Sheffield United must strike right balance in transfer market as owners make future plans clear

Sheffield United’s new ownership group have made no secret of the approach they want to use in the transfer market going forward - but they must also be careful to strike the right balance as the Blades look to bounce back from the disappointment of last month’s play-off final at Wembley. United are bracing themselves for another big summer after their promotion dream went up in smoke under the arch.

Failure to clinch an instant return to the Premier League means an uncertain future for some of their key stars, with injured starlet Oliver Arblaster the latest to be linked with a move away this summer after Brighton and Hove Albion were credited with interest. If concrete bids do arrive for the likes of Arblaster, Gus Hamer and Vini Souza, it could be the first big test of COH Sport’s tenure in charge.

Their recent message to supporters assured them that the board were “working tirelessly to become stronger in the crucial area of recruitment ... by using data and analytics far more effectively to recruit the best and brightest talent.”

The early seeds of that approach have already been sewn by the arrivals of Jefferson Cáceres and Christian Nwachukwu in the winter window, while links with 21-year-old FC Sion defender Gora Diouf have all the hallmarks of another data-led signing.

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But with Championship football notoriously difficult, especially at the top end, United’s top brass have to be careful not to overlook the intangibles when they are identifying potential new recruits. That is something United’s recruitment team have always been keen to do; marry up the statistics on a player’s physical output with background checks on their character and mentality.

It’s an approach that worked in the summer when Michael Cooper and Harrison Burrows were recruited, and slotted straight in at Bramall Lane as personalities as well as players. Cooper went on to be named United’s player of the season; Burrows was included in the Championship team of the year.

Sheffield United must try to strike right balance in recruitment ahead of key transfer summer

United have always kept up with modern methods of recruitment, using data to assess new signings as far back as Paul Mitchell’s time in charge of transfers. Yesterday, we detailed how United lined up a deal for future Dutch international Tijjani Reijnders in the 2022/23 season but couldn’t get a deal over the line. The midfielder has now agreed an initial £42m move to Manchester City.

But the blend with the old-fashioned “eye” on players is surely the best way to maximise United’s bang for their buck, which is where current head of recruitment Mikey Allen and chief scout Jamie Hoyland come into their own.

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A common suggestion from supporters is to ‘follow the Brentford and Brighton models’, which have their own inherent flaws. Brentford’s relies heavily on their owner’s data company, while Brighton have had some real successes but some duds as well. Such methods need long-term investment and patience, with the potential risk of looking so far into the future that you overlook what’s happening in the here and now.

“I know the narrative around the club at the moment is data driven, and it’s the way forward, and ‘why not?’” said boss Chris Wilder just before the end of the season. “But there is always the eyes and the objective and the subjective point of view.

“And the digging into character. Michael’s character is outstanding when we watched him and did all our research on him. He's been very good. Getting the deal done was a great bit of business by Stephen Bettis, to get that over the line.”