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Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie gives his thoughts on a potential Sheffield United loan move for Everton's Tim Iroegbunam.

Sheffield United are plotting a loan move for Everton midfielder Tim Iroegbunam, as per reports from Alan Nixon via Patreon.

The midfielder struggled for regular minutes during his first season with Everton following his move from Aston Villa last summer.

Sheffield United are looking to challenge for promotion once again, this time under Ruben Selles after he took over from Chris Wilder in June.

Four signings have already come through the door at Bramall Lane, and now Everton midfielder Iroegbunam is linked with becoming the fifth.

The midfielder made his move to Everton from Aston Villa last June for £9 million after coming through Villa's academy setup. Villa had previously poached Iroegbunam from West Midlands rivals, West Bromwich Albion.

Iroegbunam made 18 Premier League appearances, only five of which were starts, for the Toffees last season, registering a solitary assist in the final Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park in a 2-2 draw against eventual champions, Liverpool.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie believes that a loan move would massively benefit both Iroegbunam and Sheffield United.

Lee Hendrie says midfielder has to "go out and prove himself"

"He struggled for game time at Everton after leaving Villa," said Hendrie, who was keen to highlight how beneficial a loan move could be for the midfielder.

"There is great potential for him to show what he is all about at Sheffield United. It is something that he has to be looking at, and it would be a great signing for the Blades."

"He has got to go out and prove himself after struggling for game time and not really hitting the heights that he maybe would have imagined at Everton."

Midfielder would be a smart addition for the Blades

Having lost Vini Souza this summer, a loan move for Iroegbunam would be a move that could prove beneficial for all parties involved.

With the midfielder not quite ready for regular top-flight football just yet, a drop-down to the Championship could be just the platform that the youngster needs.

This is then combined with the fact that the Blades will be expected to be challenging at the top end of the division once again, proving a good standard of football for Iroegbunam.

According to Capology, the former England youth international has a weekly salary of £20,000 per week with Everton.

During their last promotion campaign in 2022/23, the Blades made fantastic use of loan players, with Tommy Doyle and James McAtee both thriving at Bramall Lane after being borrowed from Manchester City.

A similar move for Iroegbunam will not just allow him to prove himself at a good level, but also offer Ruben Selles the chance to work with an exciting young midfielder who, just last summer, made a £9 million move in the Premier League.