Chris Wilder makes strong Sheffield United transfer claim ahead of 2026 | OneFootball

Sheffield United could be set for a busy January transfer window

Chris Wilder has claimed Sheffield United have a lot of work to do ahead of the January transfer window, but has claimed "players will definitely want to come" to Bramall Lane in the New Year.

The Blades earned an emphatic 3-0 win over their local rivals Sheffield Wednesday with their return to league action last weekend.

However, their position in the league table remains precarious despite the injection of momentum going into this busy festive period of the season.

The Yorkshire outfit had a busy summer market following their play-off final defeat to Sunderland, with a number of key players departing and 16 fresh faces arriving since that loss at Wembley Stadium — including the recent arrival of Patrick Bamford as a free agent.

Wilder will be hoping his side can put together a run of form in the coming weeks that can steer them clear of the relegation battle before the turn of the year.

Chris Wilder issues hard work warning to Sheffield United

Wilder has claimed that Sheffield United have a lot of work to do ahead of the January window, indicating it could be a busy period for the Championship side.

He’s hinted that player departures could be their immediate priority, as he looks to build a team capable of climbing back up the second division table through the rest of the campaign.

"There's still an unbelievable amount of work to do, we're still talking about January, and we need to move players on and make some difficult decisions," said Wilder, via the BBC.

"If we can get to January and pick up some points, I'm really excited at what we can achieve in the new year.

"Players will definitely want to come to us in January and we're working hard from that point of view."

Sheffield United are embroiled in a relegation battle so far this season, even with their 3-0 win over local rivals Sheffield Wednesday.

Wilder was dismissed after their play-off final loss to Sunderland, but returned in September after a difficult start to the campaign under his replacement Ruben Selles.

So January will be the 58-year-old’s first chance to reshape the squad to his liking again, having returned after the summer window.

Sheffield United could be set for busy January window

Sheffield United were quite busy in the summer, and it could be more of the same when January comes around.

The level of squad turnover they’ve gone through shows in their results on the pitch this season, so some stability is needed within the first team.

But it’s also clear that there are players Wilder has no use for, so it will be no surprise when changes are made in the new year.

If the Yorkshire outfit can put together a winning run between now and then, they will also be a far more attractive proposition for new players compared to their current standing in the Championship.