Sheffield United handed blow in battle for ex-Brighton midfielder by Turkish outfit | OneFootball

Trabzonspor are said to have made an offer for Sheffield United target Steven Alzate, according to Turkish media outlet Fotomac.

It has been made no secret that the South Yorkshire outfit are facing a major rebuilding job upon their return to the Championship, having endured a dismal solitary campaign back in the Premier League.

Two years after gaining automatic promotion under the management of Paul Heckingbottom, the Blades will no doubt be expected to challenge at the top end of the second tier table, despite a high amount of uncertainty and change surrounding the club in the current off-season.

Chris Wilder has masterminded a promotion to the top flight with his boyhood club previously, and will look to add another to his resume amid tough circumstances in the transfer window.

Trabzonspor "make offer" for Sheffield United midfield target

Those circumstances may have been made even tougher based off a report from Turkish news outlet Fotomac, who claim that Süper Lig outfit, Trabzonspor, have made an offer for one of the club's midfield targets.

This comes in the form of Colombian midfielder Steven Alzate, who has recently been released by Brighton and Hove Albion, who are also going through a transitional phase following Roberto De Zerbi's departure from the AMEX Stadium.

The report states that Trabzonspor have offered a contract for the man who is now on the free agent market, despite interest from the Blades and sides in the MLS, with journalist Julian Capera relaying the latter of those on X/Twitter.

His report translates to: "The MLS is preparing internal documentation for one of its clubs to present a formal offer for Steven Alzate, who is negotiating as a free agent."

Turkish side Trabzonspor have long-standing interest in Steven Alzate

In some ways, these recent revelations perhaps shouldn't come as much of a surprise. After all, the 'Karadeniz Fırtınası' have held an interest in acquiring Alzate's services for the past couple of months, as per an initial report from fellow Turkish outlet, Fanatik, on April 29.

It was claimed in this report that Trabzonspor head coach, Abdullah Avcı, was an admirer of Alzate's, despite enduring an indifferent loan spell at Belgian Pro League side, Standard Liege, with Belgian outlet Le Soir, claiming that the 25-year-old went from 'hero to zero' in the latter months of the campaign under Ivan Leko, having initially joined on loan under the management of Ronny Deila.

Sheffield United dealt a crushing blow in Steven Alzate pursuit

Furthermore, the Blades' interest in the London-born Colombian international is far less concrete, with reports only linking Alzate with a move to Bramall Lane on Saturday, as per Colombian publication, AS.

This report notes the uncertainty which Wilder looks set to face once the EFL's summer transfer window officially opens on Friday, and that Alzate's profile as a free agent more than fits the bill in terms of potential recruitment, with financial uncertainty surrounding the club amid ongoing takeover discussions.

“We won't be reckless in our approach, we'll have a price set on certain players. I think the majority of players we bring in will be frees and loans, maybe some small fees in there if we can move and juggle and pull in some money from sales as well. I’m working closely with the board and chief exec on that, and we have a plan," Wilder stated via the Sheffield Star.

However, Trabzonspor's pursuit of a long-standing target is a crushing blow to United's prospects of building a new-look midfield in the coming weeks, with reports stating that Vinicius Souza has been made available to depart after an underwhelming first year in the Steel City, whilst the experienced Ollie Norwood recently ended his six-year association with the Blades upon the expiration of his contract.

There's no doubt that Alzate would provide further strength into a midfield containing Gustavo Hamer, who previously flourished at this level with Coventry, but it remains to be seen whether United can better the reported offer made by Trabzonspor in this developing saga.