Sheffield United plot move for 26-year-old despite Tom Cannon links | OneFootball

The Preston North End striker is out of contract at the end of the season.

Sheffield United have placed Preston North End striker Emil Riis Jakobsen on their list of targets ahead of the January transfer window.

That's according to The Star, with the Blades reportedly interested in the 26-year-old, who has scored seven goals so far this season, including a brace against Sheffield Wednesday at the weekend.

Chris Wilder's side will be looking to seal promotion back to the Premier League in 2025. However, they have failed to win either of their last two games in the Championship. This is only the third time that it has happened this campaign, but it has allowed Leeds United to take top spot heading into the new year.

The Dane is not the only striker that Sheffield United are showing an interest in, with the Yorkshire club also identifying Leicester City's Tom Cannon as a potential star for the future at Bramall Lane, with the 21-year-old currently on loan at Stoke City.

Sheffield United interested in Jakobsen

The Blades are looking to improve their striking department in January, and Jakobsen has been identified as someone who can help do that, according to The Star.

It is not the first time that the 26-year-old has been a target of Wilder's, with the Sheffield United boss launching a £7m bid for him back in 2022, with Preston rejecting the offer.

However, with his contract due to expire at the end of the season, the Lancashire side are more vulnerable this time around if an approach is made.

Bringing in more firepower up front is a priority for Wilder, with injuries and a lack of cover one of the only threats to his team's promotion push. The Blades' chief scout, Jamie Hoyland, has links to the Lilywhites, and these could pay off in the coming weeks.

Jakobsen is starting to prove himself as a solid Championship striker once again

The last couple of seasons have been difficult for Jakobsen, with injury ruining the latter half of his 2022/23 campaign, and the start of 2023/24. However, he has maintained fitness throughout this year, and it has allowed him to overtake his goal tallies from the previous two seasons already.

He proved in 2021/22, his first year at Preston, that he has more than enough quality to feature in the Championship, and he is on course to come close to matching the 16 goals that he scored three years ago.

While he may not be as exciting a link as Cannon, he is a very capable operator, and would be a cheaper option than the Leicester forward.

Sheffield United will already be making plans for the Premier League given their position in the Championship currently, and it can be said that Jakobsen is an upgrade on Kieffer Moore in some respects - especially in terms of age.

Bringing him to Bramall Lane could be the perfect way to help seal promotion, and also free up funds to make improvements to the team elsewhere.