Sheffield United remain hopeful of adding a free agent to Chris Wilder’s squad, but must first solve a squad-number problem in terms of getting one out

Chris Wilder, the Sheffield United manager, has outlined the “problem” that is currently standing in the way of the Blades signing the free agent he had hoped would be in place for tomorrow’s trip to Blackburn Rovers. Wilder revealed last week that United hoped to tie it up before Monday’s 12pm deadline.

That is not understood to have happened, with an outgoing deal currently holding up the potential incoming one. Although United’s incoming transfer window closed last Tuesday, a number of countries around the world are still allowed to do business.

That has led to Nils Zatterstrom being targeted by Polish club Raków Częstochowa, who have until Wednesday to sign new players. He and Ehije Ukaki are the last remaining players at Bramall Lane from the disastrous AI experiment of last summer, but Zatterstrom was born after January 1 2005 and is therefore still classed as an U21 player by the EFL.

United can still sign free agents but had to submit a 25-man squad to the EFL after the closure of the transfer window last week. So the incoming is on hold until the outgoing, who is understood to be Ukaki, is sorted.

“We're working really hard,” said Wilder ahead of the trip to Ewood Park. “There are two scenarios. We have to move one of the players out, which is becoming a problem because he's at the moment part of the 25-man squad that we've inherited. A player that I inherited.

“So that's becoming a difficult scenario and situation. But hopefully we've found a solution to that and we'll bring a player in. I’m not being negative, but I think you understand that the market for a particular player, especially a forward, is a very small one.

“But we feel we've found somebody that can add to us, add to the group. Add versatility, availability, experience as well. We've got enough young players in the team; the balance of the team has got to be right and quality, ability.

“So we feel that we've got somebody that can help us out this season. But it all depends on if we can move a player out of the building, to register the player that we're interested in

“It's all dependent on the player going out. If the player doesn't go out and some more windows shut, then we won't be able to do anything.”

United are allowed to carry more than 25 players in their squad but can only register that many with the EFL to play, and had to do so soon after the window closed.

“It’s just the squad size,” Wilder added. “I think we'll be okay financially with the business that we've done this season, but still we won't overpay for a player. But it's more squad numbers.

“As I said, it's something that's in the way at the moment. Fingers crossed it isn't, because that would be a disappointing situation. But at the moment, everybody's working hard to move a player out and hopefully we'll get some good news this afternoon.”