of Michael Cooper and Carl Rushworth

Sheffield United will be aiming to gain promotion back to the Premier League after suffering relegation to the Championship last season.

The Blades have stuck with Chris Wilder in charge of the first team squad, who has previously guided the club to the top flight in 2019.

The Yorkshire outfit have been active in the transfer market to build a team capable of fighting at the top of the second division.

But their transfer activity might not be over just yet, with Alan Nixon reporting that Sheffield United have turned their attention to Brighton’s Carl Rushworth as a potential loan signing.

This comes amid previous reports suggesting Plymouth Argyle’s Michael Cooper was a target, but the chances of signing the 24-year-old are believed to be fading.

Sheffield United’s goalkeeper pursuit verdict

FLW’s Sheffield United fan pundit Jimmy, from Blades Ramble, believes that Cooper would be the ideal first-choice target to solve their goalkeeping issues.

However, he has claimed that a deal for Rushworth would be a strong alternative option if the signing of Cooper cannot be agreed.

“I’ve long been a huge fan of Michael Cooper, and I certainly think we need a permanent goalkeeper,” Jimmy told Football League World.

“We’ve resolved our left-back issue, bringing Harrison Burrows in, a young top prospect at left-back.

“I would now like us to do the same at goalkeeper.

“You can see those two positions then being set for the next five years, and if they’re not then you sell them for big money, and you can reinvest.

“Having said that, if Plymouth are looking for too high a price, or waiting for other options to come in, we need that position resolved.

“And what an alternative Carl Rushworth would be, under-21 goalkeeper, had a really good season at Swansea, he’s had the same progression track as Dean Henderson.

“He only had a League Two loan, a League One loan and then a Championship loan.

“And now, hopefully, if he’s the man we turn to, if they’re challenging at the top of the Championship and maybe we’ll look at a deal from there.

“If we can’t get Michael Cooper, that’s my first choice, then Rushworth on loan would be some follow-up prize.”

Michael Cooper and Carl Rushworth’s Championship experience

Cooper spent last season competing in the Championship with Plymouth after their promotion from League One.

This was his first campaign at this level, making 19 appearances in the second division, conceding 24 and keeping six clean sheets (all stats from Fbref).

Meanwhile, Rushworth signed for Swansea on loan and featured in all 46 of their league fixtures, conceding 65 and keeping 10 clean sheets.

It remains to be seen whether Sheffield United can win the race to either signature, with competition for their arrival set to be fierce ahead of the 30 August deadline.

Permanent signing of Cooper would be a real coup for Sheffield United

While both are very promising young goalkeepers, the permanent option should be Sheffield United’s preference compared to the temporary addition of Rushworth.

If a deal can’t be found for Cooper then by all means pursue a deal for the Brighton youngster.

But Sheffield United should be pushing to ensure they can capture Cooper, especially as he is entering the final year of his current contract and looks unlikely to sign a new one.

Failing to have this issue resolved before the start of the season is unfortunate, but it could prove worthwhile if they end up getting their ideal target.