Sheffield United may be forced to play the waiting game in their pursuit of Tom Cannon, the Leicester City striker earmarked as a potential addition for their promotion push. The 21-year-old former Everton man has been on United’s radar since earlier in the summer.
But they may have to be patient if they submit an official loan proposal to their counterparts at the King Power Stadium ahead of next Friday’s transfer deadline. Cannon has not been involved as often as he’d have liked in pre-season, to push for a place in new manager Steve Cooper’s thoughts.
The fact that winger Stephy Mavididi was preferred to Cannon from the bench when first-choice striker Jamie Vardy was forced off with injury during the Foxes’ Premier League opener against Spurs earlier this week won’t have gone unnoticed at Bramall Lane, either, as United seek to complement their existing forward options of Kieffer Moore, Rhian Brewster and new boy Tyrese Campbell.
Speaking recently about Cannon’s situation, Cooper said: “I can better answer that when we know what the squad will end up looking like. Tom’s a good young player who has a future in front of him, for sure. It’s our jobs as managers to put the best team out to win games, but it’s also to make sure we put the right programmes on for the younger players.
“We will do that with Tom. What that looks like at the moment I don’t know, but he’s very much part of today’s work. Until things change, that’s how it will be. But I’m probably better to answer that one closer to the end of the window.”
Cannon has played 15 minutes of football since early March and was an unused substitute against Spurs. He also faces being pushed further down the pecking order if Cooper manages to add the forward options he is looking for before the window shuts.
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“I think we are close but we have been close before,” the former Nottingham Forest boss said. “I thought the week before we were adding two attacking players but it didn’t happen in the end. That’s the way it went.
“The top end of the pitch is an area we would like to strengthen, like we have in midfield. Every area we want to strengthen, but that might not be in this window. We are really keen on getting some deals over the line and we are working hard.
“If it happens, great, if not then we have belief in the guys who are here. That’s important. If we can add, and I think we will, then great. But if we don’t, then we’ll get on with it and commit to our objectives.”
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