Sheffield United: Chris Wilder drops transfer reveal in blow to Leeds United, Preston North End | OneFootball

The Blades boss believes his side are close to landing their target

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder has confirmed that his club are closing in on a deal for Peterborough United defender Harrison Burrows – in a blow to the likes of Leeds United and Preston North End.

That the Blades are interested in the young full-back has been widely reported, but speaking to BBC Sport's Football Heaven, Wilder made clear that the move is nearing completion.

The 22-year-old would be a strong replacement for the departed Max Lowe, who joined rivals Sheffield Wednesday at the end of his deal at Bramall Lane.

Despite the ongoing takeover saga at United, Burrows would be the club's sixth signing of the summer.

It was reported on Tuesday by journalist Alan Nixon, via his Patreon, that the Blades were close to sealing a deal with up to £3 million for Burrows. Following the Yorkshire club's pre-season game against Harrogate Town, Wilder confirmed the chase was nearing an end.

Speaking to BBC Sport's Football Heaven, the manager said: "Yeah, he’s a player we’re interested in.

“We’re pretty close so we have to wait and see, see what happens over the next 24–48 hours.

“It’s no secret that we’re after a few players and the profile [of Burrows] is the one that we’re looking at as well."

The Blades boss appeared confident in landing the Peterborough starlet but recognised it has to come at the right price for his club.

Nixon's report suggests that United have defeated interest from Preston North End, whilst TBR Football claimed that Leeds United showed late interest.

Blades will have landed a top talent

It's no surprise that clubs are fighting over the signature of the young Posh talent.

Despite only being 22 years old - and not turning 23 until January - Burrows has already turned out for Peterborough 185 times, scoring 20 goals and clocking 40 assists predominately from full-back.

Added to that, he is clearly a strong voice in the dressing room of Darren Ferguson's squad, having been elevated to vice-captain at the beginning of last season, which saw him take the armband in the latter half of the season.

The future looks bright for Burrows, and getting him into Bramall Lane would be a good move by the Blades. He could quite possibly lock down his position in the squad for the next decade, or perform well and be sold on for a handsome profit.

Wilder conscious of timeline

In the same interview, the United manager made clear that he knows time is not on his club's side to get all their transfer business done.

"You know, clock’s ticking and every day that goes by is a day closer to Preston away,"he told BBC Sport. "So we haven’t got a lot of time to work.

"But we’ll keep working towards that and keep ticking them off and keep adding them to the group.”

The smooth running of transfer business for the Yorkshire club will not be helped by the ongoing takeover saga, which has been a distraction at points but has not prevented the Blades landing some top targets such as Kieffer Moore and Callum O'Hare.

Leeds' purchase of Jayden Bogle has freed up the funds for the Burrows deal, according to Nixon, but having a settled picture above Wilder would surely make dealings easier.

Burrows looks like another top signing for the Blades this summer, and Wilder is understandably keen to get it signed off as soon as possible.