Sheffield United, Burnley & Blackburn Rovers set for Oli McBurnie transfer disappointment | OneFootball

Sheffield United have been dealt a major blow in their pursuit of Oli McBurnie

Sheffield United have been dealt a crushing blow in their pursuit of Oli McBurnie, as it's been revealed that the striker has been blocked from returning back to England by his current club, Las Palmas.

That's according to Alan Nixon, who latest update will also be greeted with a touch of disappointment by Burnley and Blackburn, both of whom he claimed were also interested in the Scotland international too.

Las Palmas' refusal to allow the forward to leave will be a crushing blow to the promotion-chasing trio, who are all looking to reinforce their squads for the run-in, but will now have to look somewhere else.

Sheffield United have another iron in the fire in Ben Brereton Diaz, while Burnley have already signed Ashley Barnes, so this latest blow perhaps leaves Blackburn in the mire more than the other two.

Sheffield United face Oli McBurnie blow that will force Chris Wilder to look elsewhere

Although a move for McBurnie was always a little improbable given he only moved to Las Palmas in the summer, it was hoped that after a troublesome opening six months in La Liga, a move home was a possibility.

Sheffield United, given their strong ties to McBurnie, would naturally have been the frontrunner at that point, but Las Palmas' latest move has served to throw a spanner into the works of thier January plans.

According to Nixon, the Canary Islands club rejected Sheffield United's approach to take McBurnie, as they did with the approach of other clubs too, although he doesn't name who they are.

As such, the Blades will now have to widen their search to bolster their front line ahead of the promotion run-in, but with their position so far a strong one as they sit third and just a point off top spot, they're in no desperate rush to make a swift move.

While Sheffield United will be disappointed with the stance Las Palmas have taken on McBurnie, their blow will be cushioned by the fact they're plotting a move to bring Brereton Diaz back, but for Blackburn, who are in desperate need of reinforcements, options could be limited.

Rovers held a torch for McBurnie, but with the latest news that he won't be moving, they'll have to direct their striker search elsewhere, which in the midst of an injury crisis is inopportune timing.

Eustace started Senegalese target man Makhtar Gueye in Saturday's East Lancashire derby, and he's netted just one goal all season, so their lack of firepower in the final third is laid bare for all to see.