Sheffield United reaction given to £9m Aston Villa transfer miss - Southampton are 'overpaying' | OneFootball

FLW's Sheffield United fan pundit has given his reaction to missing out on Aston Villa forward Lewis Dobbin to Southampton.

It has been a busy start to the summer for Sheffield United after a disappointing season in the Championship.

Chris Wilder guided Sheffield United away from relegation danger after returning to the club for a third spell in charge in September, but their rise up the table stalled in the second half of the season, and they eventually finished in 13th place.

There have been a number of high-profile departures at Bramall Lane this summer, including the likes of Ben Mee, Tom Davies, Andre Brooks and Danny Ings, while there have also been changes to the coaching staff, with Wilder's long-time assistant Alan Knill making a shock exit from Bramall Lane.

It has been quieter on the incomings front for the Blades, with just one new addition arriving so far in Romelle Donovan, who has joined on a season-long loan from Brentford, and it seems they are set to miss out on one of their transfer targets to a Championship rival.

, who scored 11 goals and provided eight assists in 41 appearances during a successful loan spell at Preston North End last season, but his valuation of more than £5 million was said to be too high for the South Yorkshire outfit.

Middlesbrough and Wolverhampton Wanderers had also been linked with Dobbin in recent weeks, but Southampton have now agreed a deal worth £9 million plus add-ons for the 23-year-old, who underwent a medical at St Mary's on Monday ahead of his move to the South Coast.

Sheffield United claim made as Southampton strike Lewis Dobbin, Aston Villa deal

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When asked for his reaction to missing out on Dobbin to Southampton, FLW's Sheffield United fan pundit Jimmy, from the YouTube channel Blades Ramble, admitted that he would have liked to see him make the switch to Bramall Lane, but he questioned whether the forward is worth the reported £9 million fee.

"Lewis Dobbin is a very good player at Championship level, and he's somebody that I was excited that we were linked with," Jimmy told FLW.

"It was quickly revealed that his price tag of around £5 million at that time was out of our reach, and that we would prefer a loan deal with possibly the option to buy him later.

"This is the situation we're in where teams like Southampton, who still have parachute payments, have the opportunity to come in and outbid us.

"I think they are slightly overpaying at £9 million, although they are still getting a good player for the level.

"Firstly, it's not something that we would be able to do, but I also think we would be overpaying if we went to that as well.

"He's a good player, it's unfortunate to miss out on him, but we move on."

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After underwhelming loan spells at West Bromwich Albion and Norwich City, Dobbin had an outstanding campaign at Preston last season, so it is easy to see why Sheffield United were among the Championship clubs chasing his signature this summer.

However, the move to Southampton is a big step up for Dobbin, and it remains to be seen whether he can deliver for a team with promotion ambitions, so it is difficult not to feel that the Saints are taking a risk by spending as much as £9 million on him.

With finances likely to be tight at Bramall Lane this summer, missing out on an expensive deal for Dobbin may be a blessing in disguise for the Blades, but there are big question marks over what calibre of player they will be able to attract on a reduced budget.