Sheffield United and Swansea City join West Brom in centre-back transfer battle | OneFootball

Sion defender Gora Diouf is being targeted by the Blades and the Swans following reports of the Baggies' interest

Championship sides Sheffield United and Swansea City are reportedly lining up respective moves for FC Sion defender Gora Diouf, following previous reports of West Brom's interest in his services earlier this month.

The Blades' season came to a bitterly disappointing end at Wembley last weekend, as they lost the Championship play-off final to Sunderland in added-time to be consigned to another campaign in the second-tier.

Swansea, meanwhile, finished mid-table in the second-tier last season under interim head-coach Alan Sheehan, who was then handed the job on a full-time basis towards the end of the campaign after overseeing a run of impressive form.

Each club is set to be in the market for new additions this summer, with United targeting an automatic promotion berth next term, while the Swans will aim to push for a place in the top-six, and versatile Senegalese defender Diouf is believed to be on both of their radars as he nears the end of his contract at Sion.

Sheffield United and Swansea City join West Brom in Gora Diouf transfer race

21-year-old Diouf has emerged as a regular for Sion in the Swiss Super League over the last campaign, after he played a lesser role in their promotion from the second-tier as champions in 2023/24, with five league appearances as he made his first breakthrough into their senior squad from the under-21's.

He played 24 times in the recent season, scoring twice, as he established himself as one of the best centre-backs outside of the top sides in Switzerland. The Senegalese native helped Sion finish ninth on their return to the top-flight, and they avoided a relegation play-off place by five points after the divisional split.

Diouf has clearly made a big impression on both a domestic and wider European level, and West Brom were reported to be interested in his services by Africafoot earlier this month, with apparent competition for his signature from Süper Lig sides Trabzonspor and Samsunspor.

He is due to leave Sion at the end of his contract next month, and his availability has now reportedly alerted two more Championship sides to the possibility of signing him on a free transfer this summer. According to FootMercato, Sheffield United and Swansea City are tracking him ahead of the transfer window opening soon.

Diouf is a wanted man across Europe - a Ligue 1 move looks likely ahead of the Blades or the Swans

Little is known about Diouf on these shores, but his strong form in Switzerland has clearly seen him appear on the radar of transfer recruitment teams at certain second-tier sides, with the potential to sign him for no fee also likely to be a big reason as to why he is so coveted.

According to Fotmob's statistics, he ranks highly on 'per 90' metrics for accurate long balls, dribble success, ground duels won and ball recoveries, when compared to other centre-backs in the Swiss Super League for 2024/25.

His versatility is also an appealing factor, after he appeared at both left-back and defensive midfield for Sion in his debut 2023/24 campaign in the first-team.

It comes as little surprise to learn that interest in his services does not only come from England and Turkiye, with FootMercato claiming in their recent report that top Swiss sides FC Basel and Lugano are interested in making a move, while numerous Ligue 1 clubs such as Lorient, Toulouse and SCO Angers are also planning to offer him respective deals.

Moving to another top-flight team will surely be Diouf's main priority this summer, as he aims to continue his impressive progression and soon be called up to the Senegalese national side.

Sheffield United are undoubtedly an attractive option as they aim to get back into the Premier League, but whether he would move to Bramall Lane and be handed consistent first-team opportunities is unclear. Both the Blades and Swansea face tough competition for the 21-year-old's signature this summer, and they may well find that he chooses to move elsewhere.