Sheffield United boss discusses Tommy Doyle “difficulty” amid Man City transfer links

Sheffield United may have become victims of their own success in terms of Tommy Doyle’s loan spell at Bramall Lane last season, which boss Paul Heckingbottom admits has made the prospect of a return more difficult ahead of the Premier League campaign.

Doyle was a big hit with Blades fans after joining on loan from Manchester City for the season, displacing the excellent Oliver Norwood towards the end of the campaign and more than playing his part in United’s automatic promotion and run to the semi-finals of the FA Cup. The 21-year-old has made no secret of his desire to play for his boyhood club but has also admitted he would be open to returning to United next season if the chance arose.

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United’s coaching staff would also like to work with Doyle again in the future, despite his salary at the Etihad making a permanent deal difficult. There were hopes that the unexpected windfall created by Iliman Ndiaye’s move to Marseille may increase United’s chances of signing Doyle, with owner Prince Abdullah promising Heckingbottom the entire Ndiaye fee for reinforcements.

Doyle, who capped a memorable season with United by going on to win the European Championship with England U21s, and his City teammate James McAtee highlight the big conundrum United face over loan stars. Either player would be well outside United’s reach on permanent deals but any benefit to United in improving them is limited. The best-case scenario is that they help United but then they inevitably return to their parent clubs as much more valuable assets, like Morgan Gibbs-White or Dean Henderson in the past.

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For his part, though, Doyle really appeared to be at home at Bramall Lane, after previous loan spells at Cardiff City and Hamburg didn’t work out. And after appearing on BBC Radio Sheffield earlier this week, Heckingbottom was asked about the chances of Doyle returning - and if the extra Ndiaye funds may help. “We got Tommy last season on loan. He’d had two indifferent loans, if you like, and he fitted with what we could afford,” the Blades boss said.

“We took him, we did a fantastic job with him, and he loved it. The problem is that makes it harder to get that player back again. It’s as simple as that. That’s the downside to loans, Listen, we will be taking loans and frees, between now and [deadline day]. They will be big for us and we will be taking loans.

“That’s the downside to it. It’s just a short-term fix. It’s like renting a house. Through necessity we will do it. We got the success on the pitch last season, it helped us get to the Premier League, and we will be forever grateful and thankful. The loans we take this season we want them to help us stay in the Premier League. But we will never be able to get the benefit if we do a good job with them.”