Liam Millar's Sheffield United role already laid out amid Preston North End transfer claim

Liam Millar has already outlined his preference to play on the left wing for his next club, amid local reports that a deal has been agreed to bring the Canadian international to Sheffield United this summer. Millar, currently away on international duty at Copa America, spent last season on loan in the Championship with Preston North End.

Millar proved a big hit at Deepdale, with his form attracting interest from the likes of Burnley and Sunderland as well as Ryan Lowe’s side. He is approaching the final year of his current contract at Basel and could be available for a cut-price fee, while Lowe has already suggested, in an interview earlier this season, that Millar would not cost the earth in terms of wage demands - which would be music to the ears of United.

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BBC Radio Sheffield reported this week that Millar is lined up to sign for United after the conclusion of the Copa America tournament, which saw defending champions Argentina defeat Jesse Marsch’s Canada last night thanks to goals from Julian Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez. Millar played 85 minutes of the game before being withdrawn at 1-0 down, with Martinez netting two minutes from time.

United’s recent position has been one of limbo, with ongoing takeover talk effectively placing all transfer and contract activity on hold. But there is scope for some movement in the market before a resolution on the takeover, which could take several weeks or months, as boss Chris Wilder looks to begin assembling a squad capable of an instant promotion challenge after last season’s Premier League relegation.

Preston were interested in bringing Millar back to Deepdale this season but are currently focusing on other targets. Peter Ridsdale, a Preston director, revealed this week in an interview with our sister paper, the Lancashire Evening Post, that Millar has already outlined his plans to play left wing going forward - with North End keen to recruit someone who can play left wing-back.

Ridsdale also suggested that Basel are holding out for “a big number” in terms of a transfer fee for Millar, but that the player could effectively force the issue by declaring his interest in moving on this summer. A former Liverpool youngster, Millar has family still in England and is understood to be keen on the idea of returning to the UK this summer.

While United have primarily stuck with a 3-5-2 formation in recent seasons, Wilder did experiment with a 4-3-3 shape including wingers at times last season and saw Ben Brereton Diaz impress off the left with six goals in his half-season loan spell. A lack of natural width on both flanks, after the loan returns of Brereton Diaz and James McAtee, is one area of his squad that Wilder could address this summer, with around a dozen players needed as things stand to replace those who have already left the club or are expected to depart before the start of the new campaign.

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“Liam has been very honest with us, saying he loves the club and will come back tomorrow, but wants to play left wing,” Ridsdale said. “And we have said we love him and want him back tomorrow, but we want him to play left wing-back - so there is not a meeting of the minds, necessarily. If he returned from holiday and said he wanted to come back, then there might be a deal to be done.

“But, he is not currently number one on the list we’ve got. Everybody asks for a fee to start with. Do I think we could do a deal if Liam said he only wants to go to Preston? Yes, I do. He has only got a year left. Whilst the number started off at a big number, I don’t think it would end up at the same number if Liam said he wanted to join us. That’s not the issue at the moment. To be fair to Liam, he has been very honest with us. The issue is that he aspires to play in a position we don’t naturally start with, most weeks.”