Newcastle United have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Dion Sanderson, with Sheffield United now lining up a bid for his services [Football Insider].

The Lowdown: Newcastle United get set for 2021/22

Moving towards 2021/22, many Magpies supporters will be intrigued to see how manager Steve Bruce goes about improving on their 12^th placed finish last term considering the awkward state of limbo surrounding the takeover.

Though they haven’t dipped their toes into the transfer market waters as of yet, the Toon have been linked with moves for the likes of Sanderson and Ozan Kabak in recent days.

However, it appears they are facing an uphill battle to acquire the 21-year-old as more and more interest is drawn to his services.

The Latest: Sheffield United set to rival Newcastle and Sunderland for Sanders0n

Sheffield United are said to be readying an offer to lure the youngster away from Molineux, revealed by a Football Insider recruitment source.

Newcastle United have been interested in Sanderson as far back as last month alongside rivals Sunderland, and saw a £1.5 million bid rejected by his current employers for his signature.

Intriguingly, the Blades are willing to attempt to bring the 6 foot 1 ace on a loan deal if a permanent deal cannot be achieved, perhaps giving them the upper edge in negotiations if Wolves want to pursue a temporary switch.

The Verdict: Would be a bitter blow for Newcastle United

Predominantly used as a central defender, Sanderson's concentration and awareness to dangerous situations at such a young age have catapulted him to be a sought-after commodity this summer.

In 2020/21, the Wolverhampton-born stopper made 27 appearances on loan at Sunderland, registering one goal [Transfermarkt].

Demonstrating his domineering presence at the back, Sanderson won 2.3 aerial duels on average per game across the campaign [WhoScored]. Sniffing out perilous situations was his forte, making around 2.7 clearances per match within this timeframe [WhoScored].

Looking ahead to the forthcoming campaign, the Magpies should be looking to gazump Sheffield United to sign Sanderson before it’s too late, as missing out on a promising young talent for what seems a relatively small fee could be a huge blow.

In other news, Newcastle United are interested in an international defender.