Rotherham United & Sheffield United in contact over January transfer deal | OneFootball

Ryan One could be set for a temporary switch across South Yorkshire

Rotherham United are reportedly exploring the possibility of taking Sheffield United's young forward, Ryan One, on a loan deal for the remainder of the season.

That is according to a report from the Sheffield Star, as the Millers look to eventually pull themselves clear of the League One relegation zone after a disastrous first half of the campaign under boyhood supporter, Matt Hamshaw.

It has also been a tale of inconsistency for Chris Wilder and his Blades side so far this term, with the 58-year-old returning to Bramall Lane in September, hoping to eventually resurrect what proved to be a dire opening six games under the management of Ruben Selles.

Wilder has been preparing for the current transfer window for quite some time, with the duo of Ben Godfrey and Louie Barry already seeing their loan deals from Atalanta and Aston Villa cut short, as was first exclusively reported by Football League World in the weeks leading up to the resumption of transfer business on New Year's Day.

Much has also been made as to whether the Steel City outfit will be able to retain the services of last season's Championship Player of the Season, Gustavo Hamer, whilst others have also tipped there to be a handful of further tweaks made as United attempt to make a late play-off bid, as they are now just nine points behind Watford, who currently occupy sixth position in the second tier standings.

One is one player who has been the subject of potential exit discourse, as he remains on a long-term contract in S2, but has found gametime extremely hard to come by since breaking into the first-team fold after joining from Hamilton Academical for a six-figure sum under Paul Heckingbottom in the summer of 2023.

As such, the Scottish youth international could now be braced for his maiden loan switch away from Bramall Lane, although he won't be travelling too far if an agreement between the Blades and their South Yorkshire counterparts can be reached over time.

Rotherham United plot loan move for Sheffield United's Ryan One

As previously mentioned, One has struggled to source regular minutes with Sheffield United since arriving as a 17-year-old ahead of the club's most recent Premier League campaign of 2023/24.

After making 36 appearances for Hamilton Academical and scoring four times despite just being a teenager, the young forward has since amassed a total of 22 appearances for the Blades.

12 of those came in the Championship last season, with his solitary goal for the club thus far coming in a dramatic comeback victory against Bristol City in October 2024.

He has also made seven appearances across all competitions so far this season. However, the vast majority of those would come in substitute cameos under Wilder's successor and predecessor, Selles.

One has since seen his gametime significantly reduced as the Blades appear to have turned a corner under their boyhood supporter in the dugout, falling further down the pecking order this summer as the experienced duo of Danny Ings and Patrick Bamford offer different attacking options to those of Tom Cannon and Tyrese Campbell.

As such, the Star claim that Rotherham are exploring the possibility of striking a loan deal with their local rivals for the 19-year-old, who would reunite with fellow Blades prospect, Jamal Baptiste.

It is expected that One will depart the club on a short-term basis to gain much-needed minutes and exposure in senior football, with Hamshaw said to be a big admirer of his ability and potential.

The Rotherham Advertiser have also stated that the two clubs have made contact with each other over the possibility of said loan deal.

As previously mentioned, sections of the Blades' fanbase have backed One to seal a switch to League One for the meantime, including Football League World's Sheffield United fan pundit, Jimmy, from the Blades Ramble.

"He does need to be playing regular football for his development, and I'd be really surprised if he didn't go out on loan," Jimmy told FLW last month.

"I would like to see him at League One level, as I think he's capable of playing at that level."

It remains to be seen if this deal would be a success. However, given the fact Rotherham have only scored 22 times this season, Hamshaw is in desperate need of further firepower and creativity.

One isn't the only player with links to a Sheffield club that has become the subject of a potential switch to the New York Stadium, with Alan Nixon also claiming that the Reds have their eyes set on Duncan Watmore, who has recently been training with Sheffield Wednesday.