Sheffield United and Hull City join European club in midfielder race | OneFootball

Both clubs will be keen to push for promotion from the Championship next season, with the Blades recently being relegated from the Premier League.

Not only will they be focused on the short term though, despite Acun Ilicali's unquenching thirst to get the Tigers back to the top level, they will also be keen to look at the bigger picture to give themselves the best chance of enjoying long-lasting success, with the club improving under former boss Liam Rosenior and finishing in a promising place at the end of this term.

Hull may have some excellent players at their disposal now, including Jaden Philogene, but the likes of the winger and Jacob Greaves will surely move on eventually and that will leave the East Yorkshire outfit with a big void to fill.

Spending a huge amount of money isn't an option with financial rules to abide by, so Hull will be keen to recruit some youngsters to strengthen their chances of bringing through some talented young players to the first team.

In terms of United, their previous delicate financial situation was well-documented, although promotion may have aided their cause.

Even with last season's promotion in mind though, they need to be extremely careful and recruiting some young players could help them in the future, with their academy product Ollie Arblaster shining in recent times.

Competition emerges for Lewis Latona

Latona isn't short of interest at this stage, with Hull and the Blades both thought to be keen on him.

Belgian outfit Beerschot are also thought to be interested in the 17-year-old - and that interest may not come as a surprise considering they are one of United's sister clubs.

Any deal with Beerschot could potentially mean that Latona comes to the Blades in the future, although it remains to be seen whether Latona is willing to make a move away from the UK.

He has already appeared for his current club at a senior level, but he is currently competing in the third tier of Scottish football and may be keen to secure a move away.

Latona recently went on trial with both Hull and Sheffield United, but with Hamilton forming a close relationship with Beerschot recently, that could give the latter an advantage in this race.

Lewis Latona needs to think carefully amid Hull City and Sheffield United interest

It's a difficult one for Latona to weigh up because he will want to be playing senior football.

He could get that chance at Hamilton, especially if they stay in the third tier, so staying put may not be the worst idea.

However, joining an English club or Bererschot could open many doors for him.

Of course, there's a chance he could get released from one of these teams and fall away from professional football completely.

However, if he's good enough, he should enjoy a successful career, so it will be interesting to see where he goes next.