Exciting Sheffield United transfer business could have bonus impact after Chris Wilder departure admission

If, as he believes he will, Chris Wilder receives the five new players he has targeted this window, then Sheffield United will be undoubtedly stronger going into the final straight of the Championship promotion race. Wilder already has one new face through the door, albeit a familiar one in Ben Brereton Diaz, and hopes that Tom Cannon and Jonjoe Kenny will soon join him in South Yorkshire.

A central midfielder and reinforcements at centre-half will complete United’s promotion jigsaw, with another overlooked bonus if Wilder’s squad gets the reinforcements it needs. That could pave the way for some of United’s brightest young players to leave the Lane on loan, and gather some valuable first-team experience in the second half of the campaign.

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The likes of Ryan One and Louie Marsh have been on the periphery of the first team in recent weeks but Brereton Diaz’s arrival, plus the impending addition of Leicester City forward Cannon, could push them further down the pecking order. Wilder has always been a big advocate of youngsters learning from United’s senior players every day in training but nothing can quite replicate the experience of playing regular men’s football in the lower leagues, with Marsh and One amongst those earmarked for potential loan deals before the window shuts.

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Sheffield United striker wanted

United have also fielded an enquiry from another side about taking an unnamed senior player on loan this window, which was shut down and who we understand not to have been striker Rhian Brewster. Marsh has previous experience of first-team football at Doncaster Rovers, where his loan spell was cut short by a bad injury, while powerful 18-year-old One will also be a player of interest to a number of clubs in the lower leagues.

“We’ve had loads of calls regarding players,” Wilder admitted. “But everyone has recognised we’re light on bodies. Players we bring in will free up a couple of younger players to go out on loan. Ideally it would have happened with the summer but with the numbers situation they had to be part of the group.

“It won't have done them any harm to be part of a team that's gone well through 28 games and experienced what the changing room's like and see the preparation at senior level. If we do bring a couple in, then we'll look at numbers in the end. We've loads of talented young players so I would expect one or two of them to go out and play football."