Sheffield United boss Slavisa Jokanovic has said a deal to bring Sampdoria midfielder Ronaldo Viera on a loan-to-buy agreement to Bramall Lane has collapsed, as he spoke to the press following last night's defeat at West Bromwich Albion.

The 23-year-old was nearing a move to South Yorkshire after arriving in England to self-isolate ahead of his medical at the club, with a loan arrangement reportedly being agreed between Serie A side Sampdoria and the Blades with an option to make it permanent.

This would have been seen as a fresh start by Vieira, who enjoyed the brightest spell of his career at Leeds United as a teenager before making the move to Italy in 2018, signing a five-year contract at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris after breaking into the England youth setup.

 

 

However, this move has been a disaster for the former Whites man, who has made just 44 appearances in three seasons for Roberto D'Aversa's side and was even sent out on loan last season by former boss Claudio Ranieri to Hellas Verona, in a bid to secure him more playing time.

But he only went on to make five appearances in a season long-loan there and with that, Verona decided against triggering the permanent option inserted into the temporary agreement.

Sheffield United Slavisa Jokanovic looked set to give him another chance but this deal has broken down - and speaking to the Sheffield Star following last night's game at The Hawthorns on this subject, he said: "It is definitely off (the deal).

"We expected he (Vieira) could be available soon but we needed to wait for him longer and we took the decision to look for another option looking forward."

The Verdict:

Considering he was reported to be undergoing a medical on Tuesday, this is a huge blow for the Blades who need another central midfielder to come in following the departure of John Lundstram in the summer.

It's also unclear whether star Sander Berge will remain with the club beyond the end of the month as well - and they will be in serious trouble if he goes and they fail to bring in at least two or three players in the middle of the park to replace him and Lundstram.

After failing to win any of their three opening league games, this has only gone on to add to manager Jokanovic's misery at the moment - and fans have pointed out their central midfield as one of their weak spots from last night's 4-0 drubbing in the West Midlands.

You just feel they need a new addition in the middle of the park to give them the boost they need to overturn their current form, because inspiration from inside the club seems to be non-existent as things stand and morale may worsen with Aaron Ramsdale set to join Arsenal.

Vieira would have been a great addition but with the likes of James Garner and Matty Longstaff potentially available to freshen up the South Yorkshire side's midfield, the recruitment team needs to get back to work on alternatives for the 23-year-old.