Sheffield United closing in on transfer swoop for Leicester City man | OneFootball

The Blades are looking to add depth to their backline, and Harry Souttar will provide just that

Leicester City central defender Harry Souttar is set to undergo a medical with Sheffield United ahead of a loan move to Bramall Lane.

The Australian international has his health check scheduled with the Blades on Tuesday ahead of their season opener at Preston North End on Friday night, according to Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke.

Souttar, who has been out of favour at the King Power Stadium since their relegation to the second division, isn't part of new boss Steve Cooper's plans for the upcoming Premier League campaign, and he is set to head up to South Yorkshire for a temporary spell away from Leicester.

Both the Blades and his former side Stoke City were reported to be interested in taking Souttar, 25, on loan, according to The Telegraph's John Percy.

It was later reported by The Star that United were confident that they'd be able to secure the signature of the centre-half, even with their pursuit of Chelsea's Alfie Gilchrist, who is also set to be part of Chris Wilder's squad for the upcoming campaign, after choosing Bramall Lane as his preferred destination.

Gilchrist looks to be coming in at right-back as a replacement for Jayden Bogle, leaving the door open for Souttar to arrive and bolster Wilder's options in the middle of his back-line.

Sheffield United moving closer to signing Harry Souttar

The 25-year-old is set to do a medical with the Bramall Lane outfit as a loan move to the Blades gets closer and closer to happening, as per O'Rourke.

Souttar, who Leicester bought for £15 million in January 2023 from Stoke, has needed a move away for a while now. He often represents his country during international breaks, but that was about the only first-team football he was getting.

Socceroos' manager Graham Arnold earlier this year implored the defender to find a way out of the King Power Stadium in order to get minutes.

"This can’t go on forever, but what we are doing probably at the moment is helping his career by giving him match minutes during these FIFA (international) windows and showing what he can do, but as a side to him today, this next transfer window is going to be really crucial for him," Arnold said.

Sheffield United are building an encouraging team for Championship return

United's defensive additions so far this summer have focused mainly on the left-back area, although they will need to address the other flank too, following Jayden Bogle's move to Leeds United.

Harrison Burrows and Sam McCallum have been brought in as the pairing for that left wing-back role, but Gilchrist looks to be on the verge of helping Wilder's options out on the opposite side.

In Souttar though, United will add Championship experience to centre of their backline, which was an area that really needed addressing after last season, where they broke the record for most goals conceded in a Premier League campaign (104).

These aren't the only changes that the Blades may make in this area of the pitch though. Anel Ahmedhodzic may be on the chopping block, alongside other assets that could bring some money into the club, like Vinicius Souza, according to Alan Nixon.

There is a big shift being made from the previous campaign's squad to this one. Callum O'Hare and Kieffer Moore will add some quality in attack for Wilder, and they are already pretty strong in the middle of the park.

A lot of work is still to be done if they want to feel like real contenders for an immediate return to the Premier League, but they are certainly building towards that.