Sheffield United recruit issues coy message on Bramall Lane future | OneFootball

Rob Holding has opened up on the possibility of a permanent transfer to Sheffield United

Crystal Palace defender Rob Holding, who is currently on loan with Sheffield United, has opened up on his chances of joining the Blades on a permanent basis this summer.

The former Arsenal centre-half moved to Bramall Lane on loan in January, and has now revealed his stance on whether he would be willing to join the South Yorkshire outfit on a permanent basis at the end of the season.

Holding joined Crystal Palace back in 2023, but has made just one appearance for the Eagles, which arrived during their 2023/24 EFL Cup campaign.

He was one of seven January additions the Blades made, alongside the likes of striker Tom Cannon and midfielder Hamza Choudhury, who both helped Leicester City on their way to the Championship title last term.

Holding has already made two second tier appearances for Chris Wilder's side, after being introduced as a half-time substitute during the 1-0 win at Luton Town on Saturday.

That victory ensured that Chris Wilder's men have won each of their last four Championship outings, and have put themselves in a strong position to go on and win automatic promotion.

Holding opens up on possibility of permanent Sheffield United transfer

The defender told the Sheffield Star: "I was in a bit of a weird place in my career and I thought I just needed a team to take a chance on me.

"I know my abilities and what I can bring to a team, and to be fair to Sheffield United, they took a chance because I've not played for so long.

"If I can repay that, then all the better and that's what I'm going to try and do."

When asked about whether he could move to Bramall Lane on a permanent basis, Holding said: "Potentially.

"It's going to be a discussion in the summer, and we can see what happens.

"But it's something I'm sort of enjoying in the moment right now and enjoying this journey with the team, and helping whenever I can."

Holding performed well for Sheffield United during win over Luton Town

While Holding has one eye on a potential long-term future with the Blades, he certainly played his part in their victory over Luton on Saturday.

Perhaps the biggest endorsement of his performance at Kenilworth Road is the fact that when he entered the field of play, the score was level at 0-0, and Wilder's men came away with a 1-0 win.

The former Arsenal man proved himself to be defensively astute, as he won four of the seven aerial duels he faced against the Hatters, according to FotMob.

But he also proved to be an asset when in possession, as he maintained a pass accuracy of 85%, while also completing five of the eight long balls he attempted, as per FotMob.

Such a strong performance will surely have enhanced the defender's chances of sealing a permanent move to the Blades, especially if they achieve their goal of winning promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.