Sheffield United have joined the battle for Wigan Athletic shot-stopper Sam Tickle. The youngster has been a target of Preston North End, Arsenal and Manchester United amongst others.
Tickle has been one of the breakout stars of League One over the last couple of seasons. Which has cemented his place in the Latics side.
The 23-year-old has made 123 senior appearances, keeping an impressive 46 clean sheets. He also made his debut for the England U-21s in March, keeping a clean sheet in their 7-0 victory over Luxembourg.
Sheffield United Interest Follows Championship and Premier League Attempts
Since Sam Tickle broke through into the Wigan Athletic first team, he has been a regular in the football transfer news gossip columns. Premier League giants Manchester United were linked with a potential move some time ago, however a deal never materialised. Sunderland have also been regularly linked with a move.
Fellow topflight side Arsenal went one further, with a deal reportedly having been agreed. However, the offer was turned down due to concerns over game time.
Preston North End were also reportedly pursuing a potential deal but Wigan were able to keep hold of their man.
Now Sheffield United have joined the race according to Alan Nixon on his Patreon page.
The Blades are looking at the young goalkeeper as a potential replacement for Michael Cooper. Should they receive an offer for him in January. They could still make a move but it is more likely that they wait until it is clear there will be a vacancy.
Is Sam Tickle Ready for Championship Football?
Tickle has been a target of Championship clubs for some time, which indicates that the scouting departments clearly see some potential in the young goalkeeper.
However, the question remains whether he is Championship ready now, or just has the potential to be in the future.
At 23, he is still not in his prime years, especially considering goalkeepers tend to peak later than their outfield counterparts.
League One Lowdown Verdict
Our resident League One experts at the League One Lowdown gave their opinion on whether Sam Tickle is ready for a Championship move.
Host, League One expert and head of podcasts Sam Griffin had this to say:
“Last season, Tickle was arguable one of the best goalkeepers in League One, with a 75% save percentage. This season that has dropped to 69%. He still has solid performances, however if he wants to become a regular Championship goalkeeper he would need to iron out his frequent mistakes. But this will likely come with age.”
Check out the League One Lowdown’s interview with Gary Bowyer here.