Murray man for United?
26th October 1999
Shropshire Star

Nic Hanna Reports

Sheffield United are reportedly closing in on Shrewsbury's talented teenage midfielder Karl Murray.

Sources in Yorkshire suggest the First Division club are poised to table a six-figure bid this week for the 17-year-old, who impressed Blades' boss Adrian Heath in the two Worthington Cup games earlier this season.

Those two games were followed by Murray having a week's trial at Bramhall Lane - and Heath has maintained a close interest since in the player who only signed professional forms this summer.

But Town boss Jake King would this morning say only: "We know they are interested in Karl but there's no deal on the table at the moment."

A six-figure fee for Murray would mean King having raised at least £250,000 from transfers from two teenage players in the last week alone.

And rumours suggest more are also being tracked.

As yet though there is no indication that the club will break past policy by giving King any of it to strengthen what is now undeniably the lowest-cost squad in the Football League.

And that has led to continued debate from supporters who continued to bombard the internet last night to join in the debate over the club's future.

Most at least seemed agreed that the club's survival rests on the manager being given money to spend.

But King still retains sizeable support from his players and the fans in what many feel is a thankless task.

King was travelling to Humberside tonight to watch an injury-decimated Town youth team take on Hull in the FA Youth Cup first round replay, with Town forced to field three 15-year-olds.

And he said of the first team: "They were distraught after the Mansfield defeat but I'm lifting them up. Steve Kerrigan is feeling much better after his bout of flu at the weekend and we just need to start taking our chances."