Sheffield United confirm Aston Villa transfer move with Man Utd legend’s son one of 11 handed new Lane deals
Sheffield United have confirmed the arrival of a defender from Aston Villa as one of 11 players to have signed their first professional contracts with the Blades ahead of the new season. The Blades have added Max Asante-Boakye to their U21 ranks after he was released by the Premier League side.
The 18-year-old had been on trial at Ipswich Town as he looked to make the next step in his career but has now put pen-to-paper at Bramall Lane, alongside 10 existing United prospects. Among them is Zach Giggs, the son of Manchester United legend Ryan who will step up to the U21s after completing his scholarship.
Fellow former Old Trafford man Siem Eyob-Abraha will do likewise while highly-rated right-back Sam Colechin, who made a first-team debut last term in the FA Cup, has also been tied down by the Blades.
Archie Christie-Crainie, Coby Hewitson, Frankie Jones, Jackson Blaize and Seth Okyere will all move up to the U21s while Aaron Reid and Theo Howard join Colechin in committing their immediate futures to Bramall Lane.
While all the focus amongst Unitedites is on this summer’s transfer market, in terms of players who can come in and make an immediate impact on Ruben Selles’ squad, having a healthy crop of young players pushing from the academy is a big part of United’s future plans, with the likes of Oliver Arblaster, Andre Brooks and Sydie Peck having made the transition to the first-team squad in recent times.
After signing scholarship terms at Villa Park in 2023, Villa described Asante-Boakye as “a quick, athletic centre-back who can drive into midfield effectively. Max was a key part of the back four who did not concede a goal when winning the Under-16 Premier League National Tournament.”
The 11 players will supplement an U21 group depleted by the departures of Harry Boyes, Ethan Cummings, Mekhi Haughton-Parris and Henry Molyneux at the end of last season. Boyes has subsequently signed for National League side Southend United after his long association with the Blades came to an official end last week.
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