"Just what we need" - Sheffield United told to sanction Wolves transfer deal | OneFootball

FLW's Sheffield United fan pundit discussed the club's reported interest in ex-loan star Tommy Doyle

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Sheffield United have been advised to seal a January reunion with Wolves midfielder Tommy Doyle, who is reportedly of interest to the Blades two seasons on from his stunning 2022/23 loan spell at Bramall Lane.

Chris Wilder's side are currently second in the Championship and may well see their promotion ambitions bolstered no end by the ambitious backing of Steven Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy's Stateside COH Sports consortium.

United have already seen one former loan star return to the club in Ben Brereton Diaz, who has joined from Southampton after scoring on six occasions in the Premier League last time out. Meanwhile, Leicester City's Tom Cannon is also poised to complete a switch to South Yorkshire, with Wilder revealing after his side's 2-0 win over Norwich City on Saturday afternoon that he expects all five identified targets to join the club as three close in on moves.

The Blades have been urged to return a second one-time loan hero in Tommy Doyle, who has emerged as a player of interest to his old side amid a struggle for regular top-flight minutes with Wolves this season.

Sheffield United's transfer interest in Wolves' Tommy Doyle

According to a recent report by The Star, the 23-year-old's name features on a list of January targets which also includes the likes of Leicester's Hamza Choudhury and Shea Charles, who spent the first-half of the season on loan with bitter cross-city rivals Sheffield Wednesday.

United are reportedly prepared to consider a return this month for Doyle, who has fallen down the pecking order at Wolves.

The ex-Cardiff City and Blades loan man made 26 Premier League appearances and 11 starts in his debut season with the Old Gold last time out before signing permanently for £4.3 million last May, but opportunities have proven harder to come by this term.

Doyle had been a bit-part player under Gary O'Neil but has been even more peripheral following the appointment of Vitor Pereira, who has used him sparingly after taking over last month. This season, Doyle has played 17 times in the top-flight, though that tally is spread across three starts and just 432 minutes of football.

It's something of a far cry from his time in South Yorkshire, it must be said. The former England youth international star arrived off the back of a promising half-season loan stay with Cardiff City the season before to orchestrate a key role in United's return to the Premier League in second-place, while he was also inspired as they made it all the way to an FA Cup semi-final, finishing the term with ten direct goal contributions from central midfield.

Doyle is fondly remembered by supporters to this day, and little wonder. A return for him would excite the Bramall Lane faithful while also addressing a position of real need for United, who are short-staffed in the midfield department amid injuries to Vini Souza and Ollie Arblaster.

Sheffield United told to resign Wolves' Tommy Doyle

FLW asked our Blades fan pundit Jimmy whether he believes Doyle represents a realistic target for Wilder, or if the deal is worth discounting - due to what a coup his signing could be at Championship level.

In Jimmy's view, Doyle fits the bill of what the Blades need at this moment in time and there could be a potential opening due to his reduced role under Pereira. He believes the classy midfielder will jump up his side's list of priorities, should Wolves decide to green-light an exit from the West Midlands.

"Tommy Doyle was a huge favourite of Sheffield United fans during the promotion season under Paul Heckingbottom," Jimmy told FLW.

"He had a great season for us and he's actually just what we need at the moment, a combative midfielder. We haven't spoken about him much because he was getting in and getting game-time in the Premier League, not playing or starting every game but getting minutes under the previous manager, Gary O'Neil at Wolves.

"Since the new guy has come in, he's started to drop down the pecking order a bit. If Doyle becomes available, then I think he jumps up our list of priorities.

"The main thing we need is a centre-half. Having said that, we still need reinforcements in centre midfield, I think it will be Choudhury [to sign] but if Doyle becomes available then we are definitely going to be interested."