Sheffield United 'renew interest' in Premier League defender Chris Wilder was 'keen' on in 2020

Sheffield United have been linked with fresh interest in Ipswich Town defender Luke Woolfenden.

Defensive reinforcements will soon become a priority at Bramall Lane once deals are wrapped up further forward, with United first keen on strengthening in attack and central midfield. Chris Wilder wasn’t expecting to be in the market for a centre-back but Harry Souttar’s season-ending injury has left a huge gap in the squad - both literally and figuratively.

The towering Australian has returned to parent club Leicester and so United are now searching for a new right-sided centre-back, with local Ipswich-based media outlet TWTD reporting on interest in Woolfenden. They claim Wilder had an eye on the Tractor Boys academy graduate back in January 2020, with the same manager weighing up a move five years down the line.

United like Woolfenden

Woolfenden looks to have been on United’s radar - or at least Wilder’s - for some time, having first been linked with a move to South Yorkshire in 2020 when he was playing League One football at Portman Road. The right-sided defender helped Ipswich win back-to-back promotions but minutes have been a little hard to come by since.

The 26-year-old has fallen behind summer signing Dara O’Shea this season with just seven league starts to his name, while Axel Tuanzebe is also closing in on a return to fitness. Manager Kieran McKenna almost never names centre-backs on his substitutes bench - a rather unusual approach - and so Woolfenden has often been left out of a matchday squad entirely.

“It’s rare that we put centre-halves on the bench and anyone who follows us knows that,” Tractor Boys boss McKenna admitted in December. “Over the long course of the season, we aim to have as many attacking subs and subs with versatility as we can on the bench.”

Ipswich have also recently confirmed the loan signing of Atalanta’s right-footed defender Ben Godfrey, which will likely push Woolfenden further down the pecking order. The report does not indicate whether Portman Road chiefs would be open to a loan or permanent deal, but United aren’t thought to have made an approach as of yet.

United transfer latest

Focus will soon turn to the defensive side of things at United but the current priorities are further forward. Wilder has long been keen on attacking reinforcements and a season-ending injury to academy graduate Oliver Arblaster has made the need for midfield steel more pressing.

The Star understands United are close to landing both, although not as close as some previous reports had suggested. A return to Bramall Lane for Ben Brereton Diaz is close as talks continue with Southampton over a six-month loan, while Leicester City’s Hamza Choudhury is also thought to be closing in on a temporary move.

“There's been good progress. We're not a million miles off,” Wilder said ahead of this evening’s FA Cup clash against Cardiff City. “We'd like to think we will have bodies in for the Norwich game - and before because it's not turn up at 10 for an 11 o'clock kick-off and sign the forms! There might be a medical involved and hopefully some preparation for that game for the boys coming in.

"Of course we want them as early as possible, ideally for the week leading up to the Norwich game. There's a lot of things have to happen in terms of getting these boys over the line.”