Sheffield United and Middlesbrough could face Stoke City envy after fresh interest in Norwegian forward | OneFootball

Sheffield United and Middlesbrough may regret potentially missing out on talented Norwegian striker Daniel Karlsbakk to Stoke City

Sheffield United and Middlesbrough both endured disappointing ends to last campaign for slightly different reasons, and with the summer transfer window entering full swing, either side may have to watch in envy as a division rival makes a transfer swoop.

Sheffield United's season last time around was a far from ideal one, with the Blades getting off to a dismal start under the watch of Ruben Selles, before Chris Wilder stepped back in to stave the club away from any sort of relegation battle.

Middlesbrough, meanwhile, slipped on the final straight to fall out of the automatic promotion race, and subsequently lost out in the play-off final to Hull City, resigning them to another year in the second tier.

The Blades are yet to make any incomings following the opening of the window, whilst Boro have been the more active of the two, having completed a deal for former Oxford United winger Myles Peart-Harris, and linked with moves for Lewis Dobbin and Kyle Joseph.

Both sides will be aiming to revamp their attacking options this summer, and after fresh transfer news, will be looking at the activities of division rivals Stoke City with one eye.

Sheffield United and Middlesbrough had previously held interest in Stoke City target Daniel Karlsbakk

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With Kieffer Moore departing last summer for Wrexham and Rhian Brewster for Derby County, Wilder made his displeasure with the Blades attack known following his return to the helm by bringing in Patrick Bamford on a free transfer outside the window.

With Danny Ings having already left this summer, and neither Tyrese Campbell nor Tom Cannon having nailed down a place in Wilder's attack, the 58-year-old will surely be targeting new additions in that area this summer, whilst Middlesbrough boss Kim Hellberg has already made his intentions clear in improving Boro's attack with moves for Dobbin and Joseph.

Now, as per Pete O’Rourke via X, Stoke are preparing to make a move for Norwegian striker Daniel Karlsbakk this summer, with the towering forward having already previously attracted interest from England's second tier.

It was reported back in February that both Sheffield United and Middlesbrough were interested in the Scandinavian’s signature, but a deal never materialised, and now, Stoke are looking to swoop in under their rivals' noses.

Karlsbakk, 23, came through the ranks at Norwegian side Bryne, the same club that produced a certain Erling Haaland, before going on to have spells with Viking, Heerenveen in the Netherlands, and most recently back in Norway with Sarpsborg.

Standing at six feet five inches, Karlsbakk is a physical specimen and has proven to be a nightmare for defenders to deal with across his career so far, which led to prior interest from the Championship duo.

Although he struggled with Heerenveen, scoring just twice in 39 games for the club, he finished as the Eliteserien’s top scorer in 2025, proving his worth in front of goal.

Now, it appears as though the Potters are looking to add Karlsbakk to their attacking ranks, already containing the likes of Milan Smit, Robert Bozenik, Sam Gallagher, Nathan Lowe, and Emre Tezgel.

The Norwegian still has numerous areas of his game to iron out, though whether he will be able to do that with Stoke, who haven't had the best of records with centre-forwards over the years, remains to be seen.

Both Sheffield United and Middlesbrough will be keeping an eye on the situation, and may well be tempted to renew interest and push the Potters for his services, hoping to not see Stoke become the envy of beating them to a previous transfer target.

Whether Karlsbakk does indeed make the move to England, and if so, who with, remains to be seen, but Sheffield United and Boro will be keeping keen attention on this deal in case an opportunity arises for either of them to swoop in at the 11th hour.

Kim Hellberg and Chris Wilder will be targeting reinforcements in attack at Middlesbrough and Sheffield United this summer amid Daniel Karlsbakk rumours

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With Middlesbrough having missed out on promotion and Sheffield United slipping into the bottom half, both have strong reasons for wanting to improve their attacks this summer.

Hellberg, having already outlined Dobbin and Joseph as targets to bring to Teesside, will be well aware of Karlsbakk due to his previous interest in the forward, and will be keeping a close eye on Stoke's progression in a deal.

Wilder, meanwhile, will be looking for his Moore successor, and Karlsbakk, physically, fits the bill, though whether he is in their price range remains to be seen.

Certainly, this deal has the potential to either fall flat on its face or prove to be a masterstroke for Stoke, as Middlesbrough and Sheffield United must be watching on in anticipation.