Sheffield United will be left baffled at Everton's interest in released defender: View | OneFootball

Everton's interest in Max Lowe will come as a huge surprise to Sheffield United, who will allow the defender to depart for free once his contract is up at the end of the month.

The Blades are preparing for life in the Championship after their return to the Premier League ended disastrously last season.

In their first campaign back in the top flight, Sheffield United finished rock bottom with just 16 points and conceded a Premier League record 104 goals.

And with Chris Wilder expected to overhaul his squad in a bid to bounce back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, Lowe will be among the players leaving South Yorkshire this summer.

Everton plotting Max Lowe move following Sheffield United

Sheffield United announced their retained list recently and confirmed that Lowe's spell at Bramall Lane will come to an end after four years and just 53 appearances in all competitions due to a myriad of injury problems.

Lowe, however, could be making an instant return to the Premier League with Everton reportedly interested in snapping up the defender, according to Football Insider.

With the proposed takeover by 777 Partners seemingly dead in the water and the need to comply with Premier League's Profit and Sustainability rules (PSR), the Toffees have limited room for financial largesse this summer - at least for now anyway with no sales on the horizon.

In November last year, Everton were deducted 10 points - subsequently reduced to six on appeal - for breaching the Premier League's financial rules and in April they received a further two-point deduction for a further breach.

While the Toffees avoided relegation, their financial difficulties mean Sean Dyche will be looking for bargains this summer as he looks to bolster his squad.

To that extent, Lowe is an appealing prospect, as 27-year-old defenders with Premier League experience don't tend to be available as free agents often.

Max Lowe's struggles at Sheffield United mean Everton move would be a surprise

Conversely, however, Lowe is coming off the back of a dismal season for Sheffield United in which he made just 10 appearances - all of them coming in the Premier League.

The former Derby County defender started the Blades' first two league games of the campaign, but was then left out of the squad until mid-November as he needed to undergo surgery on his ankle.

Lowe returned to matchday squads in November as an unused substitute against Brighton and also remained on the bench for the two following Premier League outings, but featured in the Blades' next five matches and started in the 2-0 defeat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on December 16.

Having come on as as substitute in the 3-2 loss against Luton on Boxing Day, Lowe was then left out of the squad for 16 of the next 17 Premier League matches, the only exception being the 3-1 win away against Luton on February 10, in which he started - ankle issues once more reared their ugly head.

With the Blades' relegation already confirmed, the left-back featured in the final two games of the season, coming off the bench against Everton and starting in the 3-0 loss to Tottenham on the final day of the season.

His limited involvement last term encapsulated the frustrating nature of Lowe's spell at Bramall Lane, which never really got going following his move from Derby County in the summer of 2020.

The defender made just 11 appearances in his first season in South Yorkshire, before being loaned to Nottingham Forest the following season and helping them secure promotion, a feat he repeated 12 months later as the Blades bounced back to the top-flight.

Lowe would in all likelihood be a squad player at Everton and slot behind Ashley Young, who will turn 39 next month, and Vitaly Mykolenko in the pecking order at left-back.

Dyche has developed a reputation for reigniting careers though, and may have to work his magic again with Lowe. Naturally though, you'd expect Lowe's next move to be to perhaps a Championship club to try and get a full season of football under his belt.

If Lowe does land himself another Premier League contract though, then it will be surprising for everyone - whether that is Everton fans or even the hierarchy at Bramall Lane themselves, who are choosing not to continue with the defender in their squad for next season.