'Outstanding' player wanted by Newcastle United & Liverpool signs long-term deal

Sheffield United have tied young midfielder Oliver Arblaster down to a new long-term contract amid interest from the likes of Newcastle United and Liverpool.

The 20-year-old, who progressed through the academy ranks at his boyhood club, made five appearances during the 2022-23 season after making his league debut in the win at Hull City in September 2022.

Arblaster spent the first-half of this campaign on loan at Port Vale, where he appeared 26 times in all competitions, including helping the League One club reach the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.

Premier League clubs such as Newcastle, Liverpool, Brighton and Hove Albion and Brentford have kept tabs on Arblaster but he's decided to commit his future to Sheffield United until the summer of 2028.

"I am buzzing to finally sign a long-term deal with my boyhood club. I can't wait to kick on," said Arblaster. I have seen he (the manager) has put his trust in the likes of Will (Osula) and Brooksy (Andre Brooks). They have signed long-term deals, and I am hoping I can repay his faith in me and go out and also perform on the pitch for him.

"You can develop so much through Academy football but then you go out and play men's football, and you see how difficult it is playing Tuesday-Saturday. You see how relentless it is to get three points, I feel like on and off the pitch I have learned a lot over the past 12 months.

"I have been here 12 years; it feels like an age! I have signed a new long-term deal now and I feel like all the hard work I've put in to get to this point is really rewarding, but now I need to kick on and try and establish myself in the first team."

A knee injury at Vale Park in December prompted the Blades to recall Arblaster. Championship clubs then registered their interest in taking the England under-20s international on loan but Blades boss Chris Wilder has plans to integrate him into the first-team picture.

Wilder said: "I had two or three Championship clubs come in for him to take him on loan, but we want him around us, we want him to be involved in the changing room. I've talked to him about the culture and getting to know it.

"There have been a couple we've sent out because we thought it was the right thing and there's a couple, we feel will be better involved with us and getting to know what we expect and demand off them, Ollie is one of them for sure.

"He's an outstanding young player, we did have a little bit of a setback with his injury at Port Vale, but he's worked hard to get himself back.

"There's no downside to having players of, not only with that attitude but that ability, coming through and we are delighted that we have. With our Academy, we need to make sure the pathway is there, and we are strong in that area. We must keep producing young players and give them the opportunity to play."