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Sheffield United are interested in Wigan Athletic's Sam Tickle as they consider potential replacements for Michael Cooper.

Sheffield United are interested in Wigan Athletic’s Sam Tickle as they consider potential replacements for Michael Cooper.

Whilst the Blades are determined to retain their number one, who only joined from Plymouth last year, there is interest in Cooper, with Everton and West Ham known to be among the admirers.

Even though the Blades don’t want to sell, it has been claimed they would consider offers that start at £15m for Cooper, although it remains to be seen whether any club will get near that price tag.

Sheffield United consider Sam Tickle as potential Michael Cooper replacement

As is always the case, the recruitment team at Bramall Lane will always have contingency plans in place in case they do lose key men, and it’s no different with Cooper.

And, according to the Sheffield Star, the Blades are keen on Tickle, who has starred in League One for Wigan over the past few years.

The 23-year-old, who kept 18 clean sheets in the third tier last season, is regarded as one of the top talents in the EFL, and it had been claimed that Arsenal were looking to sign the stopper last year, but a move didn’t materialise.

Sam Tickle is capable of playing at a higher level

Of course, keeping Cooper is the priority for Sheffield United, and fans will want to go into the new season with the ex-Plymouth keeper between the sticks.

He was outstanding last season, and he has the talent to play in the Premier League, so Ruben Selles will want him to stick around for at least one more year as they push for promotion once again.

But, every player has a price, and most would agree that £15m would represent a huge profit for the Blades, and it would be difficult for them to turn it down.

If that did happen, then Tickle would be a shrewd replacement. Like Cooper, he has shown his quality in the EFL, and he is also ready for the step up.

The natural next step for him would be the Championship, but it would be no surprise if Tickle did also reach the Premier League one day as well, because he is another huge talent, and he is still some years away from his peak.

Obviously, Wigan will be keen to keep Tickle, and they have promotion ambitions of their own, but they will also be vulnerable to losing their star man if a suitable offer arrives.

So, it will be interesting to see how this plays out, and whether interest in Cooper does result in a formal bid, as it could have a big knock-on effect.