Sheffield United need to acquire a few centre-backs this summer, and Leicester City’s Harry Souttar is clearly at the top of their list.

The 27-year-old Australian international was largely absent last season as the Foxes were relegated to League One for the second time in a row, returning for the final two games after suffering an Achilles injury while on loan at Bramall Lane in late 2024.

Prior to his untimely injury, Souttar was a key member of the Blades’ Championship-winning team, which was five points clear at Christmas despite a two-point deduction, having lost only two of their 22 games and conceding only 11 goals.

Leicester clearly missed him last season, and it’s possible that the Foxes would have avoided relegation to the third tier if the Australian had remained fit, given he’s one of the best second-class defenders when he’s well.

As a result, with relegation secured, there has been a lot of interest in the 27-year-old, particularly after a World Cup campaign with the Soceroos, in which Souttar captained the team and played every minute, demonstrating his fitness.

Sheffield United was among the most interested of those teams, but the Foxes’ rumoured £10 million asking price would be considerably out of the Blades’ reach.

Sheffield United receives new optimism in Harry Souttar pursuit.

Sheffield United haven’t given up hope in their pursuit of Souttar, despite Leicester’s high asking price, and the defender has told his club that he’d like to look elsewhere, according to the Sheffield Star.

The 27-year-old is clearly above League One level, as evidenced by his performances in North America this summer, and with him not contributing to the disaster that was last season at the King Power Stadium, he’s one of the few who hasn’t received much criticism from Leicester fans, so a departure would most likely be mutual.

It’s unclear whether his desire to play above the third tier has influenced Leicester’s stance on the £10 million price tag they imposed on him. As things stand, Sheffield United will still be priced out of a deal if nothing changes.

However, with Wrexham and West Ham, two of the Championship’s biggest budgets, also put off by the asking price, Russell Martin’s team may be obliged to cut their asking price.

Souttar is interested in returning to Bramall Lane, so if they lower the price enough for Sheffield United to make a bid, the 27-year-old could end up back in South Yorkshire.

The Blades have had a rough summer thus far, as they enter their first transfer window as a Championship team without Premier League parachute payments since January 2019. Securing Souttar’s signing would go a long way towards regaining some supporters’ support before the season begins.

How Sheffield United fans reacted to the Harry Souttar transfer update.

There’s little doubt that Sheffield United fans online want to see the towering six-foot-six centre-back in a Blades shirt again, but the initial reaction appears to be more logical than anything.

One supporter online expressed excitement over the possibility of having Souttar back, noting that it proves that “the board are serious about getting us out of this league!” However, responses indicated that they still needed to negotiate the asking price before moving forward.

“Depends on the charge, mate. Anything close to what LCFC is quoting, and we will not be in that race. Personally, I would love to have him back, but it all depends on our budget. “We could easily use another 4-5 players,” one said.

Another stated, “I wouldn’t pay $10 million for him, regardless of who the board is. That’s ridiculous money for someone who’s suffered such a serious injury.”

In response to a Blades fan account posting the report on X, one fan advised they move on from Souttar, citing his injury risk and high price tag.We need to move on, focus on signings that do not pose such a high danger of injury, and market them as a tremendous success,” he stated.

There’s no doubt that Souttar would be a fine acquisition for Sheffield United, and that the Australian would be a much-needed addition to the defensive line, but there are still a lot of details to work out before a deal can be finalised.