Chris Wilder's January transfer pledge with all eyes on Sheffield United's new owners amid squad need
Chris Wilder's January transfer pledge with all eyes on Sheffield United's new owners amid squad need
Chris Wilder has reiterated his pledge to do his “best for the football club” ahead of a crucial transfer window for Sheffield United. The Blades are absolutely desperate for a fresh impetus when the January sales begin, with their threadbare squad running on fumes and this week rocked by another huge injury blow to defender Harry Souttar.
The defender is out for the season after snapping his Achilles tendon on Boxing Day against Burnley, with 17-year-old defender Sam Colechin called up to the senior squad for the first time for yesterday’s draw with West Bromwich Albion. He and fellow rookie Jamal Baptiste were the only right-footed defensive options on Wilder’s bench against the Baggies, with youngsters Ryan One, Billy Blacker and Louie Marsh making up the substitutes.
The “major blow” of Souttar’s return to Leicester City will shift the priorities for the Blades when the transfer window opens, adding a centre-half to Wilder’s shopping list which already featured options on the left wing and reinforcements in midfield. Wilder and his recruitment staff met with the new United co-owners Steven Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy earlier this week to discuss their plans for the window, with the lack of depth in the squad only further highlighting the need for reinforcements next month.
"I will do the best for the football club, at any particular stage,” Wilder said. “I will pass my recommendations over to the board. If they agree with it or disagree with it, I'm absolutely fine. I've done that since 2016, sacrificed everything for this football club to help them out and do my bit. I think it shows in terms of the results and the success we've had in the last eight or nine years. I'd like to think I set it up for Paul as well who did an outstanding job here.
"I've always done my best and there's always been that opportunity to say whatever to my recommendations. We've done our best to take it forward in terms of the finances of it, that'll be decided by the owners and so I'm absolutely cool with anything like that and there won't be any negativity about that.
“But we're on the same page, we've had really positive meetings in terms of what we can do and who we can bring in. It's important to get the chemistry right. It's not five six or seven but we've lost Souttar now and I've always thought it's a good time in January to give a little boost to the group. I should imagine teams eyeing up a return to the Premier League will try and improve their group, and that's all I've ever tried to do.”