Sheffield United told why Frank Onyeka deal could solve Chris Wilder problem | OneFootball

FLW's Sheffield United fan pundit has given his verdict on the club's interest in Frank Onyeka

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 joined the race to sign Brentford midfielder Frank Onyeka this January.

According to the Daily Mail, the Blades are keen on the Nigeria international, but they face competition from rivals such as Birmingham City and Coventry City.

Valencia have also been mentioned as a potential destination for the 28-year-old, who has struggled for game time under Keith Andrews this season.

Onyeka has made six appearances in the Premier League this term, coming on as a substitute on each occasion for a total of 92 minutes of action.

The midfielder has a contract with the Bees until the summer of 2027, but his lack of game time for the London outfit could open the door to an exit this month, with the market set to shut on 2 February.

Frank Onyeka could bolster Sheffield United’s midfield quality

When asked if the club could do with another midfield addition, FLW’s Sheffield United fan pundit Jimmy claimed that Onyeka’s arrival could signal the future of Gustavo Hamer, or it could be a sign that Jairo Riedewald’s injury issue is worse than first feared.

He believes that the Blades may have a quantity of midfield options at the moment, they lack a certain level of quality that Onyeka may be able to provide.

“This is one that maybe says we could be losing Gus, although Gus isn’t a central-midfielder,” Jimmy told Football League World.

“It also says to me that Jairo Riedeweld’s injury may be more worrisome than first thought.

“He’s recently got a hamstring tweak, and he’s been very good for Sheffield United.

“It may also mean that Djibril Soumaré’s loan could be terminated.

“Because we’ve got a lot of bodies in central-midfield.

“Availability isn’t always there, but there’s a bit of quantity, not necessarily a great deal of quality, so it’s interesting to be linked to centre-midfielders.

“We’ll have to wait and see how that one plays out because we’re all interested in whether we’ll be strengthening that position in January.”

Sheffield United will be hoping to bolster their midfield options for the second half of the campaign, as they eye a push for a play-off place.

However, Coventry and Birmingham both have promotion ambitions of their own, with the Sky Blues leading the way at the top of the Championship table.

Meanwhile, Valencia are in a battle against relegation from La Liga, so will need to strengthen this month if they can.

Next up for Sheffield United is a trip to face Southampton on Wednesday evening in a 7.45pm kick-off.

Frank Onyeka loan move could be a smart short-term option for Sheffield United

Onyeka has plenty of Premier League experience he can bring to Sheffield United, and he would bolster their options if he were to sign.

The 28-year-old can provide competition for Riedewald, who cannot realistically be relied upon to play every game at this stage of his career.

If his injury issue is worse than first feared, then that only further reinforces the idea that Onyeka is needed this month.

But the competition they face for his signature could make it tricky to get him in, especially if Coventry and Valencia can more realistically offer him a route to top flight football.