"We need" - Harry Souttar name checked as Sheffield United transfer dream laid out | OneFootball

Our Blades fan pundit wants to see the club bring in a right-back and centre-back this week

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 urged to sign a right-back and a centre-back over the next week to complete their January business and give them the best chance of winning an immediate promotion back to the Premier League this season.

The Blades have been impressive on their return to the second-tier so far, and currently sit in second place in the Championship table, just two points off table-toppers Leeds United, and one point above third-placed Burnley.

Chris Wilder has made his desire to guide his side straight back to the top-flight clear, and the club have certainly matched that ambition in the winter transfer window so far, with Leicester City striker Tom Cannon signed for £10 million, his Foxes' teammate Hamza Choudhury brought in on loan, and former loanee Ben Brereton Diaz re-signed on a temporary deal from Southampton until the end of the season.

Their January business does not look to have ended just yet though, with next week's deadline edging ever closer and other targets emerging as they look to add the finishing touches to a squad that looks ready-made for promotion, and the club have been urged to sign players in two positions in particular before Monday's deadline.

Sheffield United fan pundit makes right-back and centre-back signing demands

United are currently one of the leaders in the race for promotion, but a damaging 3-0 home defeat to Hull City last time out may well have alerted Wilder and club bosses to a need to add some more defensive depth before the window slams shut.

The Blades are certainly light in the middle of defence right now, following Harry Souttar's return to Leicester last month after he picked up a season-ending achilles injury, with Anel Ahmedhodzic and Jack Robinson currently Wilder's favoured centre-back pairing, and only Alfie Gilchrist, who has been playing at right-back, and youngster Jamal Baptiste as the main back-up options.

With Gilchrist usually a starter on the right of the back four, the likes of Jamie Shackleton and Femi Siriki have struggled for game-time this season, and with the latter suffering from his own recurring injury issues as of late, it seems a wise idea to hunt for a new addition to provide proper competition for the Chelsea loanee.

It is clear that the Blades are in need of a few shrewd late signings this week, and our United fan pundit, Jimmy, from the Blades Ramble, wants to see both a centre-back and right-back brought in before the deadline to give Wilder's side the best chance of not only winning promotion, but possibly even going up as champions this season.

“It’s the last week of the transfer window, and we are still a little bit short in terms of depth,” Jimmy told FLW.

“I really like the team, as in, the starting eleven when everybody is fit, but the problem we’ve had recently is that that’s not been the case. We haven’t had our best players fit.

“I think a dream, and realistic, end to the window could see us sign a centre-back and a right-back.

“Hamza Choudhury is now done for central midfield, and we have also been heavily linked with Jonjoe Kenny at Hertha Berlin, the former Everton right-back. That would do really nicely.

“We still need a centre-back too. We’ve not replaced Harry Souttar, and that is the one man we need to replace.

“If we can replace him with an appropriate central defender, then we have every chance of not only getting an automatic spot, but of winning this league.”

Sheffield United have been linked with moves for right-backs and centre-backs this month

United may well have made three signings since the start of January, but much to our Blades fan pundit's relief, their business does not look done and dusted just yet, with recent links having emerged for players in both positions that are in need of bolstering.

As aforementioned, Hertha BSC right-back Jonjoe Kenny has been of interest to United this month, as transfer journalist Alan Nixon claimed earlier in January that they were trying to sign the 27-year-old, then followed that up soon after with a new report stating that they were closer to a deal for the ex-Everton man, with a fee of around £800,000 mooted and a two-year contract being offered.

Despite the deal previously looking advanced, The Star have reported that the Blades have now set Hertha a midweek ultimatum over Kenny's future, before they move on to alternative targets, with the German side playing hardball and said to be demanding €2m for his services.

As well as right-back, a centre-back signing is also on Wilder's radar over the coming days, and FLW exclusively revealed last week that United are eyeing a move for Queens Park Rangers defender Jimmy Dunne, while R's boss Marti Cifuentes has reiterated his desire to keep the 27-year-old.

Dunne is seemingly not the only man in his position that the Blades are setting their sights on too, with The Star today claiming that they have added Swansea City man Harry Darling’s name to their list of transfer targets.

Darling was previously linked to United back in 2022 prior to his £1m move to South Wales and has been a mainstay at the heart of the Swans' backline over the last few seasons.

Swansea are not set to part with his services easily anytime soon, despite his contract being up at the end of the season, while United's pursuit of Hertha defender Kenny could come to an inconsequential end very soon.

It is clear that Wilder and co are set to face obstacles in their challenge to add both a centre-back and right-back to their ranks before the window slams shut on February 3, but it is an absolute priority that they add depth in each position to give the club the best chance of an immediate return to the Premier League this season.