Sheffield United have been linked with a move for Ryan Gauld recently and he could be an excellent addition to the Blades' squad ahead of next season.

According to TEAMtalk, Sheffield United are among a number of English clubs, including Norwich City, Brighton, Brentford, Blackburn and Swansea City, who are interested in signing the Scottish attacking midfielder this summer.

After breaking through at Dundee United as a youngster, the 25-year-old has spent the majority of the past seven seasons playing in Portugal, but it is only at Farense where he has started to show glimpses of the talent which made him so highly rated as a youngster.

This season has seen Gauld contribute eight goals and six assists in 29 Liga NOS appearances, resulting in an impressive 7.22 average match rating from WhoScored.

If we compare his figures with the current Sheffield United squad, then Gauld would be the top performer, top goalscorer and leading assists provider, which suggests that the Blades are in dire need of a player of his quality ahead of next season.

If the Bramall Lane outfit are to have any chance of sealing an immediate return to the Premier League next season, they desperately need to add some quality in the attacking third. Goalscoring has been a serious concern this season, emphasised by the fact that 35-year-old Billy Sharp is their second top scorer with three league goals.

The £3.15m-rated Gauld has earned comparisons with Barcelona legend Lionel Messi in the past, whilst his former manager Sergio Vieira sang his praises earlier in the season, saying: “When I compare Ryan to the average Brazilian player, I think he has more. I know that because I coached in Brazil’s first division for three years.

"I can strongly say that Ryan is a top player even when compared to the best in Brazil. I’m pretty sure he’ll have his chance in the Scottish national team in the near future."

Therefore, it seems clear that Gauld would be an excellent addition to Sheffield United's squad ahead of next season, so the board should do everything they can to try and bring him to Bramall Lane this summer.

In other news... Just 3 passes: £10.8m-rated Blades flop let Heckingbottom down with an awful display