Fleck, Ferguson, Khadra: What is going on transfer-wise at Sheffield United right now? | OneFootball

Sheffield United are very well placed to achieve automatic promotion back to the Premier League at the second time of asking this season.

The Blades have a nine-point cushion on third-placed Blackburn Rovers, with Watford trailing them by 11 points in fourth, but Paul Heckingbottom will be desperate to avoid complacency and utilise the January transfer window effectively in aid of that.

Sheffield United’s main investment in the summer transfer window, Anel Ahmedhodzic, has turned out to be a resounding success, and the club’s recruitment team deserve great credit for that addition, where otherwise they have been relying on loan players to step up to bulk out their squad.

It will likely be a case of quality over quantity this month, with keeping hold of key players potentially the best business they can look to pull off.

Here, we have taken a look at what is going on transfer-wise at Bramall Lane…

John Fleck

Fleck has managed just nine league starts this term, has not played in the Championship since early November and is out of contract at the end of the season.

Even if he was a regular starter at the moment, many would have reservations about his ability to step back up to the top-flight next season and, with that in mind, an exit may be on the cards in one of the next two windows.

Heckingbottom values experience highly and for that reason a summer departure may be more likely, with Kris Boyd suggesting that Rangers should be looking to sign the 31-year-old on Sky Sports, quotes via footballscotland.co.uk.

Evan Ferguson

Evan Ferguson, who was linked with a January move to Bramall Lane as per the Sheffield Star, now looks set to stay at Brighton and Hove Albion for the remainder of the season, after chipping in with a goal in the Seagulls’ 4-1 win at Everton on Tuesday evening.

The Blades have had their injury ups and downs at the top of the pitch this season, and with Billy Sharp not hitting the heights that he did in 2021/22, Heckingbottom may be looking to bring in another striker.

The chances are that they will have to look elsewhere due to Ferguson impressing Roberto De Zerbi on the South Coast.

Quiz: Can you name which club Sheffield United signed these 22 players from?

1 of 22

Who did Sheffield United sign Tommy Doyle on loan from?

Liverpool Chelsea Manchester United Manchester City

Reda Khadra

Heckingbottom does not want Reda Khadra’s loan spell at Sheffield United from the Seagulls to be cut short unless the Blades can source a replacement.

That leaves the German winger in a difficult position with the knowledge that it is unlikely he will become a regular starter at any point in the second half of the season, whilst potentially aware that the experience he is gaining on a weekly basis is more valuable than returning to Premier League 2 action.

Finding an alternative and allowing Khadra to head out to another loan club would be mutually beneficial, but Heckingbottom’s priority is the depth of his squad right now.