Sheffield United: Chris Wilder backed to sign Leicester City ace | OneFootball

Chris Wilder has been tipped to return to Leicester City in the transfer market to bolster his Sheffield United ranks in 2026/27...

Sheffield United are a side without parachute payments in 2026/27, having had a disastrous start to last season before Chris Wilder returned to turn their campaign around.

It still didn't amount to much in the end, with Chris Wilder previously overseeing campaigns pushing for promotion with Sheffield United before. He will want to put his own imprint on things in the market after missing all the summer window in 2025.

The Blades have plenty of quality but the Championship is looking like being a beast of a league next season, with Southampton, Millwall, and Middlesbrough the play-off losers and joined by plenty of quality.

Wrexham and Birmingham City have plenty of cash, while West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Burnley will all be eyeing immediate returns to the Premier League. Other ambitious clubs like Derby County will be in the mix as well. Even with Coventry City and Ipswich Town promoted and Leicester City relegated, it's an incredible lineup.

That said, there are more ways of gaining promotion than ever for all of these clubs, with two extra play-off places available to them. Can Wilder make the squad more his own? Can he turn their fortunes around to finish in the top eight after finishing third and 13th in the last two campaigns?

Harry Souttar tipped to make Sheffield United return

Football League World has asked their Sheffield United fan pundit Jimmy from Blades Ramble about the window opening soon, with Wilder able to bring his own players in again after a disappointing season.

We asked, with the window set to open next week, who the one player he'd absolutely love to see signed and why, while keeping it as realistic as possible.

He responded: "This is a pretty easy one for me, to be honest. He's been on loan at Sheffield United before and he's a position that we need — Harry Souttar.

"He's a big, towering centre-back currently at Leicester and they will be desperate to sell players. I think, as I say, he was at United before, and he did a good job for us.

"There were some question marks over his fitness but he came back into the Leicester side at the end of this season and looked really strong.

"So, I'd be really happy to get him back. Play him possibly alongside Japhet Tanganga and see if that, sort of, pulls Tanganga's game up a little bit.

"I think there could be a really good partnership to form there potentially, so Harry Souttar would be the name. He's the one for me to come back in."

Harry Souttar makes too much sense for Sheffield United

In truth, with Leicester now preparing for life in League One, this summer could present a major opportunity for Sheffield United to make a serious move for a player and profile like Souttar.

Wilder is facing a significant rebuild at Bramall Lane and Souttar feels like the sort of commanding centre-back capable of helping stabilise things quickly. Crucially, there is already familiarity between player and manager from their previous spell working together in 2024/25.

Wilder trusted Souttar’s aerial ability and comfort stepping into possession. At League One level, he would instantly look like one of the division’s standout defenders with Leicester. In the Championship, he could still be similar for the Blades, such is his physically dominant profile.

He was only able to play 22 times the last time he was at Bramall Lane. Despite being a loanee, he occasionally wore the armband and is someone Wilder evidently loves. As Jimmy says, he could become a major part of Sheffield United’s promotion push in a stacked division in 2026/27.