How Sheffield United really feel about selling Tom Cannon as Preston circle | OneFootball

Sheffield United have no intention of selling Tom Cannon this summer amid recent interest from Preston North End

Sheffield United's squad has undergone a mass exodus this summer, and with other players being linked with a move away from Bramall Lane, head coach Chris Wilder is prepared to stand firm by one of their centre-forwards amid interest from fellow Championship outfits.

According to The Star, Sheffield United have no intention of selling Irish striker Tom Cannon this summer, with interest having emerged in recent days from division rivals Preston North End, as per Alan Nixon's Patreon.

Cannon, 23, hasn't quite hit the heights Blades fans would have hoped for since his £10 million addition 18 months ago from Leicester City, but despite this, the South Yorkshire outfit don't yet appear ready to give up on the striker just yet.

Sheffield United have no intention of allowing Tom Cannon to depart the club this summer amid interest from Preston North End

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Interest in Cannon from Preston emerged over the weekend following a report from Nixon, with Lilywhites boss Paul Heckingbottom keen to raid his old stomping ground for the addition of the Irish international.

Having come through the ranks at Everton, Cannon joined Leicester in the summer of 2023 after a successful loan spell at Deepdale during the second half of the 2022/23 campaign, in which he netted eight times and assisted once in 20 Championship games.

He struggled to feature for the Foxes in the second tier under Enzo Maresca and was allowed to join Stoke City on loan in the summer of 2024, and after shining for the Potters, with nine goals and one assist in 22 Championship games, made his £10 million switch to Sheffield United in January 2025.

Seven goals and three assists in 54 appearances for the Blades have followed, as the three-capped Irish international has struggled to hit the heights he has previously shown to be capable of. Despite this, Sheffield United have no intention of parting ways any time soon with their newly-appointed number nine.

Sheffield United and Chris Wilder view Tom Cannon as a long-term project

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Having signed a deal at Bramall Lane until the summer of 2029, with the Blades possessing the option to extend by a further year, there are few reasons to sell Cannon just yet, especially with his value having likely decreased since arriving in South Yorkshire.

With each of Patrick Bamford, Tyrese Campbell, and Ryan One as competition, Cannon faces stiff competition to break into Wilder's starting XI, but having started their opening clash in the League Cup in their 3-0 win away at Mansfield Town, there is every reason to believe he could have a huge role to play this campaign.

Sheffield United would surely want to see much of their £10 million investment in Cannon back to consider parting ways this summer, something which Preston are unlikely to do, despite their recent £3 million sale of Ben Whiteman.

The Irishman has previously shown his capability of finding the back of the net in the Championship in loan spells with Preston and Stoke, and there is no reason to believe he can't eventually come good for the Blades despite a tough 18 months since joining.

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Despite plans to keep Cannon around coming to the fore, more attacking options will surely be on the to-do list for Sheffield United between now and the end of the window.

With star player Gus Hamer on the verge of a return to Coventry City, a huge amount of attacking impetus will disappear from the Blades ranks, and it goes without saying that it will need replacing to some degree.

Whilst Danny Ings struggled to have an impact last season, his departure leaves another hole needing to be patched up, as Wilder must turn his focus to recruits in the final third despite their stance on Cannon being revealed.