John Lundstram has established himself as a key member for Sheffield United (Getty Images)
According to The Sun (January 3; Page 57), Crystal Palace are interested in signing Sheffield United midfielder John Lundstram but are likely to wait until next summer when the player’s contract at Bramall Lane expires.
The Blades have offered him fresh terms but the 26-year-old remains reluctant to put pen to paper on a new contract. It has been claimed that Sheffield United are open to cashing in on the midfielder during the January transfer window and would consider offers in the region of £4million.
Elsewhere, The Athletic has claimed that several other clubs in the Premier League, as well as Scottish giants Rangers, are willing to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with Lundstram this month. Hence, Palace are expected to face stiff competition in their efforts to lure the former Everton man to Selhurst Park.
A youth exponent of Everton, Lundstram never made a competitive appearance for the club. Instead, he spent time on loan at five different clubs in the Football League before securing a permanent move to Oxford United in the summer of 2015. Having impressed in League One and League Two, Lundstram was offered a route to the Championship by Sheffield United in 2017.
The 26-year-old featured as a regular starter during his debut season at Bramall Lane but made only made 10 league appearances in the following campaign as the Blades won automatic promotion to the Premier League.
Lundstram regained his status as one of the mainstays of Sheffield United’s midfield last season, registering an impressive 5 goals and 3 assists in 34 appearances as the Chris Wilder’s side finished 9th.
Lundstram hasn’t really managed to hit the same heights in the Premier League this season. He has been at the centre of United’s dismal start to the campaign that has pushed the club into a relegation dogfight. Nevertheless, speculation over his future remains rife, given his unresolved contract scenario at Bramall Lane.
Putting things into context, John Lundstram ticks plenty of boxes at Crystal Palace and would be an almighty coup for the Eagles if they manage to agree terms with the midfielder this month over a free transfer in the summer. The Eagles need to lower the average age of their midfield department and Lundstram would be a handy addition to Roy Hodgson’s set-up in that regard.
James McArthur is nearing his twilight at 33 and is out of contract next summer. James McCarthy has found regular minutes hard to come by and has been heavily linked with a move to Celtic in the winter market. With Cheikhou Kouyate also 31 and Max Meyer offering very little, the door remains open for Lundstram to slot straight into Palace’s starting XI next season.
John Lundstram has already proven his worth in the Premier League as a quality box-to-box midfielder with an eye for goal. He still potentially has his best years ahead of him, meaning Crystal Palace luring him to the English capital on a free transfer would be a shrewd bit of business.