Sheffield United looking to beat Blackburn Rovers and Swansea City to Brighton agreement | OneFootball

Carl Rushworth is currently being targeted by the Blades, with their hopes of signing Michael Cooper now fading.

Sheffield United are prepared to make an offer to sign Brighton and Hove Albion keeper Carl Rushworth.

According to Alan Nixon, the Blades have turned their attention to the Seagulls stopper as they struggle to get a deal over the line for Plymouth Argyle goalkeeper Michael Cooper.

The goalkeeping department is an area that United may need to address before the summer transfer window closes, even with Ivo Grbic and Adam Davies remaining as options at Bramall Lane.

Grbic hasn't enjoyed the best start to life at Bramall Lane - and he was criticised heavily for some of his performances last term.

Davies, meanwhile, hasn't featured that often for the Blades since his arrival in South Yorkshire and with this in mind, he may not be ready to play regularly.

Wes Foderingham and Jordan Amissah could have been available as options, but both were released by the Blades following the end of their deals this summer and this has left them with fewer stoppers.

Although United can't afford to have too many players on their books, especially with a takeover not being completed at this point, they need to ensure they have the right calibre of keepers available to them following a dreadful 2023/24 campaign.

They conceded 104 goals in 38 Premier League games - and need to have the right options at the back if they want to have any chance of securing a Premier League return.

Sheffield United aiming to win Carl Rushworth race

The Blades aren't thought to be alone in their quest to recruit Rushworth.

Blackburn Rovers and Swansea City are also in the race to sign the stopper, according to Nixon, with the Swans taking him on loan last summer.

They richly benefitted from having Rushworth at their disposal - and may be an attractive destination for the keeper to return to following a productive temporary spell at the Swansea.com Stadium last season.

Blackburn, meanwhile, could benefit from strengthening their goalkeeping department, with Aynsley Pears needing better competition for a starting spot following the departure of Leo Wahlstedt.

However, the Blades are hoping to win the race for the Brighton man, with the Championship club looking increasingly unlikely to sign Plymouth's Cooper.

Cooper has reportedly become unsettled by the talk of a move away from Home Park and with United failing to strike a deal, it looks as though they will need to target Rushworth and/or other alternative targets instead.

A move to Sheffield United could be a good challenge for Carl Rushworth

Rushworth isn't guaranteed a starting spot at Bramall Lane.

Grbic could recover and enjoy a decent season and Davies has performed in the Blades' current division before.

With this in mind, Rushworth knows that he will lose his place if he doesn't perform well and this should only improve his performance levels further, depending on how he can deal with pressure.

Already knowing this level, the Brighton man could be a very good signing for United, who could push for a place in the promotion mix at the end of the upcoming campaign.