Sheffield United are closing on an £18.5m move for the Aston Villa striker Cameron Archer, in a major boost in the club’s fight for Premier League survival. United are hoping the 21-year-old can replicate his prolific goalscoring record at Championship level in the Premier League.
Archer spent the second half of last season on loan at Middlesbrough, after a fruitful spell in the second tier at Preston the previous year. He entered as a late substitute for Villa against Everton last Sunday but the club have decided their academy graduate is best served playing regularly elsewhere. Villa have stipulated that a buyback clause must be included in any deal, as they did with Aaron Ramsey’s £14m transfer to Burnley.
