Mauricio Pochettino could hinder Sheffield United’s Chukwuemeka raid

Sheffield United have been linked with a move for Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka since winning promotion.

With a second loan move for James McAtee not guaranteed, United are putting plans in place to sign other youngsters from the Premier League’s top dogs.

One of the names mentioned is Chelsea’s Chukwuemeka. TeamTalk had reported that the Blades were among a number of clubs keen on signing the young England midfielder.

However, United’s hopes of signing Chukwuemeka might hit the buffers before the Premier League season ends.

Pochettino a fan of Carney Chukwuemeka

Chukwuemeka has been in the headlines this week already. He has been denied the chance to go away with the England under-20s, despite Chelsea having nothing to play for.

Further to that, there was a small note which suggests Sheffield United could struggle to land Chukwuemeka.

The Evening Standard claims that incoming Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino is actually a big fan of the young Englishman.

Pochettino is said to be more than aware of Chukwuemeka, who signed for Chelsea from Aston Villa for around £20m.

That could mean Pochettino is planning on keeping the youngster around next season. The former Spurs boss is well known for bringing young players through and is largely credited with getting the likes of Harry Kane and Dele Alli performing at their best.

Chukwuemeka, then, could well wait and see what ‘Poch’ has planned before making any decisions.

Sheffield United News View: Patience could be key for Heckingbottom this summer

While the bonus of getting promoted means you can attract better players, there’s also the problem if being in bigger ponds.

With Chukwuemeka, United will have earmarked him as a potential loan signing. But the problem is that so will a host of other clubs. And then when you throw Pochettino’s return to England into the mix, it further complicates things.

Naturally, Heckingbottom and his team will want business done quickly. But the reality is that we might have to be patient with some players.

Chukwuemeka is clearly a big talent. But big talents are in-demand. And with that, the Blades might have to bide their time.

Lee Connor has been writing about all things football since 2015 and currently works as Editorial Lead for Sheffield United News and freelance writer The Boot Room. He has worked for GRV Media since January 2020 and previously worked for Football League World at Snack Media. Lee is an expert on Sheffield United and takes a keen interest in the tactical side of the game and raising talking points that go against the grain. He has a deep memory bank of 90s football stickers, knows the 1998 World Cup inside out and can’t get enough of losing in the playoffs.