Sheffield Wednesday will have fresh Dejphon Chansiri anger after Sheffield United, Ben Mee transfer news | OneFootball

The Blades' pursuit of Ben Mee will sting on the blue side of Sheffield

Sheffield United have made a move to sign experienced defender Ben Mee, in what represents another bitter blow for city rivals Sheffield Wednesday.

The 35-year-old centre-half, released by Brentford this summer, has been training with the Blades with a view to a contract offer, according to The Star.

The move comes just weeks after Mee had been linked with Wednesday, who are yet to make a single addition in the transfer market amid financial restrictions imposed by the EFL.

With both Steel City clubs winless so far this season, the contrast is telling: one club identifying an obvious solution to its problems, the other hamstrung by years of mismanagement and unable to make progress in the market.

Sheffield United move for Ben Mee highlights Owls’ struggles

For United, the logic is clear. Defensive frailties have been laid bare in their opening games of the Championship season, with Ruben Selles’ side leaking goals and lacking leadership at the back.

Mee, a proven operator with more than 400 appearances across Burnley and Brentford, represents an experienced, low-risk solution.

His track record of promotion with Burnley a decade ago only adds to his value.

Given his free agent status, the deal carries little risk and could prove decisive in their efforts to climb the table.

But for Wednesday, the development only compounds frustration. Mee was precisely the type of player their squad so desperately needs: a seasoned professional with Championship nous, leadership qualities, and the composure to guide a young, depleted side.

Instead, financial paralysis under owner Dejphon Chansiri means the Owls are standing still while their most bitter rivals act decisively.

Dejphon Chansiri’s Sheffield Wednesday mismanagement continues to haunt Hillsborough

Soccer Football - Championship - Leicester City v Sheffield Wednesday - King Power Stadium, Leicester, Britain - August 10, 2025 Sheffield Wednesday fan with leaflets in protest to the owner Dejphon Chansiri outside the stadium before the match Action Images/Andrew Boyers

Wednesday’s transfer inertia is rooted in years of financial mismanagement. Embargoes have only recently been eased after overdue wage payments, and the club remains restricted to free transfers and loans under close EFL scrutiny.

Henrik Pedersen is left with just 16 senior players - including a single goalkeeper - to navigate a gruelling Championship campaign.

Even now, recruitment is restricted to free transfers and loans, with the EFL’s Club Financial Reporting Unit monitoring every move, awaiting assurances from the club that the wages of any incoming player can be satisfied.

Supporters, already planning further protests against Chansiri’s ownership, will view the Blades’ pursuit of Mee as emblematic of the current crisis.

Whatever Mee knew of Wednesday's interest, the fact is that one of the most suitable free agents on the market - reportedly offered to Wednesday earlier this summer - now looks destined for Bramall Lane is another reminder of how far the club has fallen.

Anger will inevitably turn once more towards Chansiri. Players have departed as free agents, prized assets have been sold below value to cover shortfalls and transfer opportunities continue to slip through the net.

Now, with their oldest rivals acting where they cannot, the contrast could hardly be starker.

For all the unity shown on the pitch and in the stands in the opening weeks, Wednesday’s survival in the Championship depends on more than spirit.

It depends on stability, experience, and competence at board level - qualities that remain completely absent under Chansiri’s reign.