Former Millwall loanee Jamie Shackleton is set to remain in Yorkshire and will join Championship rivals Sheffield United as a free agent, according to the latest reports.
Shackleton came through the academy at Leeds United in 2018 and quickly became an important squad playing under legendary coach Marcelo Bielsa. His versatility proved useful to the Argentine boss as Shackleton made 78 of his 94 total appearances with the Whites when Bielsa was at the helm.
Nevertheless, the midfielder’s usefulness deteriorated with Jesse Marsch in charge and he was eventually sent out on loan at the beginning of the 2022/23 season to Millwall when Leeds were still in the Premier League. Shackleton made 36 league appearances in what was a decent campaign for the Lions as Gary Rowett’s side missed out on the play-offs by one point.
Upon returning from his loan stint at The Den, the 24-year-old featured just 11 times in the Championship for Leeds as Daniel Farke’s men failed to earn promotion from the Premier League. As a result, the club are looking to trim their wage budget and Shackleton is a player being offloaded once his contract expires on Sunday.
But Shackleton won’t be a free agent for long. Football Insider have released a report claiming that recently-relegated side Sheffield United, bitter rivals of Leeds, have agreed a deal to sign Shackleton and that the acquisition will be completed over the coming days.
Millwall Target Linked With £3 Million Move To European Trio
Sheffield United are looking for a replacement for versatile midfielder Ben Osborn who will leave Bramall Lane on a free this weekend. It was reported last night that the former Nottingham Forest man is set to join newly-promoted side Derby County.
Writer’s View
Millwall may have missed a trick here by not making a late swoop for Shackleton. This would have been a low-risk signing as only his relatively modest wages would need to be covered. Furthermore, Shackleton would have offered Harris a lot of tactical flexibility due to his ability to play in a number of different positions.
However, having lived in Yorkshire for the vast majority of his life, going to Sheffield United makes sense on a personal level. Additionally, the Blades are quite cash-strapped this summer and acquiring him as a free agent is an astute piece of business.
