Sheffield United and Burnley will be joining Sunderland and Preston North End in the Championship next season. The Blades and the Clarets are returning to the second-tier at the first time of asking after winning automatic promotion in the 2022/23 campaign.
New recruits will be on the radar already, and it is now claimed all four sides have one star on their shopping lists.
As per a report from The Sun, Sheffield United, Sunderland, Burnley and Preston North End are all interested in Canadian international winer Millar ahead of the summer transfer window.
The FC Basel loanee has spent this season with Preston, managing five goals and five assists in 36 games. His impressive displays have seen him draw admiring glances from multiple clubs, both in the Championship and on the continent.
Millar as a year left on his contract with Basel as his Deepdale loan comes to an end.
Former Liverpool youngster Millar spent spells on loan at Kilmarnock and Charlton Athletic before switching to Switzerland with Basel in the summer of 2021.
Since then, he’s managed 13 goals and 10 assists in 91 games for the club while taking his Canada appearance total to 24.
However, he’s found another level of productivity in the Championship this season. His impressive performances as both a wing-back and winger have shown he could be a real star at this level, and it seems Sheffield United, Sunderland and Burnley are aware of that.
The interest from those three sides could make it tricky for Preston to keep Millar permanently, though the winger may favour at stay at Deepdale given that he’s already settled there and knows the system of Ryan Lowe’s side.
How likely is a move?
Millar’s immediate future is in the hands of parent club FC Basel.
He still has a year left on his contract and after his impressive loan, it could be that they look to tie him down to a new deal and offer him more game time to try and persuade him to stay.
That said, if Millar sets his sights on a permanent exit, the club may not stand in his way. With a year remaining on his deal, this summer could be the last chance for them to cash in.
And, with Sheffield United, Sunderland, Burnley and Preston among those keen, they look to have a handful of clubs who could offer to buy him before potentially losing him for nothing next summer.
Time will tell how the situation pans out, but it would not be a surprise to see Millar back in the Championship come the start of next season.
June 28, 2024
