Sheffield United plot fresh talks with Man City after huge clash tonight

Having helped Paul Heckingbottom’s side reach the Premier League after joining them on loan last season, Doyle made his first appearance of the European Championships during the Young Lions’ semi-final victory over Israel on Wednesday.

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Lee Carsley’s squad meet their counterparts from Spain in this evening’s showpiece at the Adjarabet Arena in Batumi. Once they have flown home from Georgia, who have co-hosted the tournament with Romania, United are expected to use that as their cue to step up their pursuit of a player who has already been the subject of negotiations between Heckingbottom and Txiki Begiristain; City’s influential director of football.

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Although Heckingbottom would also like to bring Doyle’s team mate James McAtee back to South Yorkshire after he also spent the 2022/23 campaign at Bramall Lane, the former Barnsley, Leeds and Hibernian chief privately concedes that might prove difficult given Pep Guardiola’s admission that the 20-year-old is poised to be handed an opportunity to impress during the treble-winners’ summer warm-up programme.

Doyle’s route into the Catalan’s starting eleven appears to be much tougher, with City adding Chelsea’s Mateo Kovacic to their already talent-laden ranks last month.

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Aged 21, Doyle’s first choice would be to remain in the North-West and fight for his place. But he has also spoken of his desire to play regular senior football after featuring 29 times for United in all competitions and, crucially, admitted United would be his preferred destination should he be forced to move on in order to achieve that ambition.

The Star, who first revealed City’s expectation that Heckingbottom would bid for Doyle and also his meeting with Begiristain, have been told that the Basque would be prepared to consider entering into another loan arrangement if United are unable to find the money to pursue a permanent deal.

Anis Ben Slimane is poised to join them from Brondby, which would leave Heckingbottom with around £18m to spend before the transfer window closes in September.

City have already demonstrated a willingness to sell some of their young players this summer, providing buy-back clauses are written into their contracts.

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