Aston Villa arrival potentially draws closer as Sheffield United take action | OneFootball

Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom has instructed his recruitment team to draw up a list of goalkeeping targets according to The Star, as loanee Robin Olsen potentially closes in on a loan move to Premier League outfit Aston Villa.

The Swedish international is said to have agreed personal terms with Steven Gerrard’s side ahead of this potential transfer to the West Midlands after finding himself potentially displaced by Wes Foderingham who has been a solid stand-in for the 32-year-old since November.

Olsen had endured mixed form at Bramall Lane prior to his injury after joining on a season-long loan deal from AS Roma in the summer, not exactly standing out amid the Blades’ poor early-season form under ex-boss Slavisa Jokanovic.

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United do have the power to end his loan spell early, though it remains to be seen how willing they are to let go of him.

But with the club likely to be paying a portion of his hefty wages and likely to make the shot-stopper extremely unhappy behind the scenes if they try and prevent a move, they may decide to let him go without any hassle.

With this potentially in mind, the play-off hopefuls’ boss Heckingbottom has requested a shortlist of potential shot-stoppers after seeing the Olsen situation develop and Michael Verrips leave the club for Fortuna Sittard last week.

Frank Fielding is one man thought to be in advanced talks with the South Yorkshire club ahead of a potential move, with his existing contract at Stoke City running out shortly.

The Verdict:

A move away would probably be the best move for all parties at this stage – because there’s no point in Olsen remaining on the bench in the Championship when he can easily do that and compete for a starting spot in the Premier League.

He’s unlikely to claim the number one jersey straight away – but an injury or suspension to Emiliano Martinez could open up the opportunity for him to prove himself at the highest level – though that is something he has already done at major tournaments for Sweden.

Nonetheless, he will want to be thriving domestically too to give him the best chance of making as many appearances for his national team as possible, and playing in the top tier will give boost those hopes.

And for the Blades, there’s no point in having an unhappy shot-stopper behind the scenes when everyone needs to be pulling in the same direction – and you wouldn’t blame Olsen if he did start to become upset with his lack of appearances down in the second tier.

He must have taken the step down to the Championship to win more game time – and that’s something he won’t be doing whilst Foderingham continues to thrive between the sticks.