Sheffield United: Where The Blades hope to strengthen in January

Sheffield United have identified their transfer targets ahead of next month’s transfer window, manager Chris Wilder confirmed, as he attempts to build upon the club’s encouraging start to the Premier League season.
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Speaking ahead of Sunday’s visit to Norwich City, Wilder confirmed he hopes to strengthen the options at his disposal when the market reopens for business but warned a number of players on the periphery of United’s squad will be moved on to make room for new arrivals.

Brentford’s Ollie Watkins is understood to feature on the list of names Wilder presented to Bramall Lane’s new board of directors during a series of meetings in Dubai last month.

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However, it remains unclear if he will be provided with enough funding to persuade the Londoners to part company with the attacker.

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder met the club's hierarchy in DubaiSheffield United manager Chris Wilder met the club's hierarchy in Dubai
Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder met the club's hierarchy in Dubai

“We are looking,” Wilder said. “There is a short, medium and long-term plan for this football club. It is important we cement our position in the Premier League, and the one in the table now. We will only do that by investing in January.”

United have prepared for their match at Carrow Road in ninth, making a bold start to the campaign after being promoted last term. Despite making a series of acquisitions over the summer, including record signing Oli McBurnie, Wilder has stressed more are required as many of those teams around United in the table are expected to spend heavily.

Reinforcements at centre-half and in midfield feature among United’s priorities, after a picture of those discussions in the Middle East, involving owner HRH Prince Abdullah bin Musa’ad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud inadvertently revealed a series of target areas which had been scribbled onto a whiteboard.

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“There might be some loans in there but there is still a cost to that,” Wilder said. “It’s my job to identify areas and targets. Then from the board and the owner’s point of view, it’s for them to make funds available.”

“There’s a couple that will move out on permanents or on loans, because they’ve not had any football,” he added. “We’ve talked about that. It’s important we keep the numbers right because we want serious and fierce competition.”