Aston Villa set sights on swoop for Sheffield United midfielder

Aston Villa are interested in a summer move for Sheffield United midfielder Ollie Arblaster along with fellow Premier League side West Ham United, according to a report by the Daily Mail.

The Midlands outfit are keen on luring the youngster to Villa Park if the Blades are relegated to the Championship.

Chris Wilder's side have struggled all season and are bottom of the table.

Arblaster has been on the books of the South Yorkshire club for his whole career to date and has risen up through their academy. He has been a regular for the Blades at various youth levels in the past.

He was loaned out to Bradford Park Avenue in non-league back in 2021 to get his first taste of regular first-team football under his belt.

The England youth international then spent time with Port Vale in League One during the first-half of this campaign and went on to play 26 games for the Valiants in all competitions, chipping in with two goals.

Arblaster impressed during his time at Vale Park and they were disappointed to see him return to Bramall Lane earlier this winter.

Since returning to Sheffield United, he has featured for Wilder's men on three occasions.

The Sheffield-born man is under contract with his local team until June 2028 meaning they are under no pressure to cash in on him in the next transfer window and can wait for the right offer to come in for his services amid fresh links to Aston Villa.