Newly relegated Sheffield United are interested in a deal to bring Nottingham Forest defender Joe Worrall to the club, according to TEAMtalk.
The 27-year-old has been at Forest most of his career and has played over 200 games for the East Midlands side. However, he has found game time hard to come by recently and spent last season on loan in Turkey with Besiktas.
He made six appearances for his loan club, helping them to two clean sheets along the way, adding to the seven outings for Forest in the Premier League. As well as the Turkish side, Worrall has also had spells on loan with both Rangers and Dagenham and Redbridge.
United endured a horrendous campaign last season that saw them finish bottom of the top tier, winning just three games. The Blades are in for a tough summer as well as they await the decision on a possible transfer embargo.
According to Transfermarkt, Worrall’s value is currently around the £6.5m mark. Despite that, Chris Wilder’s side have recently lost a lot of experience at the back with the departures of Chris Basham and George Baldock. Fellow defender John Egan also faces an uncertain future at Bramall Lane.
If the Blades can recruit the Premier League man it would surely be seen as a shrewd piece of business. Worrall’s contract expires in 2026, so the question is more whether this would be a permanent or a temporary move for the Englishman.
Speaking to TalkSPORT, via The Nottingham Post back in September, following the signing of his new deal, Worrall admitted his chances seem limited:
“I signed a new contract extension but obviously my game time was limited with the new manager coming in and the direction that the club wanted to go in,”
“I’ve played two games under Nuno but we’re well stocked at Forest, there’s a lot of talent and a lot of good players at Forest.
“For me, it’s all about getting match fit and me sitting there is doing nobody any favours so it’s all about playing games and then we’ll see.”
Writer’s View
This one does seem to have legs to it. Worrall will want first-team football and he will have a much better chance of playing at the Blades. It’s crucial for any player that they play regularly but with his experience and age it seems even more paramount.
Providing the club isn’t under a transfer embargo, they will have money from player departures, plus money from their relegation. Around £6 million seems reasonable for a defender with such experience as United look to rebuild and an immediate return to the Premier League. This seems a win-win for all three parties involved.
