Sheffield United "movement" predicted in one area this January after Wrexham evidence | OneFootball

Sheffield United have been backed to add to their defence in January

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Sheffield United have been predicted to make changes to their backline in the January transfer window.

The Blades have experienced a mixed 2025/26 campaign thus far, which started in disastrous fashion. Under the leadership of Ruben Selles, United were defeated in their opening six matches in all competitions, which subsequently saw the Spaniard get handed his marching orders.

In came Chris Wilder for a third stint in charge and while there were improvements, the Bramall Lane outfit continued to remain inconsistent in their performances. Slowly, form did pick up and Sheffield United dragged themselves out of the relegation zone.

One main issue Wilder has faced since returning to the Steel City side has been their leaky defence. Although United have begun scoring regularly, the number of goals conceded in their own net has been a major cause for concern.

Sheffield United January changes forecasted

Sheffield United's defensive woes were highlighted recently, when they suffered a 5-3 defeat away at Wrexham.

Despite leading the contest 3-1 at one point, their shortcomings at the back ended up costing the Blades dearly, showcasing where their main issues lie.

When queried on whether Wilder will look to mainly focus on defensive recruitments in January, Football League World's Sheffield United fan pundit, Jimmy AKA Blades Ramble, believes that inconsistency in that department means that additions will be necessary if the Steel City outfit want to push further up the table.

"The defence needs work," stated Jimmy.

"I'm not a huge Mark McGuinness fan. Tyler Bindon has been largely good, but was poor against Wrexham, as were a lot of the players. Japhet Tanganga, who a lot of us rate as a really strong player in this division, has his off games.

"Sam McCallum or Femi Seriki, whichever left-back we choose to go with, aren't the best in terms of their defensive duties. They're great in what they can offer you going forward but I think we definitely need additions.

"So there's a lot of work to do in January, not just defence, but I think there will be movement."

Sheffield United must focus on achieving defensive consistency

The 2025/26 Championship has been tightly contested, with not much separating those teams at the bottom of the table to the sides competing for the play-offs.

When Sheffield United have performed well this term and achieved victories, they usually do so by remaining tight at the back.

In wins over Oxford United, Watford, Sheffield Wednesday, Portsmouth, Stoke City and Birmingham City, they didn't concede a goal. Clearly, when the backline performs well, that confidence seeps out into the rest of the squad.

If Wilder can add a few more quality operators into his defence in January, this trend may continue, which would allow Sheffield United to win more matches and progress further up the Championship table.

Consistency at the back usually takes time to achieve though, which means that results might not present themselves immediately.