Sheffield United join Portsmouth in race to sign 6-goal midfielder | OneFootball

Pompey have reportedly had a bid turned down for the 23-year-old.

Sheffield United and Portsmouth are both going after a Hungarian hotshot this summer.

The creativity of recruitment departments in football has massively expanded over recent seasons.

The number of previously unknown players who are now being brought over to the UK - the Championship, in particular - has grown exponentially as clubs look to find gems for much smaller fees.

Portsmouth have done a lot of recruiting in Australia in the last few transfer windows. The Blades, meanwhile, have implemented a new AI-based recruitment system since the club's takeover near the end of 2024, which has led to a few rogue arrivals at Bramall Lane.

Sheffield United and Portsmouth eyeing Hungarian midfielder

The two Championship sides are once again looking to go down an unfamiliar path this summer as they look to recruit a centre-mid.

The man that the second-tier pair are set to fight for: Mark Kosznovszky.

The 23-year-old number eight from Hungary has caught the attention of both the Blades and Pompey, according to Pete O'Rourke.

Kosznovszky primarily plays on the right-hand side of a midfield partnership and tends to drift over towards the right flank. For MTK Budapest, he lodged six goals and assists in 25 appearances last season, while also showing off his ball-winning ability.

Football Insider reported last week that Pompey had made an offer of €600,000 (just over £500,000) MTK, who want more than that for the Hungarian. He still has a couple of years left on his current deal.

Shopping in Central Europe has been a common theme of United's transfer activity over the past couple of windows. Most recently, their AI model led them to Bulgaria, where they found Nigerian winger Ehije Ukaki.

Their new boss, Ruben Selles, confirmed that the club will continue to use such technology during his tenure in charge, but added that the eye-test will not be thrown out of the window.

"These tools can help us be more efficient but we have to not forget that we are playing football," said the Spaniard, via The Star. "There is a human interaction and it's a sport we play with a passion.

"We already use [AI], we will use it going forward, even in recovery and to help us with injuries and things like that. We're always trying to find those marginal gains."

Niche recruiting can be a dangerous game for clubs to play

For clubs like the Blades, it's a fine line to balance. Using these models is done with the intent of finding the diamonds in the rough. That doesn't necessarily align with their immediate hopes of returning to the Premier League ASAP.

Portsmouth take their own risk in going for a player like Kosznovszky, but there isn't as much expectation on them to perform at a high level immediately in the Championship.

Every club should be constantly looking to innovate and modernise. It's finding the balance between the two that is the real challenge.