Sheffield United Must Move For Jason McCarthy And Here’s Why
It would appear that Southampton are looking to let Jason McCarthy leave this summer, potentially on loan or perhaps even permanently.
The right-sided centre-back, still just 21, has made 41 appearances in League One this season for Walsall while on loan there, scoring 5 goals too.
Having not been subbed off, his quality and fitness are evident and are admirable for a player at his age and stage. His form has sparked some interest in his signature, with Sheffield United reportedly looking to sign the player. The player is likely to want to play at Championship level next season.
The Blades will certainly be plying their trade in the second tier next season and considering that Jake Wright is now 31 and Ethan Ebanks-Landell is only on loan from Wolves, they will need replacements in this position.
Furthermore, McCarthy looks like a player who is going places and so would surely be the first choice in the defence if he arrives in the summer. Sheffield United are a big club and as such, consolidation cannot be mentioned when the promotion is secured.
The Blades must look to push on and up the league and so they’ll need to attract players of sufficient quality. In McCarthy, they might get a player, who has looked as though the Championship would not be above his level. Crucially, given his age and footballing education, he also looks like a player who will only get better.
Having players who are going through the ‘growing phase’ in their squad can help Sheffield United in two ways. Firstly, as the individual players get better, so does the team. A natural ascent can occur which may well take them right up to the play-off places.
Clubs in their position though must also look after their finances, so bringing in young improvers can ensure they have someone to sell on at a huge profit in a year or two’s time should they wish to go down that route. It’s a balancing act for them, as selling the likes of Phil Jagielka, Kyle Naughton, and Kyle Walker has brought the club plenty of money in the past, but this might be the reason why they moved down the leagues.
However, they choose to deal with their futures and now Sheffield United would know that they need to bring in hot young talents. Their current squad has done an excellent job and are looking sure to win the League One title, but the brutal fact is that those same players will not be able to cope with the Championship well enough, to lift the club to a place where it belongs.