SHEFFIELD United are ready to step up their search for a new goalkeeper after Wes Foderingham's Bramall Lane exit was confirmed, with Chris Wilder having identified Sunderland's Anthony Patterson as a target as he looks to rebuild his Blades squad this summer.

United are preparing for life back in the Championship after a miserable campaign in the Premier League, with Wilder keen on building a youthful new-look squad.

Signing a goalkeeper is a priority, with Ivo Grbic having struggled to impress after joining from Atletico Madrid in January. Foderingham was expected to lose the gloves after Grbic's arrival but won back his place in the side. However, he'd already turned down the offer of a new contract in the first half of the season and the keeper and the club were unable to reach an agreement on a new deal.

His imminent exit was confirmed on Thursday morning by the Blades, who will now step up their search for a replacement.

Patterson is said to be top of Wilder's wishlist, but Sheffield United would have to fork out significantly more than the £8m they're said to value the Sunderland keeper at if they're to tempt the Black Cats into doing business.

Patterson is an established Championship No.1, a former England Under-21 international and Sunderland are in a position of transfer power, with the keeper's current contract at the Stadium of Light running until the summer of 2028.

Transfer interest in the 24-year-old is nothing new, with Liverpool, Arsenal and Celtic all said to have watched the keeper in the past.

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Patterson had started 110 consecutive league games for Sunderland before he was dropped for the final day defeat to Sheffield Wednesday and replaced by Nathan Bishop.

Explaining the decision, interim head coach Mike Dodds said: “Bishop deserved to play because of how he has conducted himself, and there was also an element of him needing him to play so that we could see if he could potentially be a number one for this football club somewhere down the line.

“I'm not saying that Anthony Patterson is going to leave but if he continues on the trajectory he's on then I'm sure that there's going to be a huge amount of interest in him."

As well as Bishop, Sunderland have highly-rated teenage keeper Matty Young on their books. Young returned to the Black Cats at the end of the season after a hugely impressive loan spell at Darlington, and Dodds backed the 17-year-old to battle for the Sunderland gloves next season.

He said:  “I know people might say that the goalkeeping position is a bit different, but the ball is always in the player’s court. If he comes back and is unbelievable, then one thing that this football club has shown is that under this model and this ownership, they will give young players opportunities and will not be scared of that.

“If he comes back, and he’s better than the current number one, whether that be Patto (Anthony Patterson) or whoever, then he’ll get an opportunity to play."