Sheffield United facing Brentford, Burnley threat in transfer race for Coventry City star Bobby Thomas | OneFootball

According to reports, Brentford and Burnley could join the transfer race for Sheffield United target, Bobby Thomas of Coventry City

Sheffield United have been dealt a potential blow in their pursuit of Coventry City defender Bobby Thomas, who is now reportedly attracting interest from Premier League duo Brentford and Burnley.

As reported via X on Monday evening by journalist Pete O'Rourke, the top-flight pair are "considering moves" for Thomas following an expression of interest from the Blades.

On Friday, O'Rourke revealed that Ruben Selles' side had lodged an £8 million bid for Thomas' services, although they are now facing the threat of losing out on a blockbuster transfer target to Premier League outfits.

United have been eager to bolster their backline following the sale of star defender Anel Ahmedhodzic and a poor start to the 2025/26 Championship campaign under Selles, in which last season's play-off finalists have lost each of their opening two encounters against Bristol City and Swansea.

The South Yorkshire outfit will be looking to record their first win of the season at home to Millwall on Saturday afternoon.

Sheffield United facing Burnley, Brentford threat in transfer race for Coventry City's Bobby Thomas

As aforementioned, Thomas has recently been the subject of a reported £8 million bid from Sheffield United, though it currently remains unclear whether Coventry intend on accepting or rejecting that bid.

They will, however, have something to think about if Brentford or Burnley decide to amplify their own efforts to beat the Blades to Thomas' signature, with the duo both reportedly "considering moves" for the highly-rated defender.

Coventry may be under no immediate rush to sell ex-Claret Thomas, who remains under contract for another two years after first moving to the CBS Arena from Burnley back in the summer of 2023.

They have already sold one defender this summer in Luis Binks, and 24-year-old Thomas has been a key figure with the Sky Blues ever since his arrival.

Thomas is closing in on 100 appearances for Coventry and has started both of their opening two league encounters, finding the back of the net in Saturday afternoon's thrilling 5-3 comeback victory over Derby County at Pride Park.

But, it does appear as though United have other targets lined up. Malmö defender Nils Zatterstrom is reportedly set to sign in an initial €3.3 million (£2.8 million) deal, while the Blades have also been linked with a move for Ben Mee.

Coventry City may prefer to sanction Bobby Thomas sale to Brentford, Burnley over Sheffield United

Should Coventry decide to cash in on Thomas this summer, which could be something of a surprise considering the club's limited activity in the transfer market this summer and their ambitions of achieving promotion to the Premier League, one may have to wonder whether it will be more tempting to sanction a sale to a Premier League club.

Like Coventry, Sheffield United also finished inside the top-six last season and will be viewed by the Sky Blues as a direct promotion rival.

It's also perfectly reasonable to assume that, naturally, top-flight outfits such as Brentford and Burnley will be able to offer a more-appealing financial offering for the defensive star, who could himself be inclined to try his hand at the highest level instead of spending another season in the Championship, just with a different club.

And, it would be amiss to overlook the fact that Thomas started his career with Burnley, who only sold him to Coventry two years ago.

It seems too early for United to give up hope in their chase of Thomas, but it's hard to ignore that they could have just been dealt a potentially damaging blow in their pursuits, especially if Brentford and Burnley amp up their admiration in the coming days and weeks.