Chris Wilder has reaffirmed why Sheffield United could make Kalvin Phillips transfer push this summer

With just four games to go, the end of the season cannot come soon enough for Sheffield United and Chris Wilder.

A run of just two wins in their last nine games has ended their already faint play-off hopes, meaning they have very little to play for in the final fortnight of the campaign, starting against Watford at Vicarage Road on Saturday afternoon.

Boss Wilder, who returned to Bramall Lane last September, less than three months after being sacked and replaced by Rubén Sellés, is desperate to get on with what he is hoping will be a transformative summer. He is keen to bring in fresh blood that he hopes will allow United to make significant progress next season after an underwhelming 2025/26 campaign.

With last summer’s recruitment having played a big role in this season’s decline, Wilder knows United must improve their success rate in this summer’s transfer window. The boyhood Blade will, of course, be looking to add talent and quality to United’s ranks, but recruiting players of the right character will be just as important.

“We need to bring some experience in, to challenge,” Wilder said recently. “To bolster that part of the team up, the biggest box that needs to be ticked is personality and character.

“Character of a winning footballer. Just look at three of our back four, an average age of 23. We certainly need to add some experience into that.”

Wilder has achieved enough in his career to prove himself as a winner. He has a collection of promotions on his managerial CV including two that have been achieved at Bramall Lane.

With that in mind, it is easy to understand why he wants to recruit players who have experience of being in the habit of winning games and accolades. In current loanee Kalvin Phillips, United have a player who has won honours almost every other Championship player can only dream of.

As first reported by The Star last week, United are keen on the idea of re-signing Phillips on loan from Manchester City this summer. Phillips, too, is understood to be open to the prospect of a second stint at Bramall Lane.

Phillips moved to South Yorkshire on the final day of the mid-season transfer window in February, joining the Blades on loan for the remainder of the season. Unfortunately for him, he has been restricted to just three appearances thus far because of a knee injury that recently required a minor operation.

However, there is no doubt Phillips, when he is fit, could rank as one of the very best midfielders in the Championship. He has represented City at the highest level and helped England reach the final of the European Championship in 2021, playing a key role.

Phillips is understood to have impressed United staff with his attitude while his presence at the club has rubbed off on some of United’s youngsters such as midfield colleagues Sydie Peck and Oliver Arblaster.

And with Wilder, following the weekend’s win over Hull City, having once again reiterated the importance of bringing in players of the right character, his previous comments about Phillips only strengthen his case to try and bring him back to Bramall Lane this summer.

“Just to let people know, we’re not paying full wage recovery as people understand it,” Wilder said last month. “It’s a deal that Steve Bettis did, which was a brilliant deal for the football club.

“It covers us on so many aspects. And he passed the medical as well. So we’re not signing this player that’s injured before all that comes out.

“The deal that we’ve got is an outstanding deal. An outstanding deal and an outstanding character and a player.”