"We need to go all out" - Sheffield United urged to weaken Wayne Rooney's hand as £3m asking price emerges | OneFootball

Our Sheffield United fan pundit gives his verdict on whether they should sign Micheal Cooper this summer.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Sheffield United have made some shrewd signings so far in this transfer window, with the additions of Harrison Burrows, Kieffer Moore and Callum O'Hare particularly standing out.

This will give Blades fans hope that they are set for another tilt at promotion from the Championship, having been relegated from the Premier League last season.

However, one area that they are still looking to target is in-between the sticks, after previous number one Wes Foderingham was let go at the end of his contract, subsequently signing for West Ham United as a backup option.

Several names have been suggested and linked to fill the position, but one player stands out: Plymouth Argyle's Michael Cooper.

He was first linked to the Blades earlier this month by their local news outlet, The Star, and with a year left on his contract, it seemed that the fee demanded would be minimal.

This preconception has turned out to be incorrect, with Alan Nixon reporting that Wayne Rooney's side are demanding £3 million for the goalkeeper, with time ticking down on his contract is Devon.

Currently, it is understood that the only way Chris Wilder's side can afford this is to sell further players to bring in the necessary funds.

This will not prove a simple deal then, but based on Cooper's performances in a Pilgrims shirt, he would prove a great addition to a blossoming Sheffield United squad.

Sheffield United given backing to sign Plymouth Argyle stopper Michael Cooper

FLW's resident Blades fan pundit, Jimmy from The Blades Ramble YouTube podcast, believes that Cooper would be a marquee signing for Chris Wilder if the club can get a deal over the line.

"Ever since I started the Blades Ramble channel I have been banging on about getting Michael Cooper in as number one. I think he is absolutely sensational," Jimmy told Football League World.

"The only concern I have is his recent injury record, with two knee injuries.

"Previously we have relied on loan keepers, with Dean Henderson being the main example.

"I never thought Wes Foderingham was the main man, and we have just never settled on that permanent number one for such a long time. Paddy Kenny was probably the last time we had a reliable keeper and historically, as a club, we have had very good goalkeepers."

Despite these recent woes, Jimmy believes Cooper could fix these issues, especially with January signing Ivo Grbic failing to impress since his move from Atletico Madrid.

The Blades Ramble host added.

"The other option is bringing in a Premier League goalkeeper, which I understand, but I don't think you will get one better than Cooper. We need to bite the bullet and sell Osula so we can get Cooper in this window."

Michael Cooper is the answer for Sheffield United and Chris Wilder

It is hard to disagree with Ramble on this issue. Since the loan signing of Dean Henderson for both the 2018-19 and 2019–20 campaigns, the Blades have struggled to find a permanent keeper of suitable quality.

This means that signing Cooper is necessary and, based on his underlying statistics, he would be a superb addition.

Over the past two - albeit injury-hit at times - campaigns, he has prevented a staggering 11.3 goals and boasts an average save percentage of 75%, making him one of the best keepers in the EFL.

Additionally, having proven himself in the second tier either side of his knee issues, he should be able to comfortably transfer these results across to Bramall Lane, although nothing is a guarantee in the world of football.

Whilst the £3 million may seem steep for a player with one-year left on his contract, it should not discourage Sheffield United as they could be looking at a number one for years to come, even if they do have to sell a current player to buy.