Nottingham Forest are considering a move to take Sheffield United central defender John Egan back to the Premier League, according to The Sun. 

Since joining the Blades in the summer of 2018 from Brentford, the Irishman has been a great asset, making frequent appearances and earning two promotions to the top level.

However, he missed a significant portion of the 2023–24 season due to an Achilles injury, and United’s defence was appallingly weak without him.

Egan could have contributed to lowering the club’s record after conceding an incredible 104 goals in 38 premier league games the previous season, but he hasn’t played for the team since September.

The Irishman’s contract at Bramall Lane is about to expire today, which has contributed to his current circumstances.

Before making a new contract offer to the player, United reportedly wants to watch how he heals from his injury, according to the Sheffield Star.

Although Egan is entirely focused on getting back into shape, he will eventually need to make a crucial decision on his future because it is now believed that Forest is interested in signing him.

Clubs can now make formal approaches for the Irishman and with his future unclear, Chris Wilder may be keen to get him tied down in the coming days or weeks if the central defender manages to progress well in his recovery.

Nottingham Forest keen on John Egan

Forest, who managed to stay up at the end of last term despite being deducted points, will be keen to be as strong as possible heading into the new season.

However, following their breach of financial rules, the East Midlands side will need to watch their spending and this is why Egan could be a good addition, with the defender able to be recruited on a free transfer.

According to The Sun, they are eager to let go of Joe Worrall and replace him with a similar calibre of defender, which would create room for Egan at the City Ground.

According to the same article, United may make Egan a new contract offer, but it’s unclear when that would be made.

The Blades need to ensure they have enough centre-backs at their disposal ahead of next term.

Mason Holgate has already left the club following the end of his loan stay, Chris Basham will leave Bramall Lane when his contract expires and it’s believed that Anel Ahmedhodzic will be allowed to depart United this summer.

The likes of Jack Robinson and Auston Trusty are available as options in this area, but more quality and depth will be required, considering how poor the South Yorkshire side were defensively last season.

If Egan recovers well, offering him a new deal should be at the top of their priority list considering how talented the Irishman is.

And they should even be engaging in advanced discussions now ahead of offering a new deal, with United needing to give themselves the best chance of retaining the central defender if he’s likely to get back to full fitness in the coming weeks.

Sheffield United is hoping for its first summer transfer success as a former Liverpool and Leeds United target gets closer to joining the Blades.

According to The Star, Sheffield United is hoping to capture free agent Sam McCallum as their first acquisition during a crucial summer transfer window. After being released by Norwich City, United’s adversary in the Championship, the left-back is free to sign with any team. His contract at Carrow Road is set to expire at the end of this month.

McCallum, who is still only 23 years old, played 34 games for the Canaries the previous season, starting in both legs of their play-off semifinal matchup against Leeds, which ended with a 4-0 thumping at Elland Road in the second leg. After his team was already behind 3-0 when McCallum entered the game, he was told that his employment with the team would be ending this summer.

After rising through the ranks at Coventry City, McCallum moved to Norwich in 2020 for £3.5 million, then into the Premier League. At the time, McCallum was being watched by a number of clubs, including Leicester City, Leeds, and Liverpool, after he was noticed at an Academy trial two years prior. With any luck, he will be revealed as United’s first acquisition of what manager Chris Wilder has already called the most significant transfer window in the past ten years.

With Max Lowe being released this summer and Rhys Norrington-Davies receiving a one-year contract extension due to his recent injury concerns, the Blades are in need of left-back reinforcements. Yasser Larouci has returned to Troyes, and it is not unexpected that United did not exercise the eight-figure option to extend his loan. Ben Osborn, who can also play on the left side of defence, was released following an eleventh-hour contract change that United made earlier this summer.

After being released by Norwich City at the end of the season, left-back Sam McCallum is a free agent and is being pursued by Sheffield United, according to Alan Nixon. The 23-year-old appeared in 60 games for the Canaries overall, contributing two assists and one goal.

After being discharged from the Gillingham academy at the age of fifteen, he briefly considered a career in football to be more of a fantasy than a reality. After that, he would play in front of fewer than 300 fans for his hometown non-league team, Herne Bay FC. However, McCallum’s professional football career received a boost in 2018 when he became a part of Jamie Vardy’s “V9” academy.

For McCallum, “V9 felt like a revival,” he said to Sky Sports. “My housemate approached me after our showcase game in front of numerous scouts and informed me that Coventry was observing me.” I said, “This can’t be real.”

Several scouts were made aware of McCallum’s remarkable exploits in the V9 academy, although he would ultimately sign a contract to join Coventry City in 2018. Before receiving a transfer to Norwich City in the Premier League, he played in 84 games for Mark Robins’ squad.

McCallum’s statistics and what he could bring to Sheffield United

Sam McCallum can be used as a left wingback in a five-man formation or as a left back in a back four. He enjoys moving forward along the left side. Furthermore, despite his strong attacking work rate that has allowed him to get into some really promising positions, he has not contributed many goals or assists during his tenure at Norwich. In 27 league games last season, he scored just one goal and provided no assists. Is the problem with his final product, though?

He is a natural forward-runner, as evidenced by the number of touches he registers in the opposition penalty area (he is in the 75th percentile of all Championship full-backs in this category). Although his projected assists place him in the 76th percentile, his assists place him in the bottom 10% in the league. This implies that last season, forwards were attempting to get on the end of his passes but were missing them.

McCallum is in the 49th percentile when it comes to passing into the penalty area, but he seems to prefer carrying the ball there, scoring in the 83rd percentile.

McCallum is an intriguing potential on defence. Although Norwich supporters have often criticised him for his defensive effort rate, he does quite well on a number of categories. Although McCallum’s tackle totals are in the 50th percentile, it’s possible that he is well-positioned and doesn’t need to tackle as much as he does.

In the meantime, his interceptions and clearances rank in the 99th and 97th percentiles, respectively, which may further emphasise his excellent positional sense. In terms of aerials won, he also sits in the 99th percentile, which is something the Sheffield United defenders had trouble with the previous campaign.