Sheffield United have had a bid turned down for Will Smallbone.
That’s according to Caught Offside, who have reported that Southampton have rejected a £7 million offer for the midfielder.
Smallbone spent last season on loan with Stoke City and claimed three goals and five assists in the Championship, attracting plenty of interest as a result. The likes of Sunderland, Luton Town and Nottingham Forest have all been linked with the 23-year-old.
Smallbone only has a year left on his contract at St Mary’s Stadium and is reportedly keen to leave the club this summer, despite potentially being offered regular first team football following the Saints’ relegation.
Russell Martin’s side face losing both Romeo Lavia and James Ward-Prowse over the next couple of weeks – paving the way for Smallbone to claim his spot in the midfield after starting in their 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday last week.
It’s unclear whether the Blades will go back in with a second bid for Smallbone, though the report claims they could be prepared to meet his salary demands too – something that Southampton are unwilling to do.
Sunderland have no chance of signing Will Smallbone
Sunderland were loosely linked with a move for Will Smallbone in June, though they faced huge competition from a number of Premier League clubs.
It was unclear how much Southampton would demand for the Republic of Ireland international, though Sheffield United’s recent £7m bid is far from what the Black Cats would be willing to cough up.
Similarly, if the south coast club are unable to meet his wage demands then it makes it even less likely that Sunderland could pay him what he wants either.
Tony Mowbray’s side are yet to bring in the new midfielder that Tony Mowbray wanted, while they still remain on the hunt for a new striker.