Sheffield United "going through the dance" over transfer as Chris Wilder confirms bid placed for target
Sheffield United "going through the dance" over transfer as Chris Wilder confirms bid placed for target
Sheffield United have placed a bid for a centre-half, manager Chris Wilder has confirmed, as they look to complete the final piece of their squad jigsaw ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline. The Blades have signed four players already in this window, adding Ben Brereton Diaz, Tom Cannon, Hamza Choudhury and Harry Clarke to their squad.
But they are light at the back after losing loan star Harry Souttar to a season-ending Achilles’ injury, leaving Anel Ahmedhodzic and Jack Robinson as the Blades’ only fit and senior centre-halves. They have players who can cover in a crisis, including youngster Jamal Baptiste, Alfie Gilchrist and Rhys Norrington-Davies, but Wilder is keen to add a specialist in there to increase cover and competition.
We understand Jimmy Dunne, the QPR defender who is out of the contract in the summer, is amongst the top targets for United while Harry Darling of Swansea City has also been considered.
“We're after a centre-back, there's no doubt about it,” Wilder admitted ahead of Monday’s deadline. “We've made enquiries, we've made a bid for a player and going through that dance. But we've got alternatives under that.
“When all our players are fit and healthy, we had options off the bench before we lost two main actors in Ollie Arblaster and Harry Souttar. We were down two straightaway. They were done straightaway.
“So to get the numbers back up is amazing. It’s not surprising but the levels of intensity have gone up a notch so that benefits everyone. None of the players should shy away from that. We have to be as strong as the teams above us and below us.”